EFFICIENCY OF CROSSBREEDING ON PRODUCTION OF LEAN PIG MEAT

Summary. The study was conducted in the year 2000. Phenotypic evaluation with Piglog 105 indicated that the crossbred pigs produced by crossing Lithuanian White pigs with boars of the imported breeds had by 0.3-4.3 mm lower fat thickness behind the last rib and by 0.8-4.1% higher lean meat content (P < 0.05-0.001) compared with purebred Lithuanian Whites. German Landrace and Swedish Yorkshire had the lowest influence on the meat percentage of crossbreds, respectively 51.6 and 51.7%, while Norwegian Landrace (54.9%), Duroc (54.4%) and Pietrain (54.3%) breeds had the highest influence. This tendency was confirmed by the results of control fattening and carcass evaluation. Depending on the combination of breeds, the backfat thickness of crossbred pigs was by 2.5-22.5% lower and the loin lean area by 3.4-32.8% larger compared with that of Lithuanian White pigs (P < 0.05-0.001). Lithuanian White x Norwegian Landrace crossbreds had the lowest backfat thickness behind the last rib (18.6 mm), while crossbreds with Pietrain pigs had the largest loin lean area (42.5 cm2) (P < 0.001). According to the Piglog 105 data, the average meat percentage of crossbreds produced by crossing the pigs of imported breeds varied from 51.9 to 59.0%, depending on the combination of breeds. Norwegian Landrace x Norwegian Yorkshire, Norwegian Landrace x Hampshire and Hampshire x Pietrain crossbreds were distinguished by the highest lean meat content, respectively, 59.0, 58.7 and 58.5%. Crossbreds produced by crossing imported breeds are suitable for three- or four-way commercial hybridization. The analysis of the meat percentage of crossbred pigs indicated that rational use of various breeds in