Growth performance and carcass quality of entire males, surgical castrates and gilts

Abstract

The present study evaluates the growth performance and carcass traits of entire male pigs, castrates and gilts. Pigs were crosses of Landrace sows and YxL boars. Entire males (EM), surgical castrates (SC) and gilts (G) were housed in pens (each of 2 pigs) according to sex. Entire males grew faster (EM: 974 vs. SC: 890 and G: 854 g.day-1) and had better feed conversion ratio (EM: 2.71 vs. SC: 2.86 and G: 2.93 kg.kg-1) than castrates and gilts, as differences compared to gilts were significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, resp.). Slaughter and carcass weights of the three groups of pigs were not significantly different. Compared to SC and G, entire males had lower backfat thickness (SC: 26.71, G: 25.38 vs. EM: 20.90 mm, P < 0.001). Percentage of valuable meat cuts and lean meat content measured using TP (Two Point) method were the highest in EM (53.11 and 59.03 %) and were statistically significant (50.92 and 55.67 %, P < 0.05) in relation to C. The values of G were intermediate (52.80 and 57.87 %) and non-significant in comparison to EM (P > 0.05). Percentage of fatty cuts was the lowest in EM and significantly different to that of SC (EM: 11.27 vs. SC: 13.84 and G: 12.55 %, P < 0.001). Gilts achieved the lowest percentage of less valuable cuts than other two groups (G: 13.94 vs. EM: 15.41 and SC: 14.64 %, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, resp.).