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As global pork consumption has increased, demand has driven heavier slaughter weights (up to 150 kg) to meet future needs despite limited land and sow availability. However, research on pigs raised to these weights is limited. Rising feed costs have led to more use of by-products like DDGS, high in n-6 unsaturated fatty acids, which may impact pork quality. Exploring alternative fats, such as tallow, corn oil, and coconut oil, could improve carcass traits and growth performance. Vitamin E interacts with unsaturated fatty acids in tissues, affecting lipid oxidation and stability. This study examines the effects of different dietary fats and increased vitamin E supplementation on pigs raised to heavy weights.
Methods: A total of 64 pigs (32 barrows and 32 gilts, average weight 28.41 ± 0.83 kg) were divided into eight dietary treatments in a 4 × 2 factorial design, examining four fat sources (corn starch [no fat added]; 5% tallow; 5% distiller's corn oil; and 5% coconut oil) and two vitamin E levels (11 and 200 ppm). Pigs were fed five-phase diets from 25 to 150 kg.
Results: Increasing vitamin E supplementation from 11 to 200 ppm tended to improve average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio in late finishing periods, resulting in increased gain-to-feed ratio for the overall study period. Among the fat sources, pigs fed distiller's corn oil had higher average daily gain, while those on tallow and coconut oil diets had lower average daily feed intake. Pigs on fat-added diets generally showed a better gain-to-feed ratio. Belly firmness was highest in pigs fed coconut oil and lowest in those fed distiller's corn oil. Higher vitamin E levels also increased absolute and relative liver weights, and ham yield, and tended to increase the yield of picnic shoulder and ham. Additionally, increasing vitamin E levels led to higher 45-min pH and ΔpH at slaughter but reduced the belly depth. Increasing vitamin E supplementation from 11 to 200 ppm in diets for pigs raised to 150 kg slightly improved growth rate and feed efficiency in the late finishing period. Different fat sources also enhanced feed efficiency and backfat thickness while decreasing lean content, although effects varied due to energy intake differences.
Conclusion: Fat sources notably affected belly firmness, with higher saturated fat resulting in firmer bellies. While vitamin E supplementation and fat sources had some impact on organ weight, primal cuts, and meat quality.
Wang, D., Dal Jang, Y., Rentfrow, G. K., Azain, M. J., & Lindemann, M. D. (2022). Effects of dietary vitamin E and fat supplementation in growing-finishing swine fed to a heavy slaughter weight of 150 kg: I. Growth performance, lean growth, organ size, carcass characteristics, primal cuts, and pork quality. Journal of animal science, 100(4), skac081. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac081