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The effect of plane of nutrition on the performance and carcass characteristics of pigs slaughtered at 100 kg live weight

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

N. Walker ,
I. H. Heaney  and
D. H. McNally
N. Walker
Affiliation:
Crop and Animal Husbandry Division, Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and Faculty of Agriculture, The Queen's University of Belfast
I. H. Heaney
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Pig Testing Station, Antrim
D. H. McNally
Affiliation:
Biometrics Division, Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland
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Summary

Four equally spaced feeding levels, estimated to cover the range of commercial practice, were examined using a total of 208 pigs over the live-weight range 28–100 kg. The pigs were penned in groups of six or eight and were balanced for sex within pens. Three centres participated in the experiment contributing five, two and one replicates respectively.

Efficiency of feed conversion was not significantly affected over the range of feed intakes studied, thus daily gain was linearly related to feed intake. A 10 decrease in feed intake increased killing-out percentage by 0·3 unit and decreased backfat thickness by 1 mm at both the shoulder and mid rump. The corresponding changes in the percentages of subcutaneous fat plus skin and meat were similar in magnitude at approximately 0·85 unit.

Muscle quality was reduced with higher feed intakes but weight of liver, as increased. Details of other offal weights and carcass measurements are given.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , June 1972 , pp. 449 - 455
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

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