Effect of growth rate on live performance, carcass and green thigh traits of finishing Italian heavy pigs

Figures & data

Table 1. Least squares means of the growth rate (GR) quartile on body weight, feed conversion ratio and main carcass traits of finishing Italian heavy pigs.

	GR quartile						GR contrasts (p value)
	1	2	3	4	SEM	p Value	Linear	Quadratic	Cubic
Average growth rate, g/d	578	648	688	748
N	58	59	58	58
Body weight, kg
Beginning	90	93	94	91	1.44	.24
End	156	167	171	177	0.75	<.001	<.001	.001	.08
Feed intake, g/d	2473	2569	2667	2757	16.41	<.001	<.001	.34	.35
Feed conversion, g/g	4.33	4.05	3.92	3.67	0.05	<.001	<.001	.76	.26
Carcass weight, kg	128	137	141	145	0.63	<.001	<.001	.001	.09
Backfat thickness, mm	29.4	31.1	32.3	32.8	0.52	<.001	<.001	.28	.89
Total lean cuts:
Weight, kg	69.24	73.78	75.38	77.15	0.49	<.001	<.001	.01	.17
Proportion on carcass weight, %	54.21	54.00	53.61	53.26	0.25	.03	.002	.77	.86
Total fat cuts:
Weight, kg	23.17	25.37	26.41	27.29	0.29	<.001	<.001	.03	.48
Proportion on carcass weight, %	18.09	18.56	18.79	18.86	0.20	.02	.003	.32	.94

Figure 1. Coefficient of variation of final body weight of pigs according to the growth rate quartile during finishing.

Figure 2. Coefficient of variation of dressed green ham weight of pigs according to the growth rate quartile during finishing.

Table 2. Least squares means of the growth rate (GR) quartile on the weight, thickness and fatty acids composition of subcutaneous fat, and visual appraisal scores of dressed green hams (DRHAM) and on the weight and seasoning losses of dry-cured hams.

	GR quartile						GR contrasts (p value)
	1	2	3	4	SEM	p Value	Linear	Quadratic	Cubic
Average growth rate, g/d	578	648	688	748
N	58	59	58	58
DRHAM weight, kg	14.14	14.95	15.29	15.68	0.11	<.001	<.001	.06	.31
DHRAM subcutaneous fat:
Thickness, mm	20.49	21.40	23.03	22.89	0.79	.06
Iodine value	65.5	65.1	65.5	65.3	0.42	.93
SFA^a proportion, %	36.96	36.66	37.24	37.12	0.22	.25
MUFA^b proportion, %	47.06	47.46	47.06	47.40	0.22	.42
PUFA^c proportion, %	14.08	13.86	13.93	13.63	0.17	.32
Linoleic acid proportion, %	13.02	12.81	12.87	12.60	0.16	.29
Visual appraisal scores of DRHAM^d:
Round shape	1.52	1.63	1.80	1.84	0.08	.02	.002	.69	.64
Veining	1.33	1.51	1.66	1.33	0.12	.15
Haemorrhages	0.44	0.54	0.56	0.62	0.09	.51
Marbling	1.68	1.44	1.53	1.31	0.09	.04	.01	.87	.16
Colour	0.08	−0.20	−0.14	−0.31	0.16	.37
Fat depots	−0.12	−0.37	0.39	0.22	0.22	.08
Bicolour	1.10	1.20	1.09	1.15	0.07	.73
Dry-cured ham weight, kg	9.93	10.53	10.84	11.14	0.09	<.001	<.001	.11	.52
Dry-cured ham seasoning losses, %	28.38	28.13	27.65	27.55	0.25	.05	.006	.77	.61

a SFA: saturated fatty acids (as a percentage of total fatty acids).

b MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids (as a percentage of total fatty acids).

c PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids (as a percentage of total fatty acids).

d Round shape, veining, haemorrhages, marbling, and bicolour are scored from 0 (low) to 4 (high). Colour is scored from −4 (pale) to 4 (dark), and fat depots from −4 (low) to 4 (high).