Studies on growth of Pelon Mexicano pigs: effect of rearing conditions on carcass traits and meat quality.

A 2x2 factorial arrangement was used for evaluating carcass traits and meat quality of 22 Yorkshire x Landrace (YL) and 13 Pelon Mexicano (PM) castrate male and female pigs 63 days old which were allotted at random during 16 weeks into 2 rearing systems consisting of total (15 and 7 pigs) or partial confinement (7 and 6 pigs). Partial confinement included rearing animals outdoors in a grass prairie (Brachiaria brizantha) from 9-16 h. There were no significant differences (p 0.05) in meat quality indices, including meat pH, water holding capacity, color and marbling. It is considered that a total or partial confinement, consisting on daily grazing outdoors, rearing system, has less influence on carcass traits in pigs when Pelon Mexicano and Yorkshire x Landrace pigs are compared.