-5- INTRODUCTION The meat production from buffalo, sheep and goat is unlikely to keep pace with increase in population because of low prolificacy and a high generation interval. The expected increase in meat consumption can thus be met mainly by increase in pork and chicken production. Among the meat producing livestock, pig is the only litter bearing animal having the shortest generation interval and faster growth rate. The growth potential of exotic breeds of pig is higher than the country pigs. No organized efforts were made to improve pig production in India before 1950s. Number of exotic pig farms has been developed at different pockets of the country through Piggery Development Scheme (P.D.S.) from 2 nd Five Year Plan onwards. Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pigs were introduced in different pig breeding farms. Bulk of literatures are available on the carcass evaluation of exotic breeds of pigs in other countries, but only limited information about the performance of exotic pigs under Indian condition are available. Hence the Effect of Age on Slaughter Performance of Large White Yorkshire Pigs ABSTRACT To see the effect of age on slaughter performance, a study was conducted on 36 Large White Yorkshire pigs by dividing the animals in six groups (viz. 180-230 days, 230-280 days, 280-330 days, 330-380 days, 380-430 days and 430-480 days) having 8,6,6,4,6 and 6 animals respectively in the groups. Hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, chilled carcass weight, carcass length, loin eye area, back fat thickness, ham weight, shoulder weight and loin weight increased significantly (P<0.01) while shoulder percentage (P<0.01), ham percentage (P<0.01), loin percentage (P<0.05) and head percentage (P<0.01) decreased with the increase in slaughter age in LWY pigs. Key words: Age, slaughter performance, Large White Yorkshire pigs. * Corresponding author: e-mail: lptsubhasish@yahoo.co.in * Part of M.V.Sc. thesis submitted by the first author to West Bengal University Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal. present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of age on the slaughter performance of Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pigs. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted in the Department of Livestock Products Technology, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences at Regional Pig Breeding Station-Cum-Bacon Factory, Haringhata, West Bengal on 36 LWY pigs. The pigs were raised under intensive system of management and were provided with similar housing, feeding and managemental care. The effect of slaughter age on slaughter performance was studied by dividing the LWY pigs in six groups (viz. 180-230 days, 230-280 days, 280-330 days, 330-380 days, 380-430 days and 430-480 days) having 8,6,6,4,6 and 6 animals, respectively in the groups. The animals were brought to the slaughter house the day before slaughter. Overnight fasting and ad libitum water was provided to enhance the carcass quality. The pigs were slaughtered, dressed, eviscerated and split as per the method described by Ziegler (1968) with certain modifications. After slaughter, weight of hot carcass (HCW), head, heart, liver (without the gall bladder), kidney, spleen, lung J.Meat Sci., 2011, 7(1) : 5-8 Research Paper Anupam Khan, Dipanwita Patra, Sudip Kumar Das, Gopal Patra and Subhashis Biswas * Department of Livestock Products Technology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, 37 K.B.Sarani, Kolkata, 700037