Characterization of a non-industrial pig production system: the case of Bísaro breed

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the current production system of the Bísaro pig breed. Between February and April 2017, 194 questionnaires covering different aspects of the system were sent as a disclosed identity mail survey. A response rate of 31.4% was obtained. The typical Bísaro farmer is 46 years old, male, has five years of experience rearing pigs, and has a secondary or higher education degree. Piglets represented the majority of animals sold for slaughter (91.1%) and constituted 41.1% of total Bísaro meat produced with 343 tons. The majority of producers differentiate feed per production group (79.3%) and allow grazing (73.7%). Feeding is usually complemented with own-farm crops (94.7%). Traditional housing system remains the most common (52.6%), but free-range camping systems had a considerable expression (40.4%). All year-around farrowing system (91.2%) without heat detection (65.5%) and limited use of artificial insemination (12.5%) characterized the reproduction management. Males are commonly castrated at 29 days, before weaning at 35 days. Categorization of farms showed some significant differences: smallholders (n = 33) belonged to a single producer, had family-based work, and reproductive management was predominantly less strict; non-industrial medium-sized holdings (n = 26) operated as commercial-based farms with larger production, greater farm areas, and more advanced technology. Although the survey demonstrated variability within farms, Bísaro production system was characterized, and two different types of farms were identified. This study provided the tools needed to discuss and revise some management practices, mainly those that revealed noncompliance with EU regulations, to enhance consistency of Bísaro products.

Slaughter weight rather than sex affects carcass cuts and tissue composition of Bisaro pigs

“…In fact, Hocquette et al (2010) described that animals having a high muscularity with a high glycolytic activity display a reduced development of intramuscular fat. However, in the present study, the low marbling of Bisaro pigs may not be related to increased muscle conformation, as this was an unselected breed whose breeding programme is focused yet on improving the stock number of sows with unambiguous phenotypical traits (Paixão et al, 2018). To increase intramuscular fat content in the loin primal from Bisaro pork at light slaughter weights, additional strategies based on reduced dietary lysine and/or increased dietary energy content might be required, as shown elsewhere in other genetic types (Suárez-Belloch, Latorre, & Guada, 2016;Suarez-Belloch, Sanz, Joy, & Latorre, 2013).…”

“…At present, there is an increasing interest in Bisaro breed to produce premium pork meat products, with two types of carcasses being accepted within its protected designation origin (PDO), the suckling piglets with up to 12 kg of carcass weight and the pigs with > 60 kg of carcass weight (graded as < 50% lean content) (Official Journal of the European Union, 2007). Nowadays, approximately 6400 breeding sows are currently registered in the National Bísaro Pig Producer Association (Paixão, Esteves, & Payan-Carreira, 2018). The aim of this study was to determine the carcass cuts and tissue composition, as well as the development of tissues in the carcass of Bisaro pigs from two sexes (gilts and entire males).…”

Genetic parameters for reproductive, longevity and lifetime production traits in Bísaro pigs

“…Despite the growing tendency, the BP population is characterized by high inbreeding levels and low effective population size (Paixão et al, 2018a). Reproductive management is often neglected; heat detection is not commonly used, and only a few producers make use of artificial insemination as breeding method (Paixão et al, 2018b). Litter sizes are modest, with NBT around 9; sows are usually one year old at their first farrowing, and the FIT varies between 5 and 6.5 months (Outor-Monteiro et al, 1998;Silva, 2017).…”

“…Even considering the generally low heritabilities of most reproductive traits, the moderate variance components achieved in this study indicate that these traits might respond well to selection. In a period of time in which piglets represent the majority of the production (Paixão et al, 2018b) reproductive…”

Evaluation of gonadal macroscopic and microscopic morphometry reveals precocious puberty in Bísaro pig

“…This is especially important when it refers to surgical castration restrictions introduced by the Council Directive 2008/120/EC from December 2008, specifying that surgical castration of pigs shall only be performed with prolonged analgesia and/or anaesthesia. Comprising a large number of smallholders and free‐range farms (Paixao et al., 2018), Bísaro producers face many handling constraints to rear young animals up to 14 months of age for cured meat products. Rearing entire animals, with modified feedstuff or improved genetics to lower androstenone and skatole levels in the carcase and thus boar taint, could be pointed as an alternative to physical castration (Backus et al., 2016; Heyrman et al., 2018).…”