Quality of carcass sides, yield and distribution of certain tissues in carcasses from pigs fattened in conventional way and on deep litter

Abstract

Objective of this research was to present and compare results of the research of the effect of two fattening methods, on deep litter and conventional method (without litter). Slaughter properties have been determined with special focus on distribution of certain tissues in pig carcasses fattened in two different ways. Research was carried out on meat, fattening pig breeds - Swedish landrace. Research included 115 fatteners from single farm in Vojvodina. Depending on the housing conditions, two groups were formed: first group - group I (60 heads in group) was housed on deep litter, and the second - group II (55 heads in group), without litter. At the end of the trial, pigs were slaughtered and dissection was performed on cooled (+4?C) left carcass sides and meat yield determined using the method of partial dissection (Walstra and Merkus, 1996). Carcass sides were cut in 12 parts. Based on the meat quantity in four main carcass parts: leg, shoulder, back-loin part (BLP) and belly-rib part (BRP), which contain 75% of total musculature mass and mass of tenderloin of carcass side, meat percentage in carcass sides was calculated according to formulation (Manojlovic Danica et al., 1999). Fatteners housed on deep litter had statistically significantly (**p<0.01) lower mass of cool carcass sides (38.38 kg) compared to fatteners housed without litter (40.90 kg). Higher absolute and relative shares of leg (10.22 kg and 25.02%) were established and higher absolute yield of shoulder (5.35 kg ) in fatteners housed in boxes without litter (II group). Yield of muscle tissue in leg, shoulder, BLP and BRP was higher in fatteners of the II group (without litter) compared to pigs fattened on deep litter, and also statistically highly significant differences were established in share of muscle tissue in shoulder (**p<0.01) and considerable differences in regard to share of muscle tissue in BRP (*p<0.05). Meat yield of pig carcass sides was determined by method of partial dissection, for fatteners housed on deep litter it was 47,92%, and in case of fatteners housed without litter it was 53.89%. Established differences were very significant (**p<0.01).