Effect of Immunocastration and Diet on Growth Performance, Serum Metabolites and Sex Hormones, Reproductive Organ Development and Carcass Quality of Heavy Gilts.

ABSTRACT: It is desirable to increase fatness in gilts destined for Teruel dry-cured ham production. A total of 192 Duroc × (Landrace × Large White) gilts of 40.3 ± 4.80 kg body weight (BW) were used to assess the impact of immunocastration and feeding on growth performance, serum metabolites and sex hormones, reproductive organ development, and carcass quality. Six treatments were arranged factorially (2 × 3) with two types of gilt (entire gilts (EG) vs. immunocastrated gilts (IG)) and three experimental diets (control vs. high energy vs. low crude protein and amino acids) provided from 76 to 134 kg BW (n = 4 per treatment, being the replicate the pen with eight pigs). Immunocastration was carried out at 58 and 77 kg BW. The IG grew faster and showed lighter reproductive tracts and greater fatness

SUBMITTER: Perez-Ciria L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8300150 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature