ABSTRACT(Y × L) × D-crossbred gilts and barrows weighing 80.2 ± 0.2 kg were fed a "medium-energy" (ME) or "low-energy" (LE) diet (3.2 vs 3.0 M cal DE/kg) and slaughtered at 110, 125, or 138 kg, after which physicochemical and sensory quality traits of major primal cuts of resulting carcasses were analyzed, under a 2 (sex) × 2 (diet) × 3 (slaughter weight; SW) factorial arrangement of treatments. The ADG and ADFI were greater (P<0.01) in barrows than in gilts and also in 125-and 138-kg vs 110-kg SW. Moreover, ADG and gain:feed were greater in ME vs LE (P<0.01), whereas ADFI was greater in LE vs ME (P<0.01). Backfat thickness, which increased with increasing SW (P<0.01), was not affected by sex or diet. Carcass marbling score was greater (P<0.01) in gilts and LE than in barrows and ME, respectively. Carcass quality grade, which was superior in LE vs ME, was not affected by SW, whereas the yield grade decreased abruptly between 125-and 138-kg SW primarily due to the upper limit of carcass weight imposed on the A and B grades. Physicochemical characteristics including pH, drip loss, and variables pertaining to color of belly, ham, and loin were not affected significantly by any of the treatment factors, albeit statistically significant in some cases, in terms of quality criteria. In sensory evaluation, the acceptability of fresh belly was not influenced by any of the treatment factors. Marbling score of fresh ham was greater in LE vs ME (P<0.01) and tended to increase between 110-and 125-kg SW (P=0.10); in loin, the increase of this variable between the two SW was significant (P<0.01). Following cooking, LE was superior to ME in the acceptability in belly and ham, but the effect of SW was insignificant in any of the sensory quality traits evaluated in this study in any of the three major primal cuts. In conclusion, the present results suggest that SW can be increased to up to 138 kg without compromising carcass quality and that LE has some beneficial effects on quality of the whole carcass and the major primal cuts.

No abstract

This study compared the effects of varying lipid content and dietary concentration of a lipid-encapsulated (LE) ZnO product to those of native ZnO and thereby to find insights into optimal lipid coating and dosage of the Zn supplement. A total of 192 21-d-old weanling pigs were allotted to 48 pens, after which each six pens received a ZnO-free basal diet supplemented with 125 ppm ZnO (100 ppm Zn; BASAL), 2,500 ppm Zn as native ZnO (HIGH), or 100 or 200 ppm Zn as LE ZnO (LE-100 or LE-250) containing 8%, 10%, or 12% lipid [LE-8%, LE-10%, or LE-12%, respectively; 2 × 3 factorial arrangement within the LE-ZnO diets (LE-ALL)] for 14 d. Forty pigs were killed at the end for histological and biochemical examinations. None of ADG, ADFI, gain:feed, and fecal consistency score differed between the LE-ALL and either of the BASAL and HIGH groups. Hepatic and serum Zn concentrations were greater (p <0.05) in the HIGH vs. LE-ALL group, but did not differ between LE-ALL and BASAL, between LE-100 and -250, or among LE-8%, -10%, and -12% groups. Villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and the VH:CD ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum did not differ between the LE-ALL and either of the BASAL and HIGH groups, except for a greater CD in the duodenum in the LE-ALL vs. HIGH group. Additionally, VH and CD in the duodenum and VH:CD in the jejunum were greater in the LE-250 vs. LE-100 group. Specific activities of sucrase, maltase, and leucine aminopeptidase in these intestinal regions and those of amylase and trypsin in the pancreas were not influenced by the lipid content or dietary concentration of LE ZnO and also did not differ between the LE-ALL and either of the BASAL and HIGH groups, except for a greater pancreatic amylase activity in the former vs. HIGH group. In conclusion, the present results indicate that the LE ZnO, regardless of its lipid percentage or supplementation level examined in this study, has no significant effect on growth performance, fecal consistency, or digestive enzyme activities of weanling pigs under the experimental conditions.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of slaughter weight (SW) of finishing pigs fed a low-energy diet on growth efficiency and carcass quality and thereby to assess the optimal SW. (Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc-crossbred gilts and barrows were fed a diet containing 3,060 kcal DE/kg from 80-kg BW and slaughtered at 110, 125, or 135 kg, after which the belly, the most preferred cut in Korea, as well as the least preferred cuts ham and loin were subjected to physicochemical and sensory analyses. Both ADG and ADFI were greater (P<0.05) in the group slaughtered at 125 or 135 kg than in the 110-kg-SW group, whereas the opposite was true for gain:feed (P<0.01). Backfat thickness (BFT), which increased with increasing SW (P<0.01 and P<0.05), was greater in barrows than in gilts (P<0.01); BFT of barrows at 125 kg (24.6 mm) was comparable to that of gilts at 135 kg (24.2 mm). Physicochemical characteristics of the belly, ham and loin were minimally affected, if not affected, by SW; of note, however, the redness of the ham increased between 110-and 125-kg SW (P<0.05). In sensory evaluation of the belly, the fat:lean balance, which is a most important quality trait in this cut, was best (P<0.05) at 125 kg of SW, but the overall acceptability of this cut was not changed by SW. In the ham and loin, the marbling score increased (P<0.01) between 110-and 125-kg SW, whereas color, aroma, off-flavor, and drip were unaffected by SW. In addition, the acceptability of the loin increased (P<0.05) between 110-and 125-kg SW. In cooked meats, none of color, aroma, off-flavor, juiciness, tenderness, taste, and acceptability was changed by SW, except for an increase (P<0.05) in darkness of loin color between 110-and 125-kg SW. In conclusion, the optimal SW for the present subpopulation on the present low-energy diet lie in between 125 and 135 kg for gilts and at 125 kg for barrows.

This study was aimed at investigating the long-term effects of provision of liquid milk replacer (MR) and solid starter diet (SD) during lactation on post-weaning (PW) growth of pigs. In experiment 1, 33 cross-bred litters were allotted to four treatments: no supplement (CON), MR ad libitum, SD ad libitum and 100 g SD/litter/day from lactation day 4 through weaning at day 21 during late fall. In experiment 2, 40 litters received MR or none in July. PW pigs received commercial diets to marketing. In experiment 1, weaning weight (WW), pre-weaning average daily gain (ADG) and mortality (2.4%) were not influenced by creep-feeding MR or SD. ADG was greater (P < 0.05) in the MR group versus CON during days 21-54, but did not differ across the treatments during days 54-162. In experiment 2, ADG during lactation and WW were greater in the MR group versus CON, with mortality lower in the former (5.6 vs. 10.3%). However, PW ADG to day 175 did not differ between the two groups. Results suggest that creep-feeding MR or SD has no effect on PW growth. However, it remains possible that MR reduces PW mortality during the hot season.