Effects of Injection of Testosterone, Estradiol and a Combination of the Two upon Growing-Fattening Swine

Abstract

Two experiments involving a total of 54 pigs were conducted to determine the effects of intramuscular injections of testosterone, estradiol and a mixture of the two upon average daily gains, efficiency of gains and certain carcass measurements of growing-fattening pigs. At the level used, neither testosterone, estradiol nor a combination of the two appeared to influence significantly rate of gain, carcass length, carcass grade, dressing percentage, thickness of back fat, palatability of roasts or tenderness as measured by the Warner-Bratzler shear. Both treated barrows and gilts exhibited an abnormal sexual behavior and the reproductive tracts showed the effects of marked hormonal stimulation. The data on efficiency of gains are inconclusive. Copyright © . .