Data paper: Early and late immunocastrated and entire male pigs’ data from production, carcass and meat quality, including bones, histology and sensory analysis

Abstract

Data from 11 entire male pigs, 14 late immunocastrated-LIC pigs (vaccines at 8 (V1) and 4 (V2) weeks before slaughter) and 12 early immunocastrated-EIC pigs (vaccines at 13 (V1) and 8 (V2) weeks before slaughter) are provided. Daily feed consumption by pen (two pigs of the same treatment per pen) and individual weight and body characteristics measured at the farm are provided globally and by period (Period 1: From beginning to V1_EIC; Period 2: From V1_EIC to V2_EIC and V1_LIC; Period 3: From V2_EIC and V1_LIC to V2_LIC; and Period 4: From V2_LIC to slaughter). Carcass fat thickness and muscle depth measures at the ham level (ZP method) and the loin (with ruler in the midline and with Fat-O-Meat’er II device at 6 cm of the midline) from the slaughtered animals are provided. Left half carcasses were computed tomography scanned and from the axial images, complementary information of the carcass characteristics was obtained, e.g. several areas and thicknesses. Additionally, the radius bone was measured and its cortical and medullar areas were determined. From all the images, the volume and proportion of bones in global or divided by density classes were also obtained considering the volume associated with different Hounsfield values. Reproductive organs (testes and bulbourethral glands) weight, length and colour (only testes) data are reported. Meat quality parameters (e.g. pH, electrical conductivity, drip loss, and colour) and histological characteristics of longissimus muscle (slow-twitch oxidative, fast-twitch oxidative and fast-twitch glycolytic fibre diameter and proportion) are reported. Additionally, proximate analysis and fatty acid composition of the subcutaneous fat and the longissimus muscle are also available. Finally, the standardized sensorial properties of the meat determined by 10 panellists are also included. These data have been reused in two scientific publications and can be included in other data sets to increase the number of animals and/or treatments, to perform a meta-analysis or to be re-analysed in a different way considering different parameters or effects in the model.