The intestinal microbiota is required for maintaining the development and health of the host. However, the gut microbiota contributing to the regulation of the growth performance and health of Duroc and Yorkshire boars remains largely unknown. In this study, we first evaluated the difference in the growth performance between Duroc and Yorkshire boars when their body weight reached 100 kg. Relative to Duroc boars, Yorkshire boars weighed 100 kg at a younger age and exhibited a significantly lower backfat thickness and eye muscle area. Microbial analysis of the fecal samples revealed a marked difference in gut microbiota composition between the two pig models and remarkably increased α-diversity in Yorkshire boars compared to Duroc boars. Further analysis indicated that Bacteroidota, Prevotellaceae, and Ruminococcaceae might be associated with the growth performance and lean meat rate of Yorkshire boars. Taken together, these results highlight that Yorkshire boars exhibit a faster growth rate and higher lean meat rate compared to Duroc boars, and these differences may be attributed to the influence of the gut microbiota, thereby providing valuable insight into optimizing pig breeding systems and selecting terminal paternal sires to enhance overall productivity and quality.
Keywords: boar; breed; growth performance; gut microbiota.