engleski

The influence of on-farm resting time on stress markers and slaughtering traits of culled sows

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of time spent on farm before slaughter on stress markers, as well as on fattening, carcass and meat quality traits of culled Large White x Landrace (LWxLD) sows. Twenty-four (24) sows were equally divided into three groups according to the duration of on-farm resting period: control group (no rest), 1st experimental group – EG1 (14 days rest) and 3rd experimental – EG2 (28 days rest). The duration of on-farm resting period had significant effect (p<0.05) on the levels of cortisol and all measured blood parameters with exception of glucose. As expected, the sows from EG2 group had the most favorable carcass traits due to the highest dressing percentage, carcass length, ham circumference and lean meat percentage in 4 dissected parts (ham, loins, shoulder and neck) when compared to EG1 and control group. On- farm resting time generally improved the meat quality of sows under investigation. The highest initial and pH values measured in semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle and the lowest drip loss, indicating dark- firm-dry (DFD) meat, were recorded in control group that had no on-farm rest. Statistically significant differences between the groups were found for color parameters CIE a* and CIE b*, both being the highest in 2nd group of sows. Although no effect of resting time could be observed for CIE L* values, darker meat (≤50) was detected in all groups. The results of present study show that on-farm resting can improve certain production traits of culled sows, such as meat quality and carcass composition, in the sense of increased production of lean meat with improved quality.

pigs/sows ; on-farm resting time ; stress indicators ; carcass composition ; meat quality

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