Analytical Review of Productive Performance of Local Pig Breeds

Chapter 22

Abstract

meat quality

1. Introduction

vidual chapter of each breed.

2. Material and methods

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Analytical Review of Productive

Performance of Local Pig Breeds

Traits of interest concerning reproductive performance, growth performance, carcass and meat quality of local pig breeds involved in H2020 project TREASURE were collected from the available literature, unpublished data available to partners or results recorded in the experiments within the project. The survey revealed great variability in the availability and quality of information. Reproductive performance of local pig breeds is lower than in conventional modern pig breeds, not only due to their genetic background but also due to the management. Data on growth rates reflect the heterogeneity of different production systems and feeding regimes used. The growth potential of the majority of local pig breeds is not well exploited, and their nutritional requirements are not known. Generally, local pig breeds show low

muscular development and high potential for fat tissue deposition and are

Keywords: local pig breeds, reproductive traits, growth rate, carcass traits,

slaughtered at older age and weight, which results in higher intramuscular fat and more intense colour of meat. However, considerable differences exist between them and their potentials, not only in their production systems. For many local pig breeds studied in the project, the collected information provides the first in-depth overview of their productive performance in their preserved, present-day phenotype.

Data on phenotypic traits of local pig breeds involved in the project TREASURE were collected to perform multi-criteria evaluation and comparative analysis of the breeds. As the aim was to assess the present-day phenotype, not the historical data existing on the breed, only the recent studies (up to 20 years) were considered. Selected traits of reproduction and growth performance, as well as carcass and meat quality traits, were analysed. The individual data considered in the analysis and the list of references from which the data were extracted are documented in the indi-

Data on productive traits (see Chapters 2–20) were collected either from the available literature (articles, theses, congress proceedings), unpublished data

Marjeta Čandek-Potokar, Nina Batorek Lukač,

Urška Tomažin, Martin Škrlep and Rosa Nieto

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