Alentejano pig

Abstract

The present chapter presents the history and current status of Alentejano pig breed, a Portuguese autochthonous swine breed. A review of literature regarding reproductive and productive traits was carried out. Reproductive performance includes sow age at first parturition and at culling, litters per sow and per year, piglets born alive per litter, percentage of stillborn per litter, piglets birth weight, mortality rate until weaning, piglet weaned per litter, duration of lactation and farrowing interval. Growth performance includes average daily gain and average daily feed intake during lactation, early, middle and late growing stages and fattening stage. Carcass traits were evaluated using age and weight at slaughter, hot carcass weight, carcass yield, lean meat content, back fat thickness at withers and at the level of the last rib, muscle thickness at the cranial edge of gluteus medius muscle and loin eye area. Meat and fat quality traits of longissimus muscle were evaluated by means of pH at 45 min and 24 hours after slaughter, objective colour (CIE L*, a* and b*), intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat. However, a considerable number of studies on Alentejano pig, data on reproductive performance and some parameters of meat quality are still scarce.