Correlation of carcass meat content with development of the reproductive system in sexually immature gilts

Abstract

This study evaluated the correlation of carcass meat content with the development of the reproductive system in sexually immature gilts of Polish Large White (PLW) and Polish Landrace (PL) breeds. The results, obtained from three groups (I, II, III) of gilts differing in lean meat percentage, indicate an effect on fattening and slaughtering traits as well as on the morphometric characteristics of the uterus. There were statistically significant differences in the values of fattening and slaughtering traits in the groups of gilts tested. Studies on the relationship between morphometric characteristics of the reproductive system and carcass meat content showed that there was a correlation between the weight of the uterus with and without the broad ligament and the meat content of the carcass. The weight of the uterus was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in gilts with lower meat content. The negative influence of high gilt meatiness on development of the reproductive system was more pronounced in PLW gilts.Key words: Gilts, lean meat content, morphometric traits, pigs, uterine development One of the most significant objectives of pig production is to obtain numerous litters and wean as many healthy piglets as possible. A major issue having significant economic impact on the improvement of pig reproduction is the unexplainable loss of fertilised oocytes during the first month of pregnancy (Tuggle et al., 2000). The attempts made to improve the reproductive capacity of pigs are therefore focused on the increase of litter size. Litter enlargement, if only by a single piglet, would increase the income earned by pig producers. An example of this is the selection aimed at improving ovulation (Foxcroft et al., 2006(Foxcroft et al., , 2009 or increasing litter size (Knoll et al., 2002;Milligan et al., 2002;Rosendo et al., 2007). At the same time, reproduction performance traits are * Corresponding author; E-mail: jankowiak@utp.edu.pl; Phone: 0048 (52) 374-9748 CARCASS MEAT CONTENT AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN GILTS 381Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 64, 2016 known to be characterised by a low coefficient of heritability, while their extent is decisively determined by the environment. Therefore, the efficiency of selection for reproductive traits is generally unsatisfactory.Animals intended for reproduction should have adequate body weight and fatness, enabling the long-term maintenance of high reproduction performance (Rekiel and Więcek, 2002). Selection aimed at improving the meatiness and reducing the fatness of gilts may lead to a belated attainment of sexual maturity, resulting in a delay of the first farrowing (Mucha et al., 2010). The negative correlations between excessive muscularity and the reproduction performance of gilts and sows have been demonstrated in numerous studies (Rydhmer et al., 1994;Tummaruk et al., 2007;Stančić et al., 2011).The aim of this work was to assess the impact of muscularity degree on growth and development of the reproductive system in gilts prior to attaining sexual maturity. Materials and methodsThe ...