Impact of piglet birth weight on the eating quality of pork

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2007

Piglets born in large litters are, on average, smaller (PSC Annual Research Report 2006; p. 36-38). Low birth weight has been associated with fewer total muscle fibres, and fewer primary muscle fibres. The specific objective of the study was to determine if the eating quality of pork obtained from pigs with low birth weight differed from that of their larger litter-mates. Birth order, birth weight, total number born and total number born alive were recorded for 98 farrowings at PSC Elstow. Except for constant monitoring during farrowing and periodic measurements of body weight (BW), farrowing and piglet management were according to normal barn practises. From 24 litters, selected because they had at least 12 piglets born alive and which represented a range of body weight, 4 pigs were chosen and sent to Lacombe Research Station when they reached 120 kg, for extensive meat quality and sensory analysis. It was concluded that there was no effect of birth weight on carcass quality, physical, or histological properties of the meat or overall eating quality. Therefore, increasing litter size can be used by producers to increase productivity with no adverse effect on pig performance or meat quality.

© Prairie Swine Centre

• Home
• Jobs
• About
• Research
• Training
• Publications
• Contacts