Chapters authored
Introductory Chapter: Concept and Ambition of Project TREASURE
Part of the book: European Local Pig Breeds - Diversity and Performance
Nero Casertano Pig
The present chapter aims to present the history, current status and information of Nero Casertano pig breed investigated in the project TREASURE. As for most of the other Italian local pig breed conservation program started in 2001 and in 2015, 20 farms of Nero Casertano pigs with about 545 breeding sows and 20 boars were registered. The average age of sows at the first parturition is 16 months, whereas age at culling is 59 months. On average Nero Casertano pigs have 1.2 litters per year with 7.6 piglets. The farrowing interval (305 days on average) is prolonged compared to modern pig breeds. The fattening phase of Nero Casertano pigs is generally characterised by slower growth, and the animals were slaughtered at around 375 days of age, with an average live weight of 154 kg and a dressing yield of 81%. The breed is characterised by a high level of backfat thickness. The breed is traditionally raised with the semi-extensive system, and the most recognised trait of the Nero Casertano pig is the ‘marbling’ of the meat. This current review provides a comprehensive insight into the information for this local pig breed.
Part of the book: European Local Pig Breeds - Diversity and Performance
Apulo-Calabrese Pig
The aim of the present chapter is to present history and current status of Apulo-Calabrese pig breed, one of the local pig breeds investigated in the project TREASURE. Apulo-Calabrese breed is one of the Italian autochthonous pig breeds. Its origin dates back to the Roman times, but it suffered a drastic decline during the past century and the recovery started in the 1990s. A herd book for this breed was established in 2001, but its performances and products are practically untapped. There are 45 registered farms with around 500 breeding sows and 100 boars. Apulo-Calabrese pig is characterised by black coat colour. On average sows of Apulo-Calabrese pig breed have 1.7 litters per year with 6.9 piglets. Regarding growth performances, the potential of Apulo-Calabrese pigs in ad libitum conditions of feeding is high (≈762 g/day in middle fattening stage) although information on feed intake and feed nutritional value was scarce, which limits the evaluation of growth potential. Data on body composition, carcass traits and meat and fat quality are scarce. The present review gives a first insight into this local pig breed.
Part of the book: European Local Pig Breeds - Diversity and Performance
Sarda Pig
Sarda pig breed (a.k.a. Suino Sardo) is a local breed from Sardinia Island (Italy) with its ancestors dating back to the Nuragic period. It is the most recent breed interested by a conservation programme among the six Italian autochthonous pig breeds investigated by the H2020 project TREASURE and could be considered untapped in terms of information on its performances and products. Thirteen farms were registered at the last census (2015) including sixty-one breeding sows and twenty boars. It is a small size breed with black, grey, tawny or spotted coat colour. On average, age at parturition is 15.7 months, with 1.6 litters per year and 7.8 piglets per parity. Average piglet mortality is rather high in the considered studies (16.1%). The average daily gain for Sarda pig within the considered studies was 423 g/day. On average, daily feed intake in the overall fattening stage was 2.3 kg/day. Sarda pigs were slaughtered at approximately 686 days of age, at an average live weight of 193 kg. Sporadic information is available for meat quality traits. Although studies on Sarda pig are scarce, the current review gives the first insight into this local pig breed.
Part of the book: European Local Pig Breeds - Diversity and Performance
Nero Siciliano Pig
Origins of Nero Siciliano pig date to Carthaginian domination and its rearing, after a setback during the Arab period, was rather diffused throughout Sicily. Breed rearing is nowadays limited from the farmed area to the wooded hills of north-eastern Sicily. The latest available status (2015) reported 87 registered farms with about 1100 breeding sows and 124 boars enrolled in the herdbook started in 2001, as well as the conservation programme. Coat colour is mainly black but white face and wattles are accepted. Nero Siciliano pigs have on average 7.6 piglets of 1.4 kg live body weight and the average daily gain during fattening period was on average 346 g/day for the overall fattening stage. Slaughter age of Nero Siciliano breed was on average 390 days, at an average live weight of 95 kg. Average intramuscular fat content was 4.6% and as regards fatty acid composition, average values obtained for SFA, MUFA and PUFA were 37.5, 54.2 and 8.3% in longissimus muscle and 39.0, 49.4 and 11.7% in back fat tissue, respectively. This review gives an exhaustive review of the information available for this local Italian breed.
Part of the book: European Local Pig Breeds - Diversity and Performance
Mora Romagnola Pig
View all chaptersMora Romagnola breed, one of the Italian local pig breeds, owes its name to its colour, dark brown tending to black. Currently 31 farms are registered in the herdbook started in 2001 with about 270 breeding females and 67 boars. During the 1990s, only 18 animals were left, all concentrated in one single farm. The breed was investigated within the H2020 project TREASURE, and a collection and review of available literature data on reproductive and productive traits of Mora Romagnola pig breed were carried out. The average age of sows at first parturition was 22 months, whereas age at culling was 58 months. On average, Mora Romagnola pig breed has 8.0 piglets per parity with 1.4 parities per year. Slaughter weight was on average 163 kg with a dressing yield of 80%. Few information is available for meat quality traits. Although studies on Mora Romagnola pig are scarce, the current review gives the first insight into this local pig breed.
Part of the book: European Local Pig Breeds - Diversity and Performance