Quality of pig carcasses of surgical- and immunocastrated males slaughtered at different live weight

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Date
2018
Authors
Povod, M.
Kravchenko, O. I.
Getya, A.
Kodak, O.
Кравченко, Оксана Іванівна
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wageningen Academic Publishers
Abstract
effectiveness of fattening. Traditionally Ukrainian pork producers slaughter the animals with live weight 100-110 kg but would like to raise the weight before slaughter, working with hybrid pigs. According to reports of some researchers the increasing of weight before slaughter causes worsening of carcass quality, especially in surgically castrated and entire males. As a solution the immunological castration can be taken into account especially for rising heavy weight pigs. This assumption has been investigated in presented research. The trial has been organized under the condition of commercial farm on hybrid animals (Yorkshire* LangrassxMaxgro). Two groups of pigs with 30 heads in each were formed (surgical and immunological castrated males). Surgical castration was done at the age 4 of days, immunological - by application of Improvac vaccine in accordance to the instructions for use. All animals were kept together and slaughtered at the same time but with different weights: from 100 till 120 kg. Carcass evaluation was made using Fat-o-Meater S71. The thickness of the backfat was measured at the level of 6-7 thoracic vertebra, and at sacrum. Carcass grading has been done using EUROP and Ukrainian scale. Sensory evaluation of carcasses after slaughter was performed. The results suggest that increasing of live weight before slaughter of immunocastrated males till 120 kg does not influence negative their carcass quality. Dressing percentage of carcasses did not depend on live weight before slaughter in both groups. Carcasses of immunocastrated males had lower backfat thickness measured at 6-7 thoracic vertebra: slaughter at 100 kg - by 2.8 mm; slaughtered at 120 kg - by 3.3 mm. After slaughter at weight 120 kg 70% of carcasses of immunocastrated males were graded E + U, while in the group of surgical castrated males such carcasses were only 50%. It was not detected critical level of boar odour in all slaughter weights.
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Keywords
pig, carcass quality, surgically castration, immunological castration
Citation
Povod M., Kravchenko O., Getya A., Kodak O. Quality of pig carcasses of surgical- and immunocastrated males slaughtered at different live weight//Book of Abstracts of the 69th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (Dubrovnik, Croatia). - No.24 (2018). – P.235.