Zootechnical performances of young fattening boars implanted with either estradiol or estradiol + testosterone.
In experiments with young fattening boars, implanted at 50 kg with either oestradiol 17 beta (34 mg) (O group) or oestradiol 17 beta + testosterone (20 + 200 mg) (TO group) and fed the same amount of a protein rich diet, there was not any favourable effect on growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, carcass composition and protein retention, as calculated by carcass analysis of slaughter weight pigs and 50 kg live weight pigs. There were no differences in serum steroid concentrations between control and implanted boars, but there were differences in macroscopic and histological aspects of the gonads, which were significant between control and TO groups. These results were confirmed by the suppression in both treated groups of the androstenone concentration in backfat samples, steroid which is responsible for the sexual odour of the meat of boars.