Physical Activity Effects on Blood Parameters, Growth, Carcass, and Meat and Fat Composition of Portuguese Alentejano Pigs

This study evaluated the effects of physical activity on blood, growth, carcass, and meat quality of finishing Alentejano (AL) pigs. Pigs, reared from ~87 to 160 kg in individual pens (no exercise area, NE group, = 9) or in an outdoor park (with exercise area, WE group, = 9), were fed commercial die...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2021-01, Vol.11 (1), p.156
Main Authors: Martins, José Manuel, Silva, David, Albuquerque, André, Neves, José, Charneca, Rui, Freitas, Amadeu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alentejano pig
Animal husbandry
animal performance
Animal welfare
Blood
blood biochemistry
Body weight gain
Breeding
Carcasses
Cholesterol
Conversion ratio
Cortisol
Diet
Environmental impact
Exercise
Farms
Feed conversion
Food security
High density lipoprotein
Hogs
Lipids
local pigs
Low density lipoprotein
Meat
meat quality
Metabolism
Nitrogen
Nutrient content
Nutrition research
Outdoors
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Proteins
Slaughter
Sustainability
Urea
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Summary:This study evaluated the effects of physical activity on blood, growth, carcass, and meat quality of finishing Alentejano (AL) pigs. Pigs, reared from ~87 to 160 kg in individual pens (no exercise area, NE group, = 9) or in an outdoor park (with exercise area, WE group, = 9), were fed commercial diets (85% ad libitum). WE pigs were in a park (~400 m ) with a feeding area separated from the drinking area with an automatic waterer, forcing pigs to walk at least 800 m daily. Blood samples were obtained during the trial (weeks 2, 11, and 18) and at slaughter. The left-side carcass was submitted to commercial cuts, and samples from loin, tenderloin, and dorsal subcutaneous fat (DSF) were analyzed. Plasma urea in WE pigs was higher in weeks 2 and 11, while cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol and LDL- to HDL-cholesterol ratios, and cortisol were lower in weeks 11 and 18. Final weight and average daily gain were higher and feed conversion ratio lower in WE pigs. DSF thickness and carcass weight were higher in WE pigs, leading to higher carcass yield. Finally, loin and tenderloin from WE pigs presented higher total protein content. These data show that allowing physical activity affects metabolism, growth, and carcass and meat quality of AL pigs.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani11010156