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

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.