Research Article

Effect of cereal grain type used in diets on the fattening performance and slaughter value of pigs

Teresa Banaszkiewicz, Karol Kaszperuk, Teresa Bombik

University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 14(3), 2015, 15‒24

Abstract. The aim of the study was to evaluate production performance, carcass yields, and pork quality of pigs fed diets including barley and triticale. The experiment involved 16 growing pigs obtained from the Danish DanAvI breeding system, in 2 groups, 8 pigs each (4 gilts and 4 barrows). The feeding trial took 74 days. The control pigs were offered diets containing ground barley, whereas the test pigs were fed ground triticale. Body weight, feed conversion, pork yield as well as heart and liver weights were determined. After cooling, the right side of the carcass was measured for length and backfat thickness, which was followed by fabrication. Body weight gains, feed intake, and cold dressing percentage within groups did not vary significantly. Also differences in carcass meat content (60.1% - control, 57.2% - test group) were statistically non-significant. The control pigs (fed barley) had significantly larger livers (1.52% of body weight); however, carcass lengths and backfat thickness were similar within groups. Loin dissection analysis revealed a significantly higher percentage of meat in test pigs, i.e. those fed the diet with ground triticale (52%). No significant differences were found between groups in terms of sensory evaluation. Triticale may represent a complete replacement for barley in diets for growing pigs, due to its positive effects on the performance and slaughter traits that are important from the consumer's standpoint.

Keywords: pigs, barley, triticale, production performance, slaughter value, meat quality evaluation