MORPHOLOGICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF TUROPOLJE PIG BREEDING SOWS

: Turopolje pig (TP) is a native Croatian breed, created during the early middle ages in Turopolje region in Central Croatia. It is a medium-sized, primitive, fatty-type breed. Due to their modest rearing requirements, its resistance and good adaptation to local marsh meadows and oak forests, the TP breed has been an important food source for the local population for centuries. However, the rapid penetration of imported lean pigs in the second half of the 20th century, as well as the ban of forest grazing, significantly reduced the interest in this breed. The result was a drastic decrease in the population size. Currently, despite the state support, TP breed is still endangered, with a population of only 132 sows and 30 boars kept in 16 farms. Hence, a new strategy is needed for renewing the TP breed, based on purebred animals, which should be preserved as a resource for local livestock production and sustainable development. Unfortunately, few recent data on the morphological and reproductive traits of TP are available. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine these traits on TP breeding sows (n=40) reared in a traditional outdoor system on a farm with the largest single herd of TP. The mean (±st. dev.) age (months) and body weight (kg) of sows were 67.5±26.0 and 96.6±18.4, respectively. Height at withers and rumps, chest girth, body, head, ear and tail lengths were 65.2±2.8, 68.4±2.9, 111.2±10.4, 126.0±5.2, 27.0±0.90, 22.5±8.3 and 29.9±2.01 cm, respectively. The average number of piglets born alive was 4.47±1.96, of which 3.08±2.17 were weaned. The age at first farrowing was 22.1±7.9 months. Data were collected within H2020 project TREASURE *.