Carcass Characteristics and Primal Pork Cuts of Gilts, Boars, Immunocastrates and Barrows Using AutoFOM III Data of a Commercial Abattoir.

Kevin Kress,Volker Stefanski,Jens Hartung,Johannes Jasny,Ulrike Weiler

doi:10.3390/ani10101912

Kevin Kress, Volker Stefanski + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101912

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Abstract

Simple SummaryMale piglets designated for pork production have been surgically castrated for centuries. The fattening of intact boars is more environmentally friendly due to anabolic effects, but entails a higher risk of aggressive and sexual behavior, and some boar carcasses may exhibit boar taint, which reduces pork quality. Immunocastration as a further alternative to surgical castration is considered as a reliable and animal welfare-friendly method, but currently still has a very small market share. A crucial factor for the period following surgical castration is that pork production, either with boars or immunocastrates, is competitive and produces valuable carcasses with regard to lean meat content and the respective amounts of primal pork cuts. In this study, we therefore evaluated AutoFOM III data from a commercial abattoir. The results show that carcasses from immunocastrates were of similar quality to those of barrows, with carcass characteristics that lay between the values of gilts and barrows. Boar carcasses are leaner in comparison to barrows, but produce the same amount of valuable pork per carcass. Boars and immunocastrates are therefore suitable for the processing industry and both techniques are able to compete with pork production with barrows in terms of carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts.The surgical castration of male piglets as a routine procedure in modern pig production is facing increasing societal criticism. Pork production with boars and immunocastrates are available alternatives, but both have low market shares as it is so far uncertain how the carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts of boars and immunocastrates will be estimated in comparison to barrows and gilts. This article therefore evaluates the impact of sex group (gilts, boars, immunocastrates and barrows) on carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts using AutoFOM III data from a commercial abattoir. In our study, weekly slaughter data from a total of n = 36,994 pigs between 2018 and 2019 were analyzed. The results show that gilts had the highest amount of pork per carcass of all sex groups, whereas non-significant differences between boars, immunocastrates and barrows could be observed. Boars had the highest lean meat content, followed by gilts, immunocastrates and finally barrows with the lowest lean meat content. These results suggest that both immunocastration and pork production with boars are sustainable techniques that can replace pork production with barrows without affecting carcass quality.

Highlights

In Europe, the traditional practice of surgical castration of male piglets faces increasing societal criticism as it is painful and violates the animals’ physical integrity [1,2]
With regard to the current debate about the welfare of male piglets, which is negatively affected by surgical castration without pain relief, both pork production with boars and immunocastrates are immediately available as alternatives for the pork chain [8]
Since the AutoFOM III estimation is based on mathematical estimation formulas that were developed on the basis of dissection trials with gilts and barrows [23], it has so far been unclear how the carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts of boars and immunocastrates are estimated

Summary

Introduction

In Europe, the traditional practice of surgical castration of male piglets faces increasing societal criticism as it is painful and violates the animals’ physical integrity [1,2]. For this reason, European stakeholders voluntarily committed themselves in 2010 to end the surgical castration of male piglets by 2018 [3]. European stakeholders voluntarily committed themselves in 2010 to end the surgical castration of male piglets by 2018 [3] Despite this declaration, about 63% of male piglets in Europe are still surgically castrated within the first week of life [4]. The market acceptance of immunocastration, on the other hand, sustainable and above all animal friendly from a scientific point of view [8,9], has so far been impeded by a lack of practical experience in the pork production chain [9], and by market concerns as to whether the technique will be accepted within the industry [10,11]

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