COMPARATIVE GROWTH AND CARCASS PERFORMANCE OF PROGENIES SIRED BY PUREBRED LARGE WHITE AND HAMPSHIRE BOARS AND THEIR CROSSES WITH THE NIGERIAN LOCAL BREED

Abstract

THE performance of progenies sired by purebred Large White and Hampshire boars and their crosses with Nigerian local breed — the Large White x Local and Hampshire x Local boars was compared from birth to slaughter at 60kg liveweight using 4 boards each of the different breeds and crosses. 4 boars from each of 16 litters sired per breed compris­ing 4 dams mated per sire were evaluated. Feeding was twice daily up to a maximum of 2.00kg meal per day. Among the boar genotypes, significant differences in performance between progeny was found for the backfat thickness (P 0.01). Carcass length and average daily gain (P 0.05). The progenies of the Hampshire boar were 0.61kg heavier than those of the crossbred boar at birth, had higher weaning weight (2kg heavier) and a significantly different (P 0.05) average daily gain to slaughter. The progenies of purebred boars were 4.04 and 6.89 days earlier to slaughter, had 1.4 and 1.5% higher carcass yield but 1.9 — 3.44mm higher back-fat than the progenies from corresponding crossbred boars. Significant breed differences were noted in the prime cuts of the carcasses.