Pigs to Pork selection
AS-356 March, 1971
Evaluation of swine carcasses
J.C. Forrest and K.J. Drewry Animal Sciences Department
PURPOSE
The purpose of swine carcass evaluation is to help the producer achieve volume production of quality pork carcasses.
Quality carcasses have a high lean to fat ratio and are desirable for such items as marbling, color, texture and firmness.
INTRODUCTION
The end product of the swine industry must be one which is easily merchandised. However, swine producers must not sacrifice productive efficiency to attain this goal. Swine carcass evaluation supplements breeding management, herd health and nutrition practices by relating desirable carcass traits with economically important traits, such as sow productivity, feed efficiency and feedlot gain in the live animal.
Current swine carcass evaluation programs take into account such measurements as carcass weight, average backfat, loin eye area, per cent ham and loin and carcass length. Differences observed in untrimmed swine carcasses are shown in Figure 1. In future programs, more emphasis will be placed on items which relate to quality.
SWINE CARCASS EVALUATION PROCEDURES
Shipping weights and tattooing - In current swine carcass evaluation programs, the animals are marketed at live weights
Figure 1. Half-carcass, untrimmed hams
and loins from meat type (left) and fat type (right) hogs. (Photos courtesy Iowa State University)