PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY OF PIGS IMMUNCASTRATED AT DIFFERENT AGE

Immunocastration on pigs leverages the productivity advantages of intact males. In order to evaluate the productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of immunocastrated pigs, 40 intact piglets were used. Twenty of them underwent early immunocastration (ITEM) and the rest twenty late immunocastration (ITAR). Growth performance and carcass characteristics did not differ between groups (p>0.05), except for ham length (L) and tarsus circumference, which were smaller in ITEM pigs (p<0.05), possibly due to lower levels of testosterone on blood after the first immunization. Skin lesions were higher than the reported by others due to transport of non-familiarized groups belonging to the same treatment. Ham circumference was smaller than reported in castrated pigs due probably to their higher fat cover. Physicochemical and technological properties of the meat were similar between groups (P>0.05). Growth performance in pigs with ITEM and ITAR was higher than reported in surgically castrated pigs and meat had acceptable physicochemical and technological quality. However, ITAR would allow pig producers get carcasses with a longer ham, which is one of the primal cuts of higher economic value.