Short communication. Effect of housing system during the finishing period on growth performance and quality fat of Iberian pigs

Abstract

In the last years, more than two million Iberian pigs have annually beed slaughtered in Spain, from which about 15% were fattened under free-range conditions and the other 85% were reared indoor and fed mixed diet . The most of Iberian pigs reared indoor remain their whole life physically inactive confined in high density pens. Nowadays, in pig production there is increasing interest in alternative husbandry systems, which include outdoor housing and increasing available floor space and therefore, increasing the exercise possibilities (Millet et al., 2005). This is also the case of the Iberian pig reared indoor. The relation between pig physical activity and performance and meat quality traits is controversial. Whereas some studies find no differences in performance or AbstractThe objective of this experiment was to study the effect of housing system during the finishing period on growth performance and fat quality of Iberian pigs. Thirty barrows were used. During the finishing period, sixteen pigs were reared indoor and fourten pigs were reared outdoor in paddocks. The pigs housed in outdoor paddocks had higher (p = 0.0001) feed average daily intake than those housed reared indoor and tended (p = 0.087) to show a worse feed efficiency. The C12:0 and C20:0 proportions in subcutaneous backfat from the pigs housed in outdoor paddocks were lower than those from the pigs housed reared indoor, whereas C17:0, C17:1 and C20:1 proportions tended (p = 0.09) to be lower. However, C18:1 n-9 and C18:3 n-3 proportions and C18:1 n-9/C18:0 ratio tended (p = 0.10) to be higher in the outdoor pigs than in the indoor pigs. In intramuscular fat from Longissimus dorsi muscle the C18:3 n-3 proportion tended (p = 0.07) to be higher in outdoor pigs than in indoor pigs. It is concluded that the finishing period of Iberian pigs in outdoor paddocks has a negative effect on feed conversion ratio but may improve the fat quality.Additional key words: exercise; fatty acid composition; productive results. ResumenComunicación corta. Efecto del sistema de alojamiento durante el periodo de acabado sobre los resultados productivos y calidad de la grasa de cerdos IbéricosEl objetivo de este experimento fue estudiar el efecto del tipo de alojamiento durante el periodo de acabado sobre los resultados productivos y calidad de la grasa de cerdos Ibéricos. Se utilizaron 30 machos castrados, 16 de los cuales permanecieron durante la fase de acabado en nave cerrada y 14 en parques al aire libre con refugios protectores. Los cerdos alojados en parque tuvieron un consumo medio diario de pienso (p = 0,0001) superior que los alojados en nave y tendieron (p = 0,087) a presentar un índice de transformación del pienso peor. En los cerdos que permanecieron durante la fase de acabado en parques, las proporciones de C12:0 y C20:0, observadas en la grasa dorsal subcutánea, fueron significativamente más bajas que en los cerdos acabados en nave cerrada y las proporciones de C17:0, C17:1 y C 20:1 tendieron (p = 0,09) a ser menores. Sin embargo, la proporción de C18:1...

Physical Activity Effects on Blood Parameters, Growth, Carcass, and Meat and Fat Composition of Portuguese Alentejano Pigs

“…Although depending on weather and feed conditions, environmental enrichment (e.g., more space, straw bedding) generally increases the rate of growth, carcass fat (see below), and can improve meat juiciness and taste due to the increased intramuscular fat [ 6 , 8 ]. However, and contrary to what was observed in this trial, some authors (e.g., [ 55 ]) found higher ADG values in confined pigs, suggesting that the physical activity effect on animal growth may depend on several factors, namely on the intensity of the physical activity/exercise.…”

Efecto del sistema de alimentación sobre los resultados técnicos, calidad de la canal, de la carne y de la grasa de cerdos ibéricos

“…En cerdos en montanera el coste energético derivado de la actividad física asciende a 0,71y 9,56 cal de EM por kg de peso vivo y metro horizontal y vertical recorrido respectivamente (Lachica y Aguilera, 2000). En un trabajo que comparaba, durante el periodo de acabado, cerdos Ibéricos alojados en parques (1430 m 2 disponibles por animal) frente a cerdos alojados en estabulación (1,1 m 2 /cerdo), se observó un crecimiento diario similar en ambos grupos de cerdos, pero los animales acabados en parques mostraron un mayor consumo de pienso y un empeoramiento del índice de conversión del mismo (Daza et al, 2010).…”

“…Así, Daza et al (2006aDaza et al ( , 2007a, comparando cerdos que entraron en montanera con análogo peso, alrededor de los 100 kg, y con edades de ocho, 12 y 14 meses, observaron que los cerdos de 12 y 14 meses tuvieron mayor peso canal, de jamones, paletas y lomos que los de ocho meses, aunque los porcentajes de partes nobles respecto al peso canal fueron estadísticamente similares. El acabado de cerdos Ibéricos en parques al aire libre (cerdos de campo) frente al acabado en estabulación (cerdos de cebo) no se tradujo en modificaciones significativas de las características de la canal (Daza et al, 2010). Sin embargo, otros experimentos realizados en Italia con el cerdo Nero Siciliano (Pugliese et al, 2003(Pugliese et al, , 2004 han observado que el ejercicio, unido a un elevado consumo de hierba u otros alimentos fibrosos, reduce el engrasamiento de la canal y el rendimiento canal, al tiempo que mejora el rendimiento de partes nobles de la misma.…”