Influence of rearing system, diet and gender on performance, carcass traits and meat quality of Polish Landrace pigs.

Forty-eight Polish Landrace pigs (initially 32.43 ± 0.70 kg live weight) were assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in order to assess the effects of the rearing system (outdoor v. indoor), diet (with corn grain silage v. without corn grain silage) and gender (barrows v. gilts) on performance, carcass traits, meat quality and intramuscular collagen (IMC) characteristics. During the trial period of 14 weeks, each group was housed in a pen of 12 m2, and the outdoor-reared animals had access to a paddock of 24 m2. Pigs were fed a diet computed according to standard requirements and supplied on a basis of 9% of metabolic weight (live weight0.75). Pigs were slaughtered at 110.69 ± 0.85 kg. The rearing system did not significantly affect growth, hot and cold dressing, meat quality of m. longissimus lumborum or IMC. Outdoor pigs had less (P < 0.05) backfat thickness, slightly higher (P = 0.082) lean percent and a meat with lower pH and fat than the conventional system. In light of these results, alternative pig rearing systems with indoor space and free outdoor access could be an interesting production system for the pigs. Compared with the pigs fed diets with corn grain silage, those fed diets without corn had higher (P < 0.05) lean, ham percentage and IMC content, lower (P < 0.05) neck percentage but similar main tissue components of the ham and meat quality. Compared with the gilts, barrows were fatter and showed a meat with different physico-chemical traits, which was slightly more tender and had similar IMC properties.

Slaughter value and pork quality traits in primiparous sows nursing a different number of piglets.

The study involved 70 sows slaughtered after the first farrowing. The carcass dressing percentage and the percentage content of primal cuts in the carcass were evaluated. Samples of m. longissimus dorsi were taken to determine the chemical composition and the physicochemical and sensory properties of the pork. Primiparous sows were divided into five groups, based on the number of piglets they had nursed, i.e. from 11 to 13 piglets, 10 piglets, 9 piglets, 8 piglets, and from 4 to 7 piglets. It was found that among sows culled after the first farrowing a higher carcass dressing percentage and a higher percentage content of neck and loin in the carcass can be expected in those nursing a lower number of piglets (up to 8). An analysis of the pork quality revealed a similar content of chemical components. Only the mineral content of the carcass was lower in the group of sows that had nursed the fewest piglets. Meat from sows that had nursed fewer piglets was characterized by a higher water-holding capacity, a brighter color and a lower aroma intensity, and it received higher scores for juiciness and palatability.