North Island Porker and Baconer Competitions, 1950

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 5, 15 November 1950, Page 423

North Island Porker and Baconer Competitions, 1950

By

A. LONGWILL,

Superintendent

of the Pig Industry, Department of Agriculture, Wellington.

IN the 1950 porker and baconer competitions conducted at Westfield, Patea, and Tomoana freezing works by W. and R. Fletcher (N.Z.) Ltd. 5640 pigs were entered. The number, while large for a competition, is only about 4 per cent, of the total pigs passing through the three works and probably represents the efforts of the keener pig producers to whom the competitions offer a measure of their progress in the improvement of carcass quality. The general quality of the entries therefore may be regarded as being slightly above the average for the Dominion, and a study of the carcass-quality characters in these pigs gives an indication of the directions in which effort is required to produce better-quality carcasses.

THE judging standards adopted for JL the competitions are designed to encourage the production of the type of carcass most suited to market requirements. For that reason and because information gained from the competitions may determine their effectiveness, judging standards require frequent revision. Since the 1946 competition, with which the latest results will be compared, an appraisal of belly thickness has been included in the judging system and the loin fat standards for baconers have been relaxed by l/16in.

In this analysis comparison is made wherever possible with the results of .the 1946 competition, when new pigcarcass judging standards were introduced. - An analysis of the results of that competition by D. M. Smith, Research Officer, Department of Agriculture Animal Research Station, Ruakura, appeared in the February, 1947, issue of the “Journal”. Compared with the 1946 competition, when 3480 pigs were: entered, there has been a tendency for carcassquality characters to suffer. Both porkers and baconers are shorter at the same weights and carry too much fat at all weights above 901 b. Balance of side has also suffered. To secure the improvement required attention must be given to selection of breeding stock for carcass quality and to feeding to avoid the excessive deposition of fat. Length and Depth of Carcass The points allotted for length and depth of carcass were: Body length, 20 points; balance. of side, 5 points. Porkers A comparison of the average length and depth of porker carcasses in 1946 and 1950 can be made from Tables 1 and 2. The carcasses are on the average 11 to 2in. short on present . standards,

scoring only a little over half the possible points. In each range they are shorter than the 1946 pigs. The overall average figure indicates a significant decrease in length in each weight range compared with 1946 results and suggests that much more attention should be given to this character.

In depth of side lightweight porkers are below the optimum measurement, and though this still gives a wellbalanced pig, it is not as important in porkers as in the higher weight ranges where, as will be seen, this factor becomes progressively worse. The 1950 results revealed that, compared with those of 1946, balance of side has deteriorated in heavier porkers. Baconers There has been a decrease in length in baconers which persists throughout all weight ranges. The tendency to decrease in length in 1950 is apparent from Tables 3 and 4, although the ranges taken are not the same in the two years. Baconer carcasses are, on the average, 2 to 21-in. short of the length necessary to score maximum •points. No figures are available from 1946 to compare with 1950 results on the depth of side of baconers. With optimum depth 40 per cent, of the actual body length in each weight range, the balance of side becomes progressively worse with increase in weight ■of carcass. Actual depth is not seriously excessive if only body length were up to the optimum standard. Backfat The points allotted for backfat were: Shoulder: 10 points; loin: baconers. 20 points; porkers, 15 points.

PORKER AND BACONER COMPETITIONS

Length .. 22.8 in. 30.8 in. . 30. Sin. Idea! depth .. Itgin. I2in. I2gin. Actual depth . I2gin. I3in. I3jin. Diagram showing the extent to which in each weight range New Zealand pigs on the average exceed the ideal depth in relation to length.

Porkers Both shoulder and loin measurements show an increase over 1946 in all but the 91-1051 b. class, in which they are less. - Shoulder-fat thickness judged by these results is slightly below the optimum in the 60-751 b. and 76-901 b. classes, but thereafter the optimum shoulder-fat thickness is exceeded.

Loin fat is below optimum in all classes, but improves in the 106-1201 b. class. As carcasses generally are fatter, lighter porkers have a backfat thickness closer to the optimum laid down in the judging standards. Baconers Baconers also show an increase in shoulder fat over 1946 carcasses. The 120-1301 b. class shows an increase of more than jin. and this increase is continued in each weight class, reaching 3/16in. in the 151-1701 b. carcasses. Average loin fat has increased over 1946 by almost jin.; the increase has been least marked in the 151-1601 b. class. All carcasses have a shoulder measurement exceeding the optimum by approximately fin. Though the optimum standard for loin fat for the 1950 baconer competition was increased by l/16in. in each weight range, the 121-1501 b. group exceeds the optimum by more than jin., while the 151-1701 b. group exceeds it by more than 3/16in. Belly Thickness The calculations made on the allocation of points for belly thickness are aimed to show whether the judges’ estimates of this character are influenced by some other carcass character. The number of porkers included having loin-fat points between 1 and 5 is too small to be of any significance. However, the baconers within the 1-7 range of loin-fat points score higher for belly thickness than do those in the 8-14 points group and generally also than those in the 15-20 points group. This is an indication that proper allowance is not being made for the degree of fatness. ■ Another significant point is that with an increase in weight in both porkers and baconers the points for belly thickness increase also, approaching the maximum of 5 at heavy weights. This means that a carcass having low points for loin fat will score higher for belly thickness than a carcass of lighter weight having high points for loin fat. The degree of fatness and weight of the carcass are therefore two factors to be considered in ensuring fairer points allocation for belly thickness, as far as this can be appraised by handling. Hams New Zealand pigs are not as weak in the hams (15 points were allotted under this heading) as in characters already dealt with. However, there is room for improvement and when efforts are made to produce longer carcasses vigilance is necessary if hams are not to suffer.

Shoulders . Ten points were allotted for shoulders. The fore-end, particularly in baconers, should be proportionately light to give a good balance of side and an even roll of bacon. Most of the bacon going into the local trade is rolled by the curer and it is noticeable that heavy fore-ends (thickness of shoulder muscle and fat) contribute more to lack of balance observed in many of the rolls than does depth ,of chest. Some lightening of the shoulder to give a better balance to the carcass is still necessary. Development of Loin Ten points were allotted for development of loin. The judging of development of loin is an attempt to assess the proportion of lean meat in the carcass. 1 What is looked for is flat back and flat sides in contrast to the round, barrel-type carcass which has been found to accompany excessive fat disposition. There is room for improvement in this character, and since

the body conformation shows up fairly well in the live pig, it should be possible to make some further progress by selection on the hoof.

Marketing Points

Possible marketing points were Porkers, 10; baconers, 5.

A good, clean, bright skin without pigmentation, retained hair, seedy cut, bruises, scratches, or any other blemish is required. With the increasing use of Large White boars some improvement is being shown, but there is still evidence, such as bruising, of careless handling.

As after singeing baconers have an improved and more uniform appearance, certain defects such as pigmentation are of less moment in baconers, and for that reason fewer marketing points are allotted for baconers than for porkers.

Summary of Competition Results

The competitions, and comparisons between 1950 and 1946 results, may be summarised as follows:

Length: In proportion to weight both porker and baconer carcasses were shorter.

Balance of side: This character becomes progressively poorer with increase in weight. Bacon pigs require improvement in this respect. ' .

Backfat: Both shoulder and loin fat have increased in all pigs. However, the loin fat of the lighter porkers is still below the optimum; baconers have become more excessively fat in all weight ranges. The increase in shoulder fat becomes important in

carcasses of over 901 b. The lack of any premium for quality undoubtedly has been responsible for the trend toward the production of fatter, shorter pigs at all weights than were entered in the 1946 competitions.

Points for belly thickness: Results show that a fair allocation of points for this character has not yet been achieved; no proper allowance is being made for weight and degree of fatness of carcasses. Added to this, the fact that thickness of belly is influenced much more by fasting and resting immediately before slaughter than, by either breeding or feeding and that the points awarded in a competition are no guide to a breeder in selection throws considerable doubt on the value of retaining judging of belly thickness in competition work. Decline in Quality The increase in the number of carcasses in the competition from 3480 in 1946 to 5640 in 1950 would indicate that selection has not been as critical as in 1946 and this, in addition to the lack of incentive to produce highquality carcasses, has possibly contributed to the decline in general quality. Two major factors contribute to carcass quality: Breeding and' feeding. Unsatisfactory length and balance of side can only be overcome by applying ' thoroughly more careful methods of selection and breeding. The average New Zealand pig is so far below the optimum in length that it should be possible to make considerable pro-

gress with the aid' of carcass-quality information obtainable from the car-cass-quality scheme. Ultimately, a testing-station system will be required to assist breeders in, their selection but, meantime, the information obtainable from the carcass-quality scheme and competitions if used can assist the industry toward the production, of better-type pigs. Producers of the better-type pigs in competitions today are largely those who have benefited from information obtained on the performance of certain strains, and until the majority of pig raisers, have appreciated this fact and followed the example of those producers it would be premature for breeders to undertake the costly methods of improvement inherent in a testing-station system. : Controlled Feeding Backfat thickness can be controlled by careful feeding, the essential points being to feed pigs well so that they grow at their maximum rate up to 16 weeks of age and then to restrict the. feed gradually so that in the fattening stage the deposition of fat is controlled to suit the particular type of pig and the ideal finish at the weight desired is obtained. The ideal weights for porkers are 70 to 901 b. dressed weight, and up to this stage it is difficult to over-fatten the pig, as the rate of growth of muscle is relatively greater up to this stage. Baconers should be finished at about 145 .to 1501 b. dressed weight, and some restriction in feeding is necessary to get ideal finish on these pigs unless they

are of a highly specialised bacon type, when they might reach the ideal finish at a little heavier weight and with little, if any, restriction in feeding. Growth Rate In the 1950 competitions there was included for the first time a section in which growth rate, up to a maximum of 100 points per team of 4 pigs, was combined with carcass quality in the final assessment. Because of the necessity for restricting feeding to avoid over-fatness in average New

Zealand pigs, the coupling of growth rate with carcass quality gives a much more critical test of suitability of pigs for baconer production. From the farmer’s point of view, though it is important to have a high standard of carcass quality so that demand for the

product will be maintained, the product must be produced at a profit. To indicate how this critical test works the following table has been drawn up to include all teams in this section which scored 70 per cent, of points in total or for carcass only.

PORKER AND BACONER COMPETITIONS

All these teams were Large White or by Large White sires. The teams placed 6th, Bth equal, and 10th were whey fed.

Weight range (lb.) .. 61-65 86-90 116-120 Average length (in.) . 24.9 26.83 29.05 Optimum length (in.) 26.37 28.25 30.5 Average depth (in.) . 10.3 II.1 12.4 Optimum depth (in.) 10.1 10.8 11.6 Average ratio of depth to length 41.4% 41.4% 42.7% Optimum ratio of' depth to length . 40% 40% 40%

TABLE I—AVERAGE FIGURES FOR PORKERS WITHIN CERTAIN WEIGHT RANGES, 1946

TABLE AVERAGE FIGURES FOR PORKERS WITHIN CERTAIN WEIGHT RANGES, 1950

Weight range (lb.) .. 61-65 86-90 116-120 Number of pigs 65 369 74 Average length (in.) . 24.28 26.78 28.48 Optimum length (in.) 26.37 28.25 30.50 Average depth (in.) . 9.93 1 1.14 12.41 Optimum depth (in.) 10.1 10.8 11.6 Average ratio of depth 10.1 10.8 11.6 to length 40.9% 41.6% 43.6% Optimum ratio of depth to length . 40% 40% 40%

Weight range (lb.) . 121-125 146-150 166-170 Average length (in.) 28.9 30.09 31.13 Optimum length (in.) 31.25 32.5 33.5

TABLE 3—BODY LENGTH, BACONERS, 1946

TABLE 4—AVERAGE RESULTS, BACONERS, 1950

Weight range (lb.) .. 121-130 131-140 141-150 151-160 161-170 Number of pigs 398 565 765 612 377 Average length (in.) 28.8 29.45 29.99 30.62 30.94 Optimum length (in.) 30.70 31.20 31.7 32.20 32.70 Average depth (in.) .. 12.42 12.7 12.97 13.35 13.70 Optimum depth (in.) 12.30 12.50 12.70 12.90 13.10 Average ratio of depth to length .. 43.1% 43.1% 43.2% 43.6% 44.3% Optimum ratio of depth to length 40% 40% 40% 40% ■, 40%

Weight range (lb.) 60-75 76-90 91-105 106-120 Number of pigs .. 339 453 276 84 Shoulder fat (I/I6in.) .. .. 11.6 13.9 16.5 18.1 Optimum (1 /16in.) .. 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 Loin fat (l/16in.) 6.5 7.7 9.7 10.7 Optimum (l/16in.) 8 9 10 11

TABLE S—AVERAGE PORKER BACKFAT MEASUREMENTS, 1946

TABLE 6—AVERAGE PORKER BACKFAT MEASUREMENTS, 1950

Weight range (lb.) .. .. 60-75 76-90 91-105 106-120 Number of pigs .. .. .. .. ... 456 1,056 651 366 Shoulder fat (I/I6in.) .. 13.04 14.44 16.03 19.3 Optimum (I/I6in.) .. .. .'. 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 Loin fat (1 /16in.) .. .. .. 7.05 7.98 9.07 10.81 Optimum (I/I6in.) .. .. 8 9 10 II

X/LiSluEi i 2V V iLJtV/k ILIV JD/X V XkJt* H 1 1V1U.2YOU X O, 13'10 Weight range (lb.) ,.,. .. 121-130 131-140 141-150 151-160 161-170 Number of pigs . ; . . 201 258 284 161 27 Shoulder fat (l/16in.) ; ,- 25.0 26.3 27.0 28.1 29.6 Optimum (l/l6in.) ;. ■. 20-23 21-24 22-25 23-26 24-27 Loin fat (I/I6in.) .. 13.7 14.8 16.0 18.3 19.0 . Optimum (1/16in.) .. 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 16.0

T ABLE 7- AVERAGE BACONER BACKFAT MEASUREMENTS, 1946

Weight range (lb.) .. .. 121-130 131-140 141-150 151-160 161-170 Number of pigs ; . . . 397 566 757 . 615 398 Shoulder fat (I/I6in.) • .. 27.38 28.91 29.63 31.14 32.78 Optimum (1 /16in.) .. 20-23 21-24 22-25 23-26 24-27 Loin fat (I/16in.) .. 15.65 16.54 17.59 19.09 20.52 Optimum (I/I6in.) ...... 13.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 ' 17.0

TABLE B—AVERAGE BACONER BACKFAT MEASUREMENTS, 1950

iz Weight range (lb.) .. Cj . V- — 60-70 tX V JCiAiJ 1U1. 71-80 10 1 ’JlliJUJ 81-90 ■1X xjo uvu. ■'UCiiSiS 9I-IO( 101-f10 v Loin-fat points 11-15 HI-120 Loin-fat points . .. 1-5 tL V 60-70 1-5 6-10 6-10 11-15 VVTli. 11-15 1-5 JT AO A 71-80 OAV 1-5 1-5 81-90 6-10 6-10 in 11-15 1 1-15 ivn. 1-5 1 1-5 'WJDiSO, .TvIvj 91-100 101-f10 1-5 1 1 1-120 6-10 11-15 6-10 1 1-15 1-5 6-10 11-15 6-10 11-15 Number of pigs .. ' 1 6-10 11-15 1-5 6-10 11-15 1-5 6-10 1-5 6-10 11-15 Number of pigs .. 29 149 2 62 368 1 59 470 4 37 342 2 39 195 8 41 103 Average points for belly thickness 2 29 149 2 62 368 59 470 4 37 342 2 39 195 8 41 103 thickness —— 3.5 4.15 4.0 4.05 4.18 5 4.15 4.53 4.0 4.55 4.65 5 4.65 4.78 5 4.65 4.74

TABLE 9—AVERAGE POINTS FOR BELLY THICKNESS. PORKERS. 1950

Weight range (lb.) .. .. 121-130 131-140 141-150 151-160 161-170 Loin-fat points .. ... 1-7 | 8-14 | 8-14 | 15-20 15-20 1-7 1-7 | 8-14 | 8-14 1 15-20 15-20 1-7 | 1-7 8-14 | 8-14 | 15-20 15-20 1-7 1-7 8-14 | 8-14 | 15-20 15-20 1-7 1-7 1 8-14 | 1 8-14 I 15-20 15-20 Number of pigs .. .... .. 44 1 89 | . 89 I 122 122 71 71 1 115 | 115 | 191 I9t 94 94 119 I 1 H9 1 231 231 85 85 129 1 129 I 137 137 74 74 1 81 81 79 79 Average points for belly thickness 4.65 | 4.5 4.5 4.74 4.74 4.8 4.8 ! 4.73 | 4.73 | 4.78 4.78 4.85 4.85 4.74 I 1 4.74 4.87 4.87 4.9 4.9 4.89 1 4.89 4.89 4.89 4.99 4.99 1 4.9 | |■ 4.9 - 4.95 4.95

TABLE 10—AVERAGE POINTS FOR BELLY THICKNESS, BACONERS, 1950

POSSIBLE POINTS GOOD SIDE Length .. 20 32in. .. 19 Depth of side .. 5 . I22in. 5 Backfat, loin 20 lin. . . 20 Backfat, shoulder (0 1 lin. .. 10 Total measurement points 55 54

Date of birth Ruakura A.R.S. .. 2/12/49 New Plymouth Boys’ High School .. Boys’ High School .. 25/6/49 25/6/49 J. W. Wilson . . 25/10/49 New Plymouth Boys’ High School .. Boys’ High School .. 1/8/49 1/8/49 D. G. Bell 4/11/49 R. Julian . . 13/11/49 J. G. Fowel! .. 22/11/49 A. J. Dixon 20/9/49 Risi Bros. 4/9/49 Risi Bros. 15/6/49 Greig Estate 17/8/49

BAD SIDE SIDE 30in. .. 11 I2?in. 2 Ilin. 9 2Jin. 1 23

Av. d. wt. Carcass points Total points points gain per day Points Points % of % of Points Points % of % of . lb. ( max. 420) poss. (max. 520) poss. poss. .88 329 78 405 78 .74 329 78 377 72.5 .89 289 69 367 71 .68 320 76 356 68 .72 309 74 353 68 .70 303 72 343 66 .67 304 72 338 65 .72 292 70 336 65 .65 . 306 73 336 65 .70 294 70 334 64 .58 298 71 314 60

TABLE PERFORMANCE OF BEST TEAMS IN GROWTH-RATE SECTION