Carcass weight, condition and reproduction of wild boar harvested in north‐western Poland

Abstract

Wild boar were studied in the Gryfino-Mysliborz region of Poland where high-density populations inflict great damage to farmlands. The reproductive tracts from carcasses bagged during the 2008/2009 hunting season were analysed for numbers of corpora lutea and embryos. The objective was to determine the reproduction rate in a wild boar population having access to high-protein food in cereal monocultures. Among the wild boar harvested (n = 165), 35.8% were piglets, 53.9% were yearlings and 10.3% were older boar. Among the 105 females examined, 60.9% did not reproduce. The presence of corpora lutea was found in 22.9% of females, whereas 16.2% of females had embryos. In piglets, 11.5% of females had corpora lutea and embryos. These proportions were higher in yearlings (41.1%) and in older females (45.4%). The average number was 6.3 of corpora lutea per ovulating female, with an average litter size of 5.9 embryos. The farrowing period was found to last from December to August. The proportion of piglets in the harvest quota must be increased to prevent these animals from boosting reproduction. Offering high-protein fodder in baiting stations and feeding sites should be banned.