EFFECTS OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE FEED RESTRICTION ON CARCASS YIELD AND PORK QUALITY

摘要

A 3 x 3 factorial experiment was carried out to investigate the carcass yield and meat quality characteristics of growing pigs subjected to qualitative and quantitative feeding strategies. Eighty one (81) Large White growing pigs (54 males and 27 females) with initial weight of 6.7 ± 0.39 kg were assigned to nine treatments of three replicates of three pigs per replicate. Treatments consist of three levels of qualitative (20, 18 and 16% crude protein) and quantitative (ad libitum, 90% and 80% ad libitum) feed restriction. Fasted weight values (31.75, 26.77, 23.98 kg) of growing pigs significantly (p < 0.05) decreased with decreasing levels of dietary crude protein. The same trends were observed in other carcass yield parameters of growing pigs studied except left carcass weight which was not significantly affected by qualitative restriction. Dietary crude protein levels had significant (p < 0.05) effect on percentage cooking loss with the values obtained increasing with decreasing levels of dietary crude protein content. Quantitative feed restriction influenced (p < 0.05) head, shoulder, fore-leg, hind-leg, liver, kidney, spleen and stomach weights but had no influence on meat quality parameters of growing pigs. Interaction between qualitative and quantitative restriction had significant effect on all carcass yield parameters but with no effect on meat quality indices considered in this study. It can be concluded from this study that qualitative and quantitative restriction can be used as management tool to alter the carcass yield, cut-parts and visceral organs of growing pigs; the cooking loss of pork likewise was impacted positively by the quality of ration offered.