Schlachtkörperzusammensetzung und Gewebebeschaffenheit von schweren Schweinen – I. Mitteilung: Material und Methoden, Mastleistung, Schlachtkörperzusammensetzung und Teilstückanteile

Abstract

Abstract. Title of the paper: Carcass and meat quality of heavy pigs. I. Experimental design, methods, fattening performance, carcass composition and proportion of cuts The aim of the 1st part of the study was to present the shifts concerning carcass composition and proportion of cuts associated with a prolonged fattening. In total 63 male castrates and 60 females (Piétrain-NN *German Landrace) were randomized to three groups with different live weights at slaughter (110, 135, 160 kg). The increase of live weight to 135 and 160 kg, respectively, took on average 28 and 55 days. Compared with the lower weight class (110 kg) the daily gain calculated with respect to the whole fattening period decreased only by 30 g/d. The feed efficiency, however, increased from 2.7 to 3.1 kg feed / kg weight gain. The M. longissimus area of castrates and gilts, respectively, rose from 53 to 68 cm2 and from 58 to 73 cm2, respectively, while the lean meat content decreased from 57 to 54 % and from 61 to 57 %, respectively. The weight gain of the loin and the neck amounted absolute to 2.4 and 1.3 kg, respectively. The relative weight gain of the backfat and those cuts rich in adipose tissue (e.g. chump, ventral parts of the belly), amounted to 84 % and 60–70 %, respectively, whereas the primal cuts with a high lean content (ham, loin, shoulder, neck) gained only by 40 to 45 %.