The Effect of Plane of Nutrition on the Economy of Production and Carcass Quality of Swine

Abstract

Four lots of pigs were fed from shortly after weaning to market finish at different levels of feed intake, namely, HH, HL, LH, and LL as designated by Mc Meekan and Hammond. The fourth group fed, the restricted ration throughout the trial required somewhat less feed per 100 pounds of gain and decidedly less nutrients per unit of gain, when maintenance is taken into account. The animals fed the restricted diet throughout produced the leanest carcasses. From the above it is deducted that less nutrients are required to produce a pound of lean meat than a pound of fat. If this deduction is correct, then selection of breeding stock on the basis of economy of gains should be at least somewhat effective as a means of selecting animals that will yield a lean carcass. The above deduction, however, is not in accord with Dickerson's findings. The differences in results do, however, support Blunn and Baker's suggestion that breed and line differences are indicated.