Interrelationships between porcine somatotropin (pST), betaine, and energy level on body composition and tissue distribution of finisher boars

Abstract

Fifty-six individually penned boars (initial weight 64 kg) were used to investigate the interactions between dietary betaine, dietary energy, and porcine somatotropin (pST) treatment. The study was a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment with the respective factors being dietary betaine (0 or 1.5 g/kg) and energy level (80% or 100% ad libitum) and treatment with pST (0 or 5 mg/day). A Hologic QDR4500A Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometer (DXA) was used to determine body composition of pigs at the beginning and end of the study at Day 35. After slaughter, the composition of the whole half-carcass as well as the shoulder, ham, belly, and loin primal cuts was determined with DXA and verified with manual d..