Morphological and reproductive traits of Turopolje breeding sows: a preliminary evaluation.

Abstract

The Turopolje pig (TP) is an endangered Croatian autochthonous breed. This preliminary study aimed to determine the morphological and reproductive traits of TP breeding sows reared extensively in a traditional outdoor system. Body measurements were performed on a total of 40 sows, while reproductive data for 34 (out of 40) sows were collected from the available records in the TP breed Herdbook. The mean (±standard deviation) age and body weight of sows were 67.5±26.0 months and 96.6±18.4 kg, respectively. The mean height at withers and rumps were 65.2±2.8 cm and 68.4±2.9 cm, respectively, while the average chest girth was 111.2±10.4 cm. Average lengths of the body, head, ear and tail were 126.0±6.5 cm, 27.0±0.90 cm, 22.5±8.3 cm and 29.9±2.01 cm, respectively. The mean age at first farrowing was 23.3±5.7 months. The average number of piglets born alive was 4.47±1.96, of which 3.08±2.17 were weaned. It is concluded that the analysed population of TP breeding sows showed a typical morphology, with smaller body frame compared to modern breeds and generally low prolificacy. However, a high variability of reproductive traits indicates that improvements are possible, primarily through better management of sows.