Assessment of growth performance and meat quality of finishing pigs raised on the low plane of nutrition. Issue 1 (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choi, Jung; Jin, Sang-Keun; Lee, C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of animal science and technology. Volume 57:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Finishing pig -- Plane of nutrition -- Growth -- Meat quality -- Sensory evaluation; Animal culture -- Periodicals; Animal culture -- Research -- Korea -- Periodicals; Livestock -- Periodicals; Domestic animals -- Periodicals; Animals, Domestic -- Republic of Korea -- Periodicals; Animal Husbandry -- Republic of Korea -- Periodicals; Research -- Republic of Korea -- Periodicals; Animal culture; Animal culture -- Research; Domestic animals; Livestock; Korea; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 636
• DOI: 10.1186/s40781-015-0070-4
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2055-0391

Abstract

Abstract This study was performed to investigate the effects of the low plane of nutrition on growth and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 136 crossbred barrows and gilts weighing approximately 55 kg were allotted to 8 pens, with 17 animals housed per pen, in a 2 (sex) × 2 (nutrition) factorial arrangement of treatments. The animals allotted to a medium plane of nutrition (MPN) received a finisher phase 1 (P1) diet containing 3.47 Mcal DE/kg and 0.92 % lysine and a P2 diet containing 3.40 Mcal DE/kg and 0.78 % lysine for 35 d and 36/43 d, respectively; the animals allotted to the low plane of nutrition (LPN) received only a P2 diet containing 3.00 Mcal DE/kg and 0.68 % lysine 7 d longer than MPN. The animals were slaughtered following the feeding trial, after which the loin, ham, Boston butt, and belly were taken from a total of 24 animals, with the average live weight being 120 kg, and their physicochemical and sensory quality traits were analyzed. Average daily gain did not differ between MPN and LPN during either P1 or P2. Average daily feed intake was greater (P < 0.05) in LPN vs. MPN during both phases whereas the opposite was true for the gain:feed ratio. Backfat thickness (BFT) was less in LPN vs. MPN (21.7 vs. 24.1 mm at 115 kg). The plane of nutrition influenced no effect on any of the physicochemical characteristics of fresh loin, ham, or Boston butt analyzed in the present study. Fresh hams from LPN exhibited superior aroma and odor scores than those from MPN; however, sensory quality traits were not influenced by the plane of nutrition in other fresh primal cuts or cooked meat. Instead, fresh primal cuts and cooked meat from gilts rendered superior physicochemical characteristics and sensory scores, respectively, than those from barrows. Results suggest that the low plane of nutrition may be useful to increase the slaughter weight of finishing pigs with a moderately high BFT by virtue of its BFT-lowering effect with or without exerting a slightly positive influence on pork quality.