Survival, body weights, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of 7/8 White Composite and 1/8 Duroc, 1/8 Meishan, 1/8 Fengjing, or 1/8 Minzhu pigs.

Pigs were the progeny of White Composite boars mated to gilts that were either 1/4 Duroc, 1/4 Meishan, 1/4 Fengjing, or 1/4 Minzhu and the remainder 3/4 White Composite. One-eighth Meishan and 1/8 Fengjing pigs averaged approximately .5 more nipples than 1/8 Duroc pigs and .2 more nipples than 1/8 Minzhu pigs (P < .05), respectively. Duroc, Meishan, and Minzhu crosses did not differ (P > .05) for survival at birth or at 14 and 28 d. Fengjing crosses had a lower survival rate (P < .05) at all three ages than Duroc and Meishan crosses. Duroc crosses were heavier (P < .05) than Chinese crosses at birth. At 56 d, Duroc and Meishan crosses did not differ (P > .05) for BW, but both were heavier (P < .05) than Minzhu crosses. Body weight at 70 d did not differ significantly (P > .05) among breed types. Duroc crosses were heavier (P < .05) than any of the Chinese crosses at 98, 126, and 154 d of age. At 154 d, Fengjing crosses were lighter (P < .05) than Meishan or Minzhu crosses. The effect of breed type was not detected for average probe backfat thickness of gilts at 99.7 kg. Duroc crosses consumed the most feed, and Fengjing crosses consumed the least during each interval and during the total period (P < .05). Feed consumption of Meishan and Minzhu crosses was intermediate to and significantly (P < .05) different from that of Duroc and Fengjing crosses. At 184 d of age, breed types did not differ (P > .16) for measures of carcass fat thickness, marbling score, color score, and firmness score. At 184 d of age, weights of all carcass cuts were heavier (P < .05) for Duroc than for Chinese crosses with the exception of untrimmed loin weight of Minzhu crosses. There were few significant differences among breed types when carcass traits were compared at a constant carcass weight, although Duroc crosses generally were superior. Relative to similar Duroc crosses, these results suggest that 1/8 Chinese pigs would grow less rapidly (P < .05) and produce less weight of trimmed lean cuts at a constant carcass weight.