Boar taint, meat quality and fail rate in entire male pigs and male pigs immunized against gonadotrophin releasing factor as related to body weight and feeding regime

Boar taint is a major meat quality defect, which affects about 10% of entire male pigs. It is due to an excessive accumulation of skatole and androstenone in adipose tissue. One of the reasons for accumulation of these compounds is a low rate of their metabolism. Androstenone is metabolised in liver via the enzyme 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD). This enzyme is well characterised in the testis, where it participates in the synthesis of steroids, while its properties in liver are unknown. The aim of the present study was to characterise and compare properties of HSD from pig liver versus pig testis when metabolising androstenone.

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How to Improve Meat Quality and Welfare in Entire Male Pigs by Genetics

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11030699 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 699

Author(s):

Catherine Larzul

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Sexual Development ◽

Genomic Data ◽

Boar Taint ◽

New Developments ◽

Set Up ◽

Near Future ◽

Entire Male ◽

Selection Of

Giving up surgical castration is desirable to avoid pain during surgery but breeding entire males raises issues on meat quality, particularly on boar taint, and aggression. It has been known for decades that boar taint is directly related to sexual development in uncastrated male pigs. The proportion of tainted carcasses depends on many factors, including genetics. The selection of lines with a low risk of developing boar taint should be considered as the most desirable solution in the medium to long term. It has been evidenced that selection against boar taint is feasible, and has been set up in a balanced way in some pig populations to counterbalance potential unfavorable effects on reproductive performances. Selection against aggressive behaviors, though theoretically feasible, faces phenotyping challenges that compromise selection in practice. In the near future, new developments in modelization, automatic recording, and genomic data will help define breeding objectives to solve entire male meat quality and welfare issues.

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Pros and Cons of Alternatives to Piglet Castration: Welfare, Boar Taint, and Other Meat Quality Traits

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9110884 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 884 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Bonneau ◽

Weiler

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Feed Efficiency ◽

Production Systems ◽

Fat Content ◽

Boar Taint ◽

Carcass Quality ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Feed Costs ◽

The Cost ◽

Entire Male

This paper reviews the pros and cons of various alternatives to the surgical castration of male piglets without pain relief. Castration is mostly motivated by the presence of boar taint in the meat from some entire male pigs. It results in pain during surgery and markedly increases feed costs and the fat content of the carcass. Raising entire male pigs avoids pain at castration, but animals can suffer from increased stress during the finishing period because of aggressive and mounting behavior. Feed efficiency and carcass quality are much better than in surgical castrates. The quality of meat from entire male pigs is lower because of boar taint, a reduced intramuscular fat content, and increased unsaturation of the fat. Immunocastration prevents boar taint, pain associated with surgery, and stress related to aggressive and mounting behavior. Feed efficiency and carcass quality are intermediate between surgical castrates and entire males. Meat quality is similar to surgical castrates. Anesthesia alone prevents pain during surgery, but not after, while analgesia alone mitigates pain after surgery, but not during it. With the currently available methods, the cost of combined anesthesia and analgesia is too high for conventional production systems in most countries.

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Performances, meat quality and boar taint of castrates and entire male pigs fed a standard and a raw potato starch-enriched diet

animal ◽

10.1017/s1751731108002826 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2 (11) ◽

pp. 1707-1715 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

C. Pauly ◽

P. Spring ◽

J.V. O’Doherty ◽

S. Ampuero Kragten ◽

G. Bee

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Potato Starch ◽

Boar Taint ◽

Entire Male

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The Influence of Broilers’ Body Weight on the Efficiency of Electrical Stunning and Meat Quality under Field Conditions

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11051362 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1362

Author(s):

Giorgio Smaldone ◽

Stefano Capezzuto ◽

Rosa Luisa Ambrosio ◽

Maria Francesca Peruzy ◽

Raffaele Marrone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Body Weight ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Well Being ◽

Electrical Equipment ◽

Post Mortem ◽

The European Union ◽

Body Weights ◽

Corneal Reflex ◽

Experimental Trials

Water-bath stunning represents the most-applied stunning system in poultry slaughtering, but within the European Union, specific indications on electric parameters that should be used, such as voltage, are missing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of two commercially available types of electrical equipment (A and B) on broilers with different live body weights and the influence of the tested parameters on meat quality. Experimental trials in a European Union-approved slaughterhouse were carried out using two different stunners. 6600 broilers, divided into three weight groups, were stunned applying different protocols based on the same current frequencies and intensity but different voltages. The state of unconsciousness (presence of corneal reflex and wings flapping) and post-mortem defects (pectoral hemorrhages and dark meat) were evaluated by blinded trained operators. The presence of corneal reflex and petechiae were the most reported consciousness signs and post-mortem injuries, respectively. Different weights played an important role within stunner A, registering statistical differences (p < 0.01) among groups. Considering injuries, an inverse relationship between body weight and lesions was found. The results highlighted the effectiveness of both stunning systems applying the best combination of electrical parameters considering the weight of the animal and ensuring its well-being.

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PSV-20 The Effect of Black Pepper (Piperine) Extract Supplementation on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Fecal Microbial, Fecal Gas Emission, and Meat Quality of Finishing Pigs

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab054.319 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 195-196

Author(s):

Vetriselvi Sampath ◽

Hyun Ju Park ◽

Inho Kim ◽

Huan Wang ◽

Raihanul Hoque

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Black Pepper ◽

Linear Increase ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Gas Emission ◽

Dietary Treatments

Abstract The study was conducted to assess the effect of black pepper (BP) supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, fecal gas emission, and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] finishing pigs with average initial body weight (BW) of 53.72 ± 1.42 kg were used in 10-week trial and allotted to 6 dietary treatments (6 replications pens/treatment with 5 pigs per pen). The dietary treatments were: CON (basal diet), TRT1- CON + 0.025% BP, TRT2- CON + 0.05% BP, TRT3- CON + 0.1% BP, TRT4- CON + 0.2% BP, TRT5- CON + 0.4% BP. A linear increase (P = 0.0380, 0.0061) in body weight gain (BWG) and average daily gain (ADG) were observed respectively, during the overall trial in pigs fed BP supplemented diet compared to control. The dietary supplementation of BP showed a linear increase (P=0.0065) in gain and feed ratio (G: F) at week 10. However, there were no significant results observed on average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the overall experiment. The total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM) was linearly improved (P=0.0531) in BP treatment groups compared to control. In addition, BP diet supplementation had linearly increased fecal Lactobacillus counts (P=0.0482) and decreased E. coli counts (P=0.0306) in pigs at week 10. Furthermore, NH3, methyl mercaptans, and acetic acid was linearly decreased (P=0.0227, 0.0555,0.0541) in pigs fed BP supplementation compare to control. The inclusion of BP supplementation in pigs diet had linearly increased (P=0.0146) the backfat thickness at week 10. Thus, we concluded that BP supplementation had positively enhanced the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, fecal gas emission, and meat quality of finishing pigs.

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A comparison of Nellore and Nellore-cross entire male cattle finished in a feedlot in a tropical area of Brazil with respect to carcass characteristics and meat quality after ageing either with or without 60days of prior frozen storage

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an20479 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Júlia Dias do Nascimento ◽

Marcus Vinicius Morais de Oliveira ◽

Marina de Nadai Bonin ◽

Pollyanna Ricartes de Oliveira de Oliveira ◽

Luis Carlos Vinhas Ítavo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Frozen Storage ◽

Carcass Characteristics ◽

Tropical Area ◽

Entire Male

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Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality Evaluation of Sheep Fed Diets Containing Napier Grass and Graded Levels of Cocoa Pod Husk with Soursop Pulp Meals

Journal of Agricultural Studies ◽

10.5296/jas.v5i2.11325 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 74

Author(s):

M. I. Okoruwa ◽

D. O. Okunlola

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Quality Evaluation ◽

Body Weight Gain ◽

Nitrogen Loss ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Napier Grass ◽

Daily Weight Gain ◽

Cocoa Pod Husk

This study was conducted to determine performance, carcass traits and meat quality evaluation of sheep fed napier grass and different proportion of cocoa pod husk and soursop pulp meals. Eighteen (18) West African Dwarf rams, aged between 7 and 8 months old with mean weight of 7.00 ± 0.55kg were allotted to three dietary treatments with two replicates of three sheep per treatment in a completely randomized design. The compared treatment diets were; TA (70% napier grass and 30% concentrate diet), TB (45% cocoa pod husk with 25% soursop pulp and 30% concentrate diet) and TC (50% cocoa pod husk with 20% soursop pulp and 30% concentrate diet). The experimental diets were given to the sheep at 6% of their body weight and the experiment lasted for 84days after 14days of adjustment period. The results showed that average daily feed intake (221.79g), nitrogen intake (18.02g/day), total nitrogen loss (5.08g/day) and chilling losses (12.85%) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in diet TA compared with diets TB and TC. Treatment diet TC was significantly (P < 0.05) better in total body weight gain (3.66kg), average daily weight gain (43.57g), total digestible nutrient (74.69%), nitrogen retention (77.58%, slaughter weight (11.02kg), hot carcass weight (5.68kg), cold carcass yields (5.23kg), hot with cold carcass yields (51.54 and 47.46%), appearance (6.81), tenderness (6.20) and overall acceptability (6.85) than other treatment diets. Initial body weight, flavor and juiciness were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the treatment diets. It was concluded that 50% cocoa pod husk with 20% soursop pulp and 30% concentrate diet has the potential to enhance performance, carcass traits and meat quality evaluation in sheep.

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