Evaluation of the carcass and non-carcass components of collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) fed diets containing palm kernel cake.

The objective was to study characteristics of the carcass and non-carcass body components of collared peccaries fed diets including palm kernel cake (PKC). The effects of increasing dietary levels of PKC inclusion, 0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5%, in diets based on maize grain and wheat middlings were analyzed. Twenty experimental pens (12m2), were used to house pairs of male collared peccaries during the finishing phase. Each pen constituted an experimental unit. Under a randomized block design the treatments were randomly assigned to animals blocked according to weight and age. At conclusion of the nutrition experiment the animals were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir for swine. For the respective treatments including from 0 to 22.5% PKC, dressed carcass yield was 58.37, 58.43, 56.78, and 60.42%, while yield of ham as a proportion of the left half carcass was 29.65, 32.08, 31.16, and 29.83%, with no significant difference (P > 0.05). Neither were effects of PKC levels found for liveweight, fasted weight, warm carcass weight, carcass length, and weight of blood, head, skin, organs, fat and three commercial cuts. The results indicate that inclusion of up to 22.5% of PKC in diets for collared peccaries had no detrimental effect on animal performance or carcass characteristics.