Forest Coalpit Farm Project Introduction: What effect do different diets have on pork quality?

Site: Forest Coalpit Farm, Abergavenny

Technical Officer: Dafydd Owen

Project Title: What effect do different diets have on pork quality?

 

Project Introduction:

The quality of pork is very important to Kyle Holford and Lauren Smith, who run their own 20-sow farrow to finish herd of their own breed of ‘Welsh Black’ (Large Black x Duroc) pigs on pasture and woodlands on their farm in the Brecon Beacons. They butcher and sell their produce directly to customers in pork boxes and also supply award winning restaurants and butchers. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, their pork is mainly sold via boxes and butchers.

With an increase in farmers selling produce direct to the consumer, it is fundamental that the quality of the product sold is of the highest standard. This project looks to address the increasing desire from consumers to see quality and traceability in their produce, particularly towards more sustainable production methods by analysing and comparing pork quality from two treatment groups: one group reared on a combination of forage and concentrates and the other on concentrates only. The cost and productivity of both diets will also be compared.

 

Aim of the project:

The key objective is to identify the impact of diet on the quality of the pork produced. 

As consumer attitudes are changing, and eight out of ten consumers are now likely to check the origin of their food, having a profile of the pork and knowing the effects different diets can have on the quality could add value to the product and provide pig producers with another unique selling point. The chemical analysis of the pork could be useful for advertising potential health benefits or detriments of one treatment compared to the other. Findings from this project could provide a useful source of information for other pig producers which are considering or already rearing/breeding pigs in a similar manner. 
In addition to improving the pigs’ quality of life, extensive outdoor rearing/breeding of pigs on grassland can have significant environmental and economic impacts on the farm which include:

  • reduced feed costs
  • reduced energy costs (electricity, water etc.)
  • promotion of natural regeneration by foraging in a way that causes soil disturbance and creates seedbeds. 

What will be done:

A total of 18 gilts will be split into two groups, three months before their slaughter date.

The mothers of the gilts will be sisters and all gilts will be from the same boar to reduce sire effect.

One group will be on bare earth (no grassland growth) and the other will be on grassland.

There will be four pens (all roughly 0.1 hectare (ha) in size), two with grassland and two without. Both groups will have two pens and will rotate between both every two weeks.  

The grassland paddocks contain ryegrasses, clover, sainfoin, chicory, kale and forage rape.

From 12 weeks, all pigs (in both groups) will be given 1.8kg of concentrates per day. 

Each pig will be weighed every two weeks to monitor daily liveweight gain and to compare performance from different diets. In addition to this, grass consumption will be measured to calculate the dry matter (DM) consumption/grazed per pig.
Following slaughter at the end of August, half a loin from each individual pig will be sent for analysis. Each sample collected will be labelled and will be traceable to each individual pig.

Working in conjunction with Caroline Mitchell from FQM Global and the ‘Food Technology Centre’ in Llangefni, the joint project with Menter Moch Cymru will undertake assessments that include: 

  • Warner Bratzler shear force
  • EZ-Drip loss
  • CEILAB colour scoring
  • NPPC (USDA) colour and marbling score
  • NIR assessment (which will provide a fat, protein and moisture content amongst other values).

A detailed report following the assessments will allow us to see and understand the effect each diet has on the quality of the pork.

 

What information will be recorded:

  • Daily liveweight gain
  • Dry matter (DM) consumption/grazed per pig
  • Shear force 
  • NIRS assessed moisture, ash, fat alcohol extraction, hydroxyproline, collagen
  • NIRS assessed Fatty Acid Profile
  • Drip loss
  • Colour score

Who will be recording and over what timescale:

All on-farm data will be collected by both the farmer and Dafydd Owen. All other data will be collected by the Food Technology Centre and Caroline Mitchell, FQM Global.

 

How will the data be analysed?

The on-farm data will be will be recorded, analysed and sorted on spreadsheets. 

The data from the lab tests will be analysed and included in a report by the Food Technology Centre and Caroline Mitchell, FQM Global.