Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of pigs fed sorghum-soybean meal diets with chromium methionine supplementation at different stages.

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of chromium methionine (Cr-Met) supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of finishing pigs. Thirty pigs were blocked by weight (60 ± 2.8 kg) and sex, and allotted to one of three treatments: 1) control-treatment in that pigs were fed finishing-diets without Cr-Met from 60 to 100 kg live weight; 2) control + 0.8 mg Cr-Met/kg from 60 to 100 kg, and 3) control + 0.8 mg Cr-Met/kg from 80 to 100 kg. Chromium-supplemented pigs ate less feed (P≤0.05), grew faster (P≤0.05) and were heavier (P≤0.05) and more efficient (P≤0.05) than control pigs, but the beneficial effect was more pronounced when animals were supplemented at lighter weight. Also, Cr-Met increased loin muscle area (P≤0.01), hot carcass yield (P≤0.01), and reduced backfat thickness (P≤0.01), meat pork pH (P≤0.01) and luminosity value (*L; P≤0.01). Moreover, Cr-Met reduced cooking losses (P≤0.01) and shear force value of Longissimus dorsi muscle (P≤0.01) but chromium-effect on tenderness was more pronounced in pigs supplemented at lighter weight. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Cr-Met for finishing pigs improves growth performance, carcass traits and some meat quality properties but stage when supplementation begins may affect differently the animal response.