The effects of gender and slaughter weight on growth performance and carcass traits of pigs intended for dry-cured ham from Teruel (Spain)

¹ Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda. Montañana, 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
² Jamones y Embutidos Altomijares S.L., 44440 Formiche Alto, Teruel, Spain
³ Integraciones Porcinas S.L., Portillo, 9, 44550 Alcorisa, Teruel, Spain

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: malatorreg{at}aragon.es.

	Abstract

Crossbred pigs (n = 200) from Duroc sires mated to Landrace x Large White dams, with a mean BW of 107.0 ± 2.4 kg and intended for high quality dry-cured hams from Spain (Teruel ham), were used to investigate the effects of gender (barrows and gilts) and slaughter weight (SW; 120, 125, 130, 135, and 140 kg BW) on growth performance and carcass characteristics. For productive performance, there were five treatments in base of five SW; each treatment was replicated four times and the replicate was a pen made up of five barrows and five gilts allotted together. For carcass traits, there were 10 treatments in base of two genders and five SW; each treatment was replicated 20 times and the replicate was a carcass. Barrows had fatter carcasses (P < 0.001) and wider hams (P < 0.01) but a lower yield of trimmed shoulder (P < 0.05), loin (P < 0.001), and ham (P < 0.001) than gilts. Also, castrates tended to show a higher proportion of final suitable carcasses for Teruel ham (P < 0.10) than females because more barrows than gilts fulfilled the minimum requirement of carcass weight and fat thickness at gluteus medius (GM) muscle (P < 0.01). An increase in SW tended to decrease ADG and G:F (P < 0.10). In addition, dressing percentage, fat and dimensions of carcass and ham increased as SW increased (P < 0.001). Although the weight of trimmed primal cuts (shoulder, loin, and ham) increased with SW, the yield of trimmed loin or ham decreased (P < 0.01). The proportion of final suitable carcasses for Teruel ham improved as SW increased up to 130 kg BW but not thereafter (P < 0.001) due to an increase in percentage carcasses that fulfilled the minimum carcass and ham weight (P < 0.001) and fat at m. GM (P < 0.05). We can conclude that barrows were better than gilts when intended for Teruel ham. Furthermore, an increase in SW up to 130 kg in pigs impaired growth performance but improved some aspects of carcass quality which are required by the Teruel ham industry.

Key Words: carcass quality, dry-cured ham, gender, growth performance, pigs, slaughter weight