A Study on Changes of Carcass, Bones and Muscles of Ningxiang Pigs

Background: Ningxiang pigs are known for tasty meat and high intramuscular fat content. Currently, the slow growth rate and low lean meat rate of Ningxiang pigs have greatly restricted the development of its market. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the changes in carcass traits, meat quality, visceral organ weight indices, bones and muscles development with slaughter ages of Ningxiang pigs. Methods: The experiment used 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 days old Ningxiang pigs as the research objects, and 6 castrated male pigs in each group were randomly selected. The carcass traits, meat quality, visceral organs weights and skeletal muscle weights were measured. The correlation between carcass traits and meat quality were analyzed by bivariate analysis, and the regression equations between slaughter ages and these indicators were established. Result: The results showed that pre-slaughter weight and weights of carcass, head, feet, skeleton and muscle, loin eye area, cooking yield, marbling and the large intestine weight index at 0 d, backfat thickness at 60 d, fat percentages at 60 and 120 d, and the lean meat percentage at 240 d, redness at 120 d of Ningxiang pigs were lowest, the heart, lung, kidney and small intestine weight percentages were highest at 0 d (P less than 0.05). Carcass traits and meat quality had different significant correlation at different slaughter ages. So the indices of carcass, meat quality, bones and muscles of Ningxiang pigs changed with slaughter ages. In general, the overall performance of 300 d Ningxiang pigs is better.