STUDIES ON PRODUCTIVE TRAITS AND CARCASS MERITS OF MAJOR PUREBRED PIGS IN TAIWAN

Abstract

Five hundred and sixty four boars and 932 gilts of four American breeds, namely Landrace (L), Large White (W), Duroc (D) and Hampshire (H) were tested for their performance and also 169 barrows of these breeds as well as Tauyen breed were on fattening trial to evaluate the performance for market pigs. These results were as described below.
In the four American breeds, the performance of boars surpassed that of gilts. In boars, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) ranked in the decreasing order of D, H, W and L. The average backfat (ABF) thickness ranked in the decreasing order of H, D, W and L. In gilts, ADG ranked in the decreasing order of D, H, W and L (1976), D, W, L and H (1977), while ABF, H, W, D and L. In barrows, the fattening period of the four American breeds vs. T was 100-104 vs. 162 days, ADG 0.675-0.693 vs. 0.384kg, FCR, 3.27-3.39 vs. 4.59. showing that the results of T were inferior. ABF ranked in the decreasing order of H, D, W, L and T. The body measurements at weight of 90kg were similar among the four American breeds, but those of T were significantly smaller in terms of body length, width of fore, thoracic and rear parts, body height at withers and hip cross, fairly larger in chest depth and chest girth. In carcass, backfat thickness, loin eye area, five primal cuts both in weight and percentage ranked in the decreasing order of H, D, W and L. T was significantly smaller in these as well as carcass weight, dressing percentage, and carcass length, but T had significantly larger belly cuts.