Fattening and meat qualities of store pigs of large white breed of different intra-breed differentiation by melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R)

Abstract

The study presents the results of research on fattening and meat qualities of store pigs of large white breed of different intra-breeding differentiation by the gene of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). The study calculated the economic efficiency of animals of different genotypes. The following fattening and meat qualities were evaluated: average daily increase in live weight during the period of control fattening, g; age of live weight 100 kg, days; fat thickness at the level of 6-7 thoracic vertebrae, mm; the length of the cooled carcass, cm; length of bacon half of chilled half-carcass, cm. It was established that store pigs of controlled population at the age of reaching live weight of 100 kg, fat thickness at the level of 6-7 thoracic vertebrae, and length of chilled carcass exceed the minimum requirements of the elite class by 13.69%. A significant difference between animals of different genotypes by the gene of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4RAA, MC4RAG) was established according to the average daily live weight gain during the control fattening period (4.24%, P <0.01), the age of reaching a live weight of 100 kg (2.18%, P <0,01), fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae (8,45%, P <0,05), length of chilled carcass (2,26%, P <0,001), length of bacon half of chilled half carcass (3.36%, P <0.001) and selection index (SI) (18.92%, P <0.05). Significant correlations in animals of different genotypes by the melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4RAA, MC4RAG) were identified regarding the following features: average daily live weight gain during the control period of fattening × age of 100 kg live weight (-0.475 – -0.853), average daily live weight for the period of control fattening × SI (+0.686 - +0.770), SI × age of reaching live weight 100 kg (+0.515 – -0.721), SI × fat thickness at the level of 6-7 thoracic vertebrae (-0.944 – -0.885), length of chilled carcass × length of bacon half of chilled carcass (+0.899 – +0.861). The maximum increase in additional products was obtained from the sale of young pigs by the gene for the melanocortin-4 receptor MC4RAG – +2.02%.