A meta-analysis was carried out to study performance and characteristics of carcass and meat in pigs in function of housing system during the growing/finishing period. Indexed publications with results of experiments comparing performance and post-slaughter variables of pigs housed in outdoor or conventional intensive systems were selected. In total, 2.985 animals and 701 averages were considered in the data analysis. Meta-analysis followed two sequential analyses: graphic and variance. The outdoor productive system increased in 9% (P<0.05) feed intake, reduced in 2% (P<0.01) daily weight gain and worsened in 3% (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio of pigs in comparison to animals in the confined system. Characteristics of carcass (hot carcass weight, yield, backfat thickness and lean meat percentage) and Longissimus dorsi meat (drip and cooking loss, pH, the initial temperature, shear force, marbling, hardness, juiciness and tenderness) were not affected (P>0.05) by the housing system. It is concluded that the housing system influences the pig performance, but does not interfere in characteristics of carcass and meat.
alternative housing; carcass; meta-analysis; growing and finishing performance; productive system
