Concern is being expressed about the marketing of over-lean carcasses, especially from young boars. Experiments at Terrington have tested the effects of various management practices, feeding regimes and slaughter weights on the performance and backfat thickness of young boars reared for meat production.

Pigs were kept in groups of mixed castrates and gilts, mixed boars and gilts, gilts only and boars only. Start of test was about 35 kg live weight and three different slaughter weights were selected to represent the main carcass types: cutters — 81 kg, baconers — 93 kg and heavies — 110 kg live weight. Backfat thickness increased with age, weight at slaughter and total feed consumption. Feed consumed by boars was 140 kg for cutters, 181 kg for baconers and 250 kg for heavies. P1, + P3 (mm) of boars was 23.7, 25.9 and 32.6 for the three slaughter weights, respectively.