The increase of slaughter weight in gilts as a strategy to optimize the production of Spanish high quality dry-cured ham.

Crossbred pigs (n=120) from Duroc sires mated to Landrace x Large White dams, with a mean BW of 110.5+/-2.3 kg, were used to investigate the effect of increasing the slaughter weight of gilts with regard to that of the barrows on the production of high quality dry-cured hams from Spain (Teruel ham). There were 3 treatments: barrows slaughtered at 130 kg of BW (B), gilts slaughtered at 130 kg of BW (G1), and gilts slaughtered at 134 kg of BW (G2). Growth performance was similar for G1 and G2, and both consumed less feed (P<0.001) and had less BW gain (P<0.05) and better G:F (P<0.01) than B. Also, the B treatment showed thicker backfat (P<0.001) and covering fat over the gluteus medius (GM) muscle (P<0.05) than G1 or G2, but no differences in carcass fat were detected between G1 and G2. Loin and ham yields were similar for B and G2, and both were less than those for G1 (P<0.01). Treatment did not affect the proportion of carcasses with a minimum weight of 84 kg, but the percentage of carcasses with a minimum fat depth over the GM muscle of 18 mm and the percentage of carcasses that fulfill both requirements (as required for the Teruel ham trademark) were less for G1 than for B or G2 (P<0.001). Meat from B had greater (P<0.05) intramuscular fat content than meat from G1 with loin from G2 being intermediate. Thawing losses of the loins were greater (P<0.05) for B than for G2 with loins from G1 being intermediate. Shear force value was greater for meat from G1 than for that from G2 with meat from B being intermediate (P<0.05). Fat over the GM muscle from the B treatment was more saturated and had decreased PUFA/SFA ratio than that from G1 with fat from G2 being intermediate (P<0.001). Also, backfat from the B treatment showed decreased (P<0.01) PUFA proportion than backfat from G1 or G2. We conclude that increasing the slaughter weight of gilts by 4 kg with respect to that of barrows optimized the 2 criteria used for the selection of carcasses destined for the production of Teruel ham.