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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2006-807v1 86/6/1410    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Peinado, J. Articles by Mateos, G. G. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Peinado, J. Articles by Mateos, G. G.

Influence of sex and castration of females on growth performance and carcass and meat quality of heavy pigs destined for the dry-cured industry¹

J. Peinado^*, P. Medel, A. Fuentetaja and G. G. Mateos^*,2

^* Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; and Imasde Agroalimentaria S.L., 28224 Madrid, Spain; and and COPESE S.A., 40300 Sepúlveda, Segovia, Spain

² Corresponding author: gonzalo.gmateos{at}upm.es

Crossbred pigs (n = 240) from Pietrain x Large White sires mated to Landrace x Large White dams, with an average age of 100 d (60.5 ± 2.3 kg of BW), were used to investigate the effects of sex and slaughter weight (SW) on growth performance and on carcass and meat quality characteristics. There were 6 treatments arranged factorially, with 3 classes (intact females, IF; castrated females, CF; and castrated males, CM) and 2 slaughter weights (114 and 122 kg of BW). Each of the 6 combinations of treatments was replicated 4 times, and the experimental unit was a pen with 10 pigs. Castrated males and CF ate more feed, grew faster, and had more carcass backfat depth and fat thickness at the gluteus medius muscle but lower loin yield than IF (P < 0.05). In addition, CF and CM had more intramuscular fat (P < 0.05) and less linoleic acid content in the subcutaneous fat (P < 0.01) than IF. Pigs slaughtered at 122 kg of BW had lower ADG (P < 0.05), decreased G:F (P < 0.05), and more gluteus medius fat than pigs slaughtered at 114 kg of BW (P < 0.05). It was concluded that CF and CM had similar productive performance and meat quality characteristics when slaughtered at the same age, and that castration of females improved ADG and increased weight and fat content of primal cuts with respect to IF. Therefore, castration of females is recommended in pigs destined for the dry-cured industry because of the beneficial effects on quality of the primal cuts.

Key Words: carcass trait • gilt castration • growth performance • slaughter weight • pork quality

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Latorre, E. Garcia-Belenguer, and L. Arino The effects of sex and slaughter weight on growth performance and carcass traits of pigs intended for dry-cured ham from Teruel (Spain) J Anim Sci, August 1, 2008; 86(8): 1933 - 1942. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]