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A total of 126 Duroc x (Large White x Landrace) growing pigs were studied, distributed into two treatments, ad libitum (AL) feeding, and restricted feeding (RF, 65% of the consume in AL), which was applied during the growing period (from 30 kg to 70 kg of BW). After the period of restriction pigs were fed ad libitum during the finishing period (from 70 kg to 110 kg). In each dietary treatment 15 pigs were slaughtered at 70 kg of BW, and 41 at the final weight. Performance and carcass quality during the growing and finishing period were the studied parameters.
As expected, daily gain was reduced in RF during the growing period by a 35%, and increased during the finishing (+ 13%, P = 0.001). At the final weight, RF pigs were 19 days older compared to AL pigs. At 110 kg of BW, RF regime resulted in a lessened intramuscular fat deposition compared to AL (2.19 vs 2.53%, P = 0.034). Tissue deposition rates indicated that RF regime determined during the ad libitum period a greater deposition rate of adipose than muscular tissue, at the carcass level, but the composition of weight gain was not modified at the muscle level. No modifications on the meat quality were found, but juiciness of the meat was reduced in the RF (P = 0.014) as a consequence of the lower intramuscular fat content.
At the light of the results, the feeding restriction from 30 to 70 kg of BW results in a carcass quality comparable to that found in AL fed pigs, but determines a decrease in the meat eating quality.
A Heyer, B Lebret. 2007. Journal of Animal Science. Vol 85: 769-778
