Effect of immunocastration and diet on growth performance, serum metabolites and sex hormones, reproductive organ development and carcass quality of heavy gilts

Pérez-Ciria L. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Miana-Mena F.J. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Falceto M.V. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Mitjana O. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Latorre M.A. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: It is desirable to increase fatness in gilts destined for Teruel dry-cured ham production. A total of 192 Duroc × (Landrace × Large White) gilts of 40.3 ± 4.80 kg body weight (BW) were used to assess the impact of immunocastration and feeding on growth performance, serum metabolites and sex hormones, reproductive organ development, and carcass quality. Six treatments were arranged factorially (2 × 3) with two types of gilt (entire gilts (EG) vs. immunocastrated gilts (IG)) and three experimental diets (control vs. high energy vs. low crude protein and amino acids) provided from 76 to 134 kg BW (n = 4 per treatment, being the replicate the pen with eight pigs). Immunocastration was carried out at 58 and 77 kg BW. The IG grew faster and showed lighter reproductive tracts and greater fatness than EG. The experimental feeds had limited effect on carcass quality, but the high-energy diet improved gain-to-feed ratio and the low-protein and -amino-acids diet did not impair growth performance. In conclusion, immunocastration was a better strategy than the tested diets to increase the fatness of gilts intended for Teruel dry-cured ham, although increasing energy or decreasing crude protein and amino acid levels in the diet could be beneficial strategies for pig farmers.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/ani11071900

Año: 2021

Publicado en: Animals 11, 7 (2021), 1900 [16 pp.]
ISSN: 2076-2615

Factor impacto JCR: 3.231 (2021)

Categ. JCR: VETERINARY SCIENCES rank: 16 / 145 = 0.11 (2021) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE rank: 13 / 62 = 0.21 (2021) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 2.7 - Veterinary (Q2) - Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Q2)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.61 - Veterinary (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Animal Science and Zoology (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/AGL2016-78532-R

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Fisiología (Dpto. Farmac.Fisiol.y Med.L.F.)
Área (Departamento): Área Producción Animal (Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.)
Área (Departamento): Área Medicina y Cirugía Animal (Dpto. Patología Animal)