FATTENING AND MEAT QUALITIES OF STORE PIGS OF LARGE WHITE BREED OF DIFFERENT INTRA-BREED DIFFERENTIATION BY MELANOCORTIN-4 RECEPTOR GENE (МС4R)

The study presents the results of research on fattening and meat qualities of store pigs of large white breed of different intra-breeding differentiation by the gene of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). The study calculated the economic efficiency of animals of different genotypes. The following fattening and meat qualities were evaluated: average daily increase in live weight during the period of control fattening, g; age of live weight 100 kg, days; fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae, mm; the length of the cooled carcass, cm; length of bacon half of chilled half-carcass, cm. It was established that store pigs of controlled population at the age of reaching live weight of 100 kg, fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae, and length of chilled carcass exceed the minimum requirements of the elite class by 13.69%. A significant difference between animals of different genotypes by the gene of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4RAA, MC4RAG) was established according to the average daily live weight gain during the control fattening period (4.24%, P <0.01), the age of reaching a live weight of 100 kg (2.18%, P <0,01), fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae (8,45%, P <0,05), length of chilled carcass (2,26%, P <0,001), length of bacon half of chilled half carcass (3.36%, P <0.001) and selection index (SI) (18.92%, P