The influence of endoparasites on selected production parameters in pigs in various housing systems

- Combating parasitological infections on farms is limited to invasion threat minimization.
- Productivity improvement leads to parasitism result alleviation.
- Parasitism alleviation affects profitability in pig breeding and husbandry.
- Parasitic invasions cause deterioration in some slaughter and fattening parameters.

The aim of the study was to determine the level of lean meat content and daily gains of 400 fatteners infected by endoparasites and kept in two systems (shallow and deep litter). Slaughter evaluation of the pigs was conducted according to the EUROP carcass classification.In order to evaluate the average daily gains (g) during finishing period, body weights were investigated twice: at the beginning and at the end of the finishing period.The housing system affected the presence of Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum spp. Infestation was found to be higher on shallow than on deep litter, and it significantly affected selected fattening and slaughter parameters of the fatteners. Infected animals were characterized by gains approximately 60 g lower than those of uninfected ones, while meatiness was higher in fatteners which were not infected at the end of the fattening period compared to animals with parasites (55.2% vs. 52.0%).