title: The influences of weaning age and weight on carcass traits and meat quality of pigs.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to establish the effects of weaning age and weight on pigs, and their interaction with carcass traits and meat quality. A total of 468 piglets were obtained from 57 sows and four boars and grouped by age at weaning (D21, 18-24 days; D28, 25-32 days). Each weaning group was subdivided into three weight groups (L, M and H) according to weaning weight. The D28 group had heavier carcass weight, redness and yellowness, but had lower marbling scores and less drip loss than the D21 group (P < 0.05). The pigs with a light weight at weaning had higher carcass weights and lower yellowness than did pigs with a medium or heavy weight at weaning (P < 0.05). Weaning age was found to have a negative correlation with drip loss, while weaning weight was negatively correlated with carcass weight and drip loss (P < 0.05). We concluded that carcass and meat quality traits in pigs were significantly related to their age and weight at weaning. Therefore, we find that piglet weaning age and weight are no less important than post-weaning growth performance and behavior, with regard to carcass traits and meat quality.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biotechnology, College of Applied Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Bo
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Gap-Don
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong-Geun
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yeong-Hwa
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ik-Dong
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Youn-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ryu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D063427:Food Quality; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D014886:Weaning
keywords: carcass trait; meat quality; pig; weaning age; weaning weight