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A Study of the Variations of Muscle, Fat and Bone of Swine Carcasses¹

University of Minnesota

Abstract

THE evaluation of swine carcasses is becoming an increasingly important problem due in part to the fact that the price of lard in recent years has not been commensurate with prices for live hogs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variations which exist in muscle, fat and bone content of swine carcasses and to determine if certain carcass measurements are of value in estimating the relative amounts of muscle, fat and bone in the carcass.

Hankins and Ellis (1934) found that average backfat thickness measurements (made at five specific points) when correlated with fat content gave a correlation coefficient of 0.84. Hiner and Hankins (1939) studied variation in ham conformation and noted that variation was due to a combination of factors with fat content of ham being the dominant one.

Davidson, Hammond, Swain, and Wright (1936) devised a system for judging pork and bacon carcasses. Thickness of eye muscle of loin at the last rib was used as an indication of the relative amount of lean meat throughout the carcass.

¹ Paper No. 2426. Scientific Journal Series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. This study was conducted under a project that is in cooperation with the Regional Swine Breeding Laboratory, Headquarters, Ames, Iowa, Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Dept. of Agric.