The effect of age at puberty on growth and carcass quality at market weight in the gilt

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Abstract
Eighty-nine crossbred gilts were used in an experiment to assess the effects of age at puberty on growth and their carcass characteristics at market weight. From 100 days of age each gilt was exposed daily to a boar and observed for standing heat. The gilts were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir as they reached market weight (approximately 109 kg live weight). Thirty-two gilts (36%) reached puberty before slaughter. These 32 earlier-maturing gilts grew more slowly than the other 57 (Pr=−0·565; PP<0·01). There were no significant differences between sexual maturity groups for any of the large number of physical and chemical carcass characteristics studied.