Growth and development in the pig, with special reference to carcass quality characters: Part IV. The use of sample joints and of carcass measurements as indices of the composition of the bacon pig: Part V. The bearing of the main principles emerging upon the many problems of animal production and human development

Abstract

1. The accurate measurement of the amount of bone, muscle and fat in the bodies of meat animals is of considerable importance in all technical studies relating to carcass quality. Chemical analysis and laboratory dissection of complete animals are associated with disadvantages which preclude their extensive use. Material derived from nutritional experiments has provided the opportunity for statistical investigation of the possibility of using sample joints and carcass measurements as indices of the composition of bacon pigs of 200 lb. live weight. The extent and nature of the variation in the composition of the pigs concerned adds to the significance of the results obtained.2. The total weight of bone, muscle and fat in the bacon-pig carcass can be estimated with a high degree of accuracy from the respective weights of these tissues in either the loin or the leg. The combination of these two joints provide even higher correlations in each case than either one alone. In all cases the correlation coefficients approach unity and are strongly significant at the 1% point. For the combined joints the values ofrfor bone, muscle and fat respectively are +0·9444, + 0·9765 and +0·9750. Regression functions have been developed for the purpose of estimating carcass composition from these joints.