Individual-level raw data on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, fatty acid profile, oxidative status, and welfare indicators of pigs reared under different space allowances in commercial production systems

This dataset contains individual-level raw data generated in a study evaluating the effects of different space allowances on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid profile, oxidative balance, and welfare indicators in fattening pigs. Two experiments were conducted on commercial pig farms in Poland in 2023. Experiment 1 involved 102 DanBred pigs (44 gilts and 58 castrated males) with an initial body weight of approximately 31 kg. Experiment 2 involved 80 crossbred pigs [(Polish Large White × Polish Landrace) × (Duroc × Pietrain)] with an initial body weight of approximately 25.3 kg. Animals were assigned to three housing density treatments: CON – 1.0 m²/pig (current EU minimum requirement) G1 – 1.5 m²/pig G2 – 2.0 m²/pig Experiment 1 lasted 80 days and was divided into three fattening phases (23, 30, and 27 days). Experiment 2 lasted 87 days and consisted of grower (48 days) and finisher (39 days) phases. Individual body weight was recorded after each fattening phase to calculate average daily gain (ADG). For detailed carcass and meat quality analysis, 14 pigs per group (7 females and 7 males) were selected in each experiment, resulting in 84 animals in total (42 per experiment). The dataset includes raw measurements of: • growth performance (body weight, average daily gain) • carcass characteristics (carcass weight, dressing yield, meatiness, loin thickness, backfat thickness) • meat quality parameters measured in musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum • physicochemical properties of meat (pH, water-holding capacity, colour parameters, cooking loss, thaw loss) • texture parameters (Warner–Bratzler shear force and shear energy) • proximate composition of meat (moisture, protein, fat) • fatty acid composition and lipid quality indices (atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index) • oxidative status parameters in blood and liver (MDA, FRAP, GSH, CAT, SOD) • immunological parameters (IgA, IgG, IgM) • welfare assessment scores obtained using the mEATquality animal welfare protocol. Fatty acid methyl esters were analysed using gas chromatography (GC-FID). Oxidative status parameters were determined spectrophotometrically. Immunoglobulins were quantified using ELISA kits. All values provided in this dataset represent raw measurements obtained from individual animals or biological samples unless otherwise specified. Experimental procedures complied with EU Directive 2010/63/EU and the guidelines of the Local Ethical Committee for Experiments on Animals in Poznań. These data support a research manuscript currently under preparation / review.