HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Domermuth, W. Articles by Eklund, D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Domermuth, W. Articles by Eklund, D.

Prediciton of Lean Composition of Live Market Weight Swine by Indirect Methods^{1 ,2,}

University of Missouri, Columbia 65201^,5

Abstract

Two experiments and a field study were conducted to compare Electronic Meat Measuring Equipment (EMME)⁶ with ⁴⁰K as an indirect means of estimating the lean body composition of live pigs.

The results indicate that either EMME or ⁴⁰K in combination with shrunk body weight are useful in predicting the weight of carcass protein (R² = .78 and .78, respectively in experiment 1) and lean cuts (R² = .80 and .82, respectively in experiment 1) in the live pig by non-destructive (indirect) means. Those predictions were also improved with the addition of longissimus muscle area and average backfat thickness. These relationships were lower in experiment 2 and in the field study where shrunk body weight was less variable indicating the importance of body weight in predicting body composition. However, when the variation in body weight was reduced, so was the usefulness of body weight in predicting the weight of carcass protein (R² = .13) and lean cuts (R² = .18). These results have shown that EMME and ⁴⁰K have value in predicting body composition when the variation in body weight approaches zero. The results of the field study further confirmed the usefulness of EMME under practical conditions.

¹ Contribution from the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series No. 7488.

² The authors are indebted to the Missouri Pork Producers Association for partial financial support of this research and to M. K. Schmidt and L. Van Skike for their contribution to this research.

³ Department of Food Science and Nutrition.

⁴ Departments of Agronomy and Statistics.

⁵ Departments of Agronomy and Statistics.