Feed costs account for a large proportion of the costs of pig production representing usually around 50% of the total costs (Aranda and Cleary, 2001). in the Australian pig industry this proportion has been much higher recently due to the shortage of feed resulting from the extensive drought. Selection for feed efficiency is always an important topic, independent of the current drought situatio...

Adipose tissue is not only a storage organ involved in fuel metabolism, but also an endocrine organ involved in the regulation of insulin sensitivity, thermogenesis, immunity, and inflammation. There are anatomical, cellular, molecular and physiological differences among adipose tissues deposited in different body sites. However, current understanding of the intrinsic differences between the su...

An emulsion-type raw pork batter was prepared using 10% (meat weight) of backfat or commercial soybean oil enriched with vitamin E to determine the effect of irradiation on lipid oxidation and volatile production during storage. Batters (approximately 100 g) were vacuumor aerobically packaged and irradiated at 0, 2.5 or 4.5 kGy. Irradiation increased lipid oxidation of aerobically packaged raw ...

We previously reported that broilers fed n-methyl-D,L-aspartate (NMA) exhibited enhanced feed conversion efficiency and decreased percentage of fat in carcasses. In this experiment, growth performance and backfat thickness were evaluated in barrows fed NMA. Poland China x Yorkshire barrows weighing 68.8 +/- 1.7 kg (mean +/- SE) were allowed ad libitum access to feed containing NMA at levels of ...

Best linear unbiased predictions (BLUP) using information from all known relatives; selection index using phenotype, full-sib average and half-sib average; and phenotypie deviation from contemporary group average were compared as methods of predicting breeding values for days to 100 kg and backfat. Swine records (n = 203,869) from five Hampshire, one Duroc and six Yorkshire herds were obtained ...

The genetic influence on body and adipose tissue characteristics of newborn pigs and their correlations to growth rate, BW, body length, backfat thickness and adipocyte size in the outer and inner layers of backfat in 8-d-old Large White piglets were determined. Samples of adipose tissue were obtained by biopsy. Pigs were born to 32 sows mated with the same boar. Heritability and genetic correl...

This study aimed to describe the multivariate structure of Semimembranosus muscle and backfat fatty acid (FA) composition in 798 Italian Large White heavy pigs investigate effects environmental factors carcass characteristics on FA variations. The total variability was characterized by a negative correlation between saturated polyunsaturated FAs, which strongly depended adiposity. Slaughtering ...

One hundred twenty crossbred barrows and gilts (TR4 × 1050) with an initial weight of 119.9 lb were used in an 83-d experiment to evaluate the effects of increasing added fat to corn or sorghum-based diets on growth performance and fat quality characteristics of finishing pigs. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial based on grain source (corn or sorghum), gender, and added fat (0, 2...

feed intake produced 2.91 2 1.61 more live pigs from Parity 1 to 3 than those developed with ad libitum access to feed. Gilt weight and backfat at 135 days of age affected the likelihood that gilts farrowed a Parity 1 litter. The effect depended on genetic line and development regimen. Each 10 lb increaseldecrease in weight from the mean weight of 248.7 lb was associated with an increaseldecrea...

Two genetic lines with different lean gains were evaluated for various body measurements and indices of lean tissue in barrows and gilts from 20 to 125 kg of BW. One genetic line was identified as the low-lean line [280 g of fat-free lean (FFL)/d], and the second line was the high-lean line (375 FFL gained/d). The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design using a 2 x 2 x 5 fact...