Effects of Dietary Energy Level on Growth Efficiency and Carcass Quality Traits of Finishing Pigs

Abstract

A total of 96 non-lean-type (Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc gilts and barrows weighing approximately 80 kg were randomly allocated to 24 pens under a 2 (sex) × 3 [diet; 3.4, 3.2, and 3.0 Mcal DE/kg {'high'-, 'medium'-, and 'low'-energy diets (HE, ME, and LE), respectively}] factorial arrangement of treatments. All animals were slaughtered approximately at 115 kg, after which carcass quality traits and grades and physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the loin related to meat quality were analyzed. The ADG and gain:feed were not affected by the sex or dietary treatment, whereas ADFI was greater in the ME vs HE group. Backfat thickness was greater in barrows vs gilts and also in ME and HE vs LE only in barrows. Enumerated carcass marbling and quality grade, which were highly correlated (r=0.56; P<0.01), were greater in barrows vs gilts. Physicochemical characteristics including the color, pH, drip loss and contents of moisture, protein, and fat of fresh loin, as well as sensory characteristics of fresh and cooked loin, were not affected by the sex or dietary treatment, except for shear force for cooked loin which was greater (P<0.05) in LE and ME vs HE. In conclusion, it is thought that ME is comparable to HE in terms of the effect on growth and carcass quality of finishing pigs, but that the relative effect of LE vs ME needs to be further studied.

Effects of the Plane of Nutrition on Physicochemical Characteristics and Sensory Quality Traits of the Muscle in Finishing Pigs

“…Overall scores of the sensory quality traits for fresh and cooked loin, Boston butt and ham increased slightly between 110- and 125-kg live weights, and did not change significantly between 125 and 135 kg. In contrast to this, in finishing pigs with a low weight/lean gain potential, physiochemical characteristics and sensory quality scores including the redness and marbling of fresh and cooked loin were not influenced by the dietary energy density between 3.0 and 3.4 Mcal DE/kg in the study of Ha et al (2010). On the other hand, it could not be determined in that study whether or not meat quality could be improved by using the low-energy diet and thereby increasing the slaughter weight to 125 kg or greater, because the pigs were almost over-fat at approximately 115 kg of body weight, the average slaughter weight in Korea in recent years (KPPA, 2014), and therefore were slaughtered at that weight.…”

Influences of Enzyme Blend Supplementation on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Fecal Microbiota and Meat-Quality in Grower-Finisher Pigs

“…Statistically insignificant differences were observed in drip loss, pH, LMA and WHC in the current study ( Table 5). Based on previous studies [17,21,28,29] different meat quality parameters such as pH value and meat color that corelate with our results may help us infer or conclude our observations to a greater extent.…”

Effects of supplementing growing-finishing pig diets with Bacillus spp. probiotic on growth performance and meat-carcass grade qualitytraits

“…The quality of pork carcasses was graded into "Grade 1+," "Quality Grade 1," or "Grade 2", based on characteristics such as marbling, lean color, and conditions of belly streaks (KAPE, 2010). Carcass BFT was adjusted to a live weight of 115 kg, as described previously (Ha et al, 2010).…”