title: Growth and body composition of Meishan and Yorkshire barrows and gilts.
abstract: Five barrows and five gilts of each of two breeds (Meishan [Ms] and Yorkshire [Y]) were slaughtered at birth and at 41, 71, 123, and 171 d of age and five gilts of each breed were slaughtered at 260 d of age. Major organ and visceral weights were obtained immediately postmortem (PM), whereas carcass characteristics, carcass composition, femur measurements, and two individual muscle weights were obtained 24 h PM. Linear and quadratic regression coefficients on age differed between the two breeds, in favor of Y barrows and gilts, for live weight, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area (LMA), liver, heart, spleen, and kidney weights, and femur cross-sectional, medullary, and cortical areas (P < .001), leaf fat weight, and percentage of body fat and protein. In contrast to somatic tissue, Ms gilts had uteri and ovaries that grew faster than those of Y gilts from birth to 260 d of age (P < .05), although the uterus and ovary weights were similar for both breeds by 260 d of age (P < .05). Regression coefficients differed (P < .05) between the two sexes for live, carcass, liver, lung and trachea, stomach and esophagus and leaf fat weights, dressing percentage, percentage of body protein, 10th rib backfat (TRBF) thickness (P < .001), and small intestine, kidney (P < .01), heart, and spleen weights (P < .05). Breed differences in regression coefficients differed between the two sexes for percentage of body protein and leaf fat weights (P < .05). Yorkshire pigs were larger, later-maturing pigs that grew faster from birth to 171 d of age. Yorkshire pigs slaughtered at 171 d of age had heavier total wholesale cut (WC), trimmed cut (TC), and boneless cut (BC) weights than did Ms pigs of the same age (P < .001).
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: McKeith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novakofski
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: McLaren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001947:Breeding; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D011506:Proteins