Analysis of carcass weight and primal cuts production for Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc pigs under temperature variations in Korea.

This study aimed to assess the monthly production of primal cuts using a non-destructive carcass analyzer, non-destructive carcass analyzer (VCS2000), and to explore the correlations between monthly temperature variation and primal cuts production in 699,727 Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc pigs by deriving correlations and regression equations between measured primal cuts production and carcass weight. The production yields of five primal cuts (shoulder blade, shoulder picnic, loin, belly, and ham) were quantified, with ham showing the highest yield and shoulder blade the lowest. Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations (r > 0.7) between carcass weight and each primal cut, with the shoulder blade showing the highest correlation. Backfat thickness exhibited only weak positive correlations with primal cuts. Simple linear regression models for each primal cut yielded coefficients of determination (R 2) ranging from 0.71 to 0.88, with shoulder blade showing the highest value. Multiple linear regression, using all five cuts as predictors for carcass weight, resulted in a high R 2 of 0.98. Monthly analysis showed that carcass weight and primal cut yields were highest during winter months (December to February) and lowest in summer (June to August). An increase in temperature adversely affected pig production. Consequently, utilizing the non-destructive carcass analyzer for monthly evaluation of pig carcass characteristics is effective for predicting pork production in response to temperature variations.