Leistungsprüfung und Zuchtwertschätzung für Tropfsaftverlust beim Schwein in Bayern

Since July 2010, Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is being applied in the two Bavarian pig performance test stations in order to measure drip loss in the longissimus muscle. This method ('Gruber Methode') has proven to be very efficient and currently allows drip loss measurements to be collected for approximately 5000 pigs per year. The data for this study included 16165 observations of drip loss for pigs of dam breeds (Large White and German Landrace and their respective crosses) as well as 3510 observations of drip loss for purebred Piétrain pigs. As expected, drip loss was higher in Piétrain than in dam breeds. Estimates of heritability were 0,28 and 0,66 in dam breeds and in Piétrain, respectively. The well-known close relationship of drip loss with pH 45 min (longissimus muscle) could be confirmed. In purebred Piétrain, estimated genetic correlations between drip loss and feed conversion rate (-0,41), daily gain (0,42) and lean meat content (0,38) were unfavourable. In dam breeds, genetic correlations between drip loss and these traits were small as were the genetic correlations between drip loss measured in purebred Piétrain and these traits measured in crossbred progeny of Piétrain sires. Estimation of breeding values for drip loss will start in 2011.