Some features of the interior, fattening, and meat qualities of young pigs of different genotypes

Abstract

Goal. To study the fattening and meat qualities of young pigs of different genotypes according to the melanocortin receptor gene MC4R, some features of the interior, and to calculate the level of correlations between the specified groups of traits. Methods. Zootechnical (evaluation of young pigs for fattening and meat qualities), genetic (DNA-typing for the melanocortin receptor gene MC4R), biochemical (study of indicators of protein metabolism and aminotransferase activity in the blood serum of young pigs of the Large white breed), statistical (determination of the arithmetic mean, its errors, indicators of variability of quantitative characteristics, correlation analysis). Results. The analysis of data on control feeding showed that the age at which a live weight of 100 kg (days) was reached, the thickness of lard at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae (mm), and the length of the cooled carcass (cm) of the young pigs of the experimental group exceeded the requirements of the elite class by an average of 13.76%. It was established that serum biochemical indicators, namely total protein content (g/l), creatinine content (µmol/l), aspartate aminotransferase (AsAT) activity (units/l), and alanine aminotransferase (AlAT) activity (units/l) in young pigs of experimental groups (MC4RAA, MC4RAG) corresponded to the physiological norm of clinically healthy animals. No significant difference was found between animals of different genotypes (MC4RAA, MC4RAG) and biochemical indicators of blood serum. The maximum indicators of the average daily increase in live weight, the length of the chilled carcass and the bacon half of the chilled half-carcass, the largest (front) width of the bacon half of the chilled half-carcass, the smallest (back) width of the bacon half of the chilled half-carcass, the minimum indicators of the age of reaching the live weight of 100 kg and the thickness of lard at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae were characterized for young pigs of the 1st experimental group (MC4RAG). The difference between the animals of the experimental groups (MC4RAG, MC4RAA) according to these indicators was reliable and amounted to 4.05%. The conjugate correlation coefficient between serum biochemical parameters, fattening, and meat quality of young animals ranged from –0.638±0.1049 (length of chilled carcass — creatinine content in blood serum; tr=6.08; P<0.001) to +0.428 ± 0.1446 (age of reaching 100 kg live weight — de Ritis index; tr=2.96; P < 0.01). Conclusions. It was established that the young pigs of the Large white breed of the MC4RAG genotype were characterized by the maximum indicators of fattening and meat qualities. Biochemical parameters of blood serum in young pigs of experimental groups (MC4RAA, MC4RAG) corresponded to the physiological norm of clinically healthy animals. To obtain animals of the specified genotype (MC4RAG), it is suggested to use the following breeding schemes in the conditions of industrial complexes: MC4RAA × MC4RGG, MC4RAG × MC4RAG; MC4RAG × MC4RGG.