Carcass characteristics and meat of surgically castrated and immunocastrated pigs fed different nutritional levels

The study was carried out to evaluate the carcass characteristics and meat of surgically castrated and immunocastrated pigs fed with different nutritional levels. The animals were distribuited in a completely randomized experimental design with four main treatments (T1-surgically castrated pigs fed with basal diet; T2-immunocastrated pigs fed with basal diet; T3-immunocastrated pigs fed with basal diet+3% amino acids and energy; T4-immunocastrated pigs fed with basal diet+5% amino acids and energy) and two secondary treatments with or without ractopamine within each main treatment. The surgically castrated pigs had slaughter weight 3.3% lower (P<0.05), cold carcass weight 1.4% higher (P<0.05) and loin chop weight 13% higher (P<0.05) compared to immunocastred pigs. The immunocastrated pigs supplemented with 5% more amino acids and energy had rib 19% more heavier (P<0.05) and higher values (P<0.05) in the color b* (yellow-blue) in the meat to 45min and 24h post-slaughter compared with surgically castrated pigs fed with basal diet. Supplementation with 5% amino acids and energy increases weight and yield of rib and changes the value of color b* (yellow-blue) in the meat to 45min and 24h post-slaughter male pigs immunocastrated.