Limits in extensive swine husbandry – a case study of Turopolje pig production system in Croatia

Abstract

Turopolje pig production system could be define as an extensive swine production system in which large areas of pasture and woodland are used (more than 3 ha/pig) with low investment in housing and feeding. The aim of this paper was to analyze the state in Turopolje pig population in relation to reproductive traits and brucellosis outbreaks. The obtained results showed the slow increase of breeding (12 vs. 138 sows and 3 vs. 18 boars) and effective population (9.6 vs. 63.7) from 1996 to 2009, respectively. As main reasons fore that state were detected low farowing index (1.0 to 1.33), small litter size (4.44 and 4.21 total born and born alive piglets, respectively), high mortality of piglets in suckling period (up to 35%) and consequently low number of weaned piglets per sow per year (4.45) as well as brucellosis outbreaks (44.16 % and 30.12 % serologically positive blood samples in year 2008 and 2009, respectively). In order to changes of that state urgent development of health management program and improving in production system (housing, feed supplementation, keeping area) are needed.