PRODUCTION OF ENTIRE MALES WITH BELGIAN LANDRACE AND HYBRID PIGS - THE INCIDENCE OF SENSORY ABERRATIONS

This study aimed to evaluate the consequences of boar-meat production with Belgian Landrace (31 BLs) and Seghers hybrid (65 hybrids) pigs. I n total, 33 boars, 34 barrows and 29 gilts were individually housed an d fed ad libitum from 28 kg until slaughter. The advantage of entire m ale pigs consisted of an improved feed-conversion efficiency and 4% (B L) to 5% (hybrids) more lean meat per carcass in comparison with the c astrates, without detrimental implications for meat quality as determi ned by instrumental methods; 35%, 20% and 15% of the boars demonstrate d backfat off-odours, meat off-odours or meat off-flavours, respective ly. It must be noted that a certain percentage of the gilts and, to a lesser extent, of the barrows also showed aberrating far and meat char acteristics; 25% and 20% of the boar carcasses could be rejected based on the sensory threshold levels for skatole and androstenone, respect ively. The age and weight at slaughter did not influence the sensory p roperties of fat and meat. However, the androstenone level increased w ith slaughter weight; 35% and 30% of the fat off-odours could be expla ined by skatole and androstenone level, respectively. The frequency of the meat off-odours could only be explained for 18% by the androsteno ne level.