OSTEOCHONDROSIS IN RELATION TO THE PERFORMANCE TRAITS OF THE DIFFERENT PIG BREEDS

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OSTEOCHONDROSIS IN RELATION TO THE PERFORMANCE
TRAITS OF THE DIFFERENT PIG BREEDS

• A. KLIMIENE R. KLIMAS
• iauliai University, LITHUANIA

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INTRODUCTION

• The monitoring of pig osteochondrosis in
  Lithuania was started in 2001. More or less
  severe osteochondrotic lesions in pigs have been
  found in all the tested breeding centres.

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• The occurrence of osteochondrosis among all the
  tested pigs (n1009) of various breeds made up
  48.1 . Lithuanian White pigs were least affected
  by osteochondrosis in the joints (32.7 of
  pigs), while osteochondrotic lesions were
  registered in 78.7 of crossbreds out of imported
  breeds.

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• The study indicated that castrated males were
  more inclined to have the leg weakness syndrome
  than gilt (51.6 vs. 44.5). Front legs were
  more affected by joint lesions. The investigation
  data indicated that osteochondrosis should be
  controlled in the course of selection of pigs
  bred in Lithuania.

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• The purpose of this work was to determine an
  influence of osteochondrosis on fattening and
  carcass traits of some pig breeds raised in
  Lithuania.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS
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• Pigs of various breeds chosen from different
  breeding centres and raised (from 30 to approx.
  95 kg weight) at the stables of control fattening
  of State Pig Breeding Station were checked for
  osteochondrosis. Housing and feeding conditions
  were the same for all pigs.

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• The pigs were slaughtered at meatprocessing
  plants and osteochondrosis was measured according
  to the methods applied in Sweden by the cut
  surface of distal femur and humerus.

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Criteria for scoring of the condyles (Reiland et
al.)
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• Analysis of fattening and carcass traits was
  fulfilled for 58 pigs of various breeds with
  osteochondrotic lesions in leg joints and for 78
  pigs without this defect.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
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Control fattening performance(Normal joints - 0
score)
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Control fattening performance(Osteochondrotic
joint lesions)
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Measurements of leannes in pigs (n136) of
differed breed with Piglog 105
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Carcass traits (Normal joints - 0 score)
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Carcass traits (Osteochondrotic joint lesions)
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CONCLUSIONS
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• When analyzing influence of osteochondrosis on
  the fattening performance of purebred Lithuanian
  White, bacon-type (LW-B1) and meat type (LW-M1)
  Lithuanian White, Swedish Yorkshire and German
  Landrace pigs, significant differences were not
  found (Pgt0.1-0.5).

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• However dependence of this defect on muscularity
  and other carcass traits of pigs was indicated.
  Lean meat percentage, loin lean area and weight
  of ham of pigs, having osteochondrotic lesions of
  leg joints were higher than of pigs not having
  this defect, when backfat thickness was lower.

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