Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T08:18:24.624Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of sex (boars and gilts) on growth, carcass and pork eating quality characteristics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

P. J. Blanchard ,
M. Ellis ,
C. C. Warkup ,
J. P. Chadwick  and
M. B. Willis
P. J. Blanchard*
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7 RU
M. Ellis*
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7 RU
C. C. Warkup
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, PO Box 44, Winterhill House, Snowdon Drive, Milton Keynes MK6 1AX
J. P. Chadwick
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7 RU
M. B. Willis
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7 RU
*
†Present address: Frank Wright Ltd, Blernheim tiouse, Blenheim Road, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1HA.
‡Present address: Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, 210 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 W Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Get access

Abstract

Boar and gilt pigs from three genotypes (with 0, 0·25 and 0·50 Duroc inclusion level) were reared from 30 to 90 kg live weight on seven feeding regimens which involved combinations of diet formulation and feeding level. A diet of conventional energy and protein level (CEP; 14·2 MJ/kg digestible energy, 205 g/kg crude protein, 10 g/kg lysine) and a diet of higher energy and lower protein (HELP; 14·7 M]/kg digestible energy, 166 g/kg crude protein, 7·0 g/kg lysine) were used. One treatment involved feeding the HELP diet ad libitum, with the other six treatments involving feeding the CEP diet ad libitum, restricted, or in combinations of ad libitum and restricted. A total of 721 animals comprising similar numbers of boars and gilts were used to estimate sex differences for growth performance, carcass and meat quality, and eating quality. Tissue growth rates were predicted from regression equations based on P2fat depths or ham-joint dissection, developed from subsamples of animals that were subjected to full-side dissection. Overall when compared with gilts, boars grew faster (838 v. 799 gtday, P < 0·001), had improved food conversion ratios (2·39 v.2-55, P < 0·001) but had similar daily food intakes and lean and subcutaneous fat growth rates. Lean tissue food conversions did not differ significantly between the sexes. Killing-out proportions were higher for gilts (0·766 v. 0·749 , P < 0·001), however P2 backfat thickness and lean proportions did not differ between the sexes. The firmness of the mid-back fat, assessed subjectively and using a penetrometer, was greater for gilts than for boars. The tenderness of pork loin chops, assessed by a trained sensory panel, was judged to be better for boars than for gilts but there was no sex difference in overall acceptability. The fat from boars had a higher level of abnormal odour and boar odour. There was a sex × dietary treatment interaction for boar odour with the HELP diet producing the highest levels and the biggest difference between the sexes for odour scores.

Keywords

boarsenergy protein ratiomeat qualitypigsevaluation
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 68 , Issue 3 , April 1999 , pp. 487 - 493
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barton-Gade, P.A. 1987. Meat and fat quality in boars, castrates and gilts. Livestock Production Science 16: 187–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blanchard, P. J., Ellis, M., Warkup, C.C, Hardy, B., Chadwick, J. P. and Deans, G. A. 1999. The influence of rate of lean and fat tissue development on pork eating quality. Animal Science 68: 477–485.Google Scholar
Campbell, Ra. G., Taverner, M. R. and Curie, D. M. 1988. The effects of sex and live weight on the growing pig’s response to dietary protein. Animal Production 46: 123–130.Google Scholar
Claus, R., Weiler, U. and Herzog, A. 1994. Physiological aspects of androstenone and skatole formation in the boar — a review with experimental data. Meat Science 38: 289–305.Google Scholar
Cuthbertson, A. 1968. PIDA dissection techniques. Proceedings of a symposium on methods of carcass evaluation, European Association for Animal Production, Dublin.Google Scholar
Dransfield, E. and Kempster, A. J. 1988. Incidence of soft fat in British pigs. Animal Production 46: 502 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Edwards, S. A., Wood, J. D., Moncrieff, C. B. and Porter, S. J. 1992. Comparison of the Duroc and Large White as terminal sire breeds and their effect on pigmeat quality. Animal Production 54: 289–297.Google Scholar
Engel, B. and Walstra, P. 1991. A simple method to increase precision or reduce expense in regression experiments to predict the proportion of lean meat of carcasses. Animal Production 53: 353–359.Google Scholar
Jensen, M. T., Cox, R. P. and Jensen, B. B. 1995. Microbial production of skatole in the hind gut of pigs given different diets and its relation to skatole deposition in backfat. Animal Science 61: 293–304.Google Scholar
Lin, R. S., Orcutt, M. W., Allrich, R. D. and Judge, M. B. 1992. Effect of dietary crude protein content on skatole concentration in boar serum. Meat Science 31: 473–479.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malmfors, B. and Lundstrom, K. 1983. Consumer reaction to boar meat. Livestock Production Science 10: 187–196.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1989. First Stotfold Pig Development Unit trial results. MLC, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1992. Second Stotfold Pig Development Unit trial results. MLC, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1994. Meat and Livestock Commission pig year book. MLC, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Mottram, D. S., Wood, J. D. and Patterson, R. L. S. 1982. Comparison of boars and castrates for bacon production. 3. Composition and eating quality of bacon. Animal Production 35: 75–80.Google Scholar
Patterson, R. L. S., Elks, P. K., Lowe, D. B. and Kempster, A. J. 1990. The effects of different factors on the levels of androstenone and skatole in pig fat. Animal Production 50: 551 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Planella, J. and Cook, G. L. 1991. Accuracy and consistency of prediction of pig carcass lean concentration from P2 fat thickness and sample joint dissection Animal Production 53: 345–352.Google Scholar
Seth, G. von, Petersson, H. and Tornberg, E. 1995. The influence of slaughter weight, feeding intensity and lysine level on the content of androstenone and skatole on the sensory properties of meat from entire males. Proceedings of a meeting of an EAAP working group on production and utilisation of meat from entire male pigs. Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Warkup, C.C. and Kempster, A. J. 1995. A review of MLC research on the eating quality of meat from entire males and gilts. Proceedings of a meeting of an EAAP working group on production and utilisation of meat from entire male pigs. Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., Enser, M., Whittington, F. M., Moncrieff, C. B. and Kempster, A. J. 1989. Backfat composition in pigs: differences between fat thickness groups and sexes. Livestock Production Science 22: 351.Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., Jones, R. C. D., Francombe, M. A. and Whelehan, O. P. 1986. The effects of fat thickness and sex on pig meat quality with special reference to the problems associated with overleanness. 2. Laboratory and trained taste panel results. Animal Production 43: 535–544.Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., Nute, G. R., Fursey, G. A. J. and Cuthbertson, A. 1993. Effects of final cooking temperature on the eating quality of pork loin steaks. Animal Production 56: 422 (abstr.).Google Scholar