The use of specific gravity and its reciprocal in predicting the carcass composition of pigs slaughtered at three weights

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Abstract
1. Carcass dissection data and specific gravity determinations from 76 pigs slaughtered at either 120 lb., 200 lb., or 260 lb. live-weight have been analysed to study the value of specific gravity and its reciprocal in predicting fat and lean in the carcass.2. Possible effects that the bone content of the carcass might have on the accuracy of prediction have been investigated.3. Specific gravity was highly correlated with percentage fat and lean in the half carcass. Correlation coefficients for the reciprocal were of similar magnitude but opposite in sign.4. The residual standard errors in percentage lean and fat at constant specific gravity were 1·74% and 1·72% respectively.5. The replacement of specific gravity by its reciprocal did not increase the accuracy of prediction for either lean or fat tissue expressed as a percentage of the trimmed half carcass.6. The muscle/fat ratio exerted a markedly greater influence on specific gravity than did the muscle/bone ratio. However, the inclusion of the latter ratio in equations relating specific gravity and percentage lean in the carcass, reduced the residual variation.7. Application of the pooled regression equations to independent data, obtained by the use of identical techniques, has given promising results.