Body and carcass measurements and organ weights of Lithuanian indigenous pigs and their wild boar hybrids

Abstract

With the aim to investigate a possibility of supporting conservation of Lithuanian indigenous pigs (LIW) their external body and carcass measurements were compared with their wild boar (WB) hybrids to see whether crossing can improve the quality of pork, which in purebreds is inferior to other breeds. Depending on the proportion of WB in the crosses (1/4 or 1/2) purebred pigs were respectively 3.2 cm and 4.3 cm shorter at withers (P<0.05). Correspondingly, hind feet in 1/4 WB and 1/2 WB genotypes were 1.8 cm and 2.2 cm longer (P<0.05) whereas ear length was shorter by 1.9 cm and 3.0 cm (P<0.05) in the hybrid pigs. LIW pigs tended to have longer body and shorter snouts than hybrids (0.05<P<0.10). The body shape of hybrid pigs was more rounded than body of purebred pigs but only pigs from 1/2 WB genotype had larger body circumference. Weights of head, feet, leaf fat and organs including heart, spleen, lungs were higher but the size of the gastro-intestinal tract was smaller in hybrids than in LIW. Crossing of LIW pigs with WB decreased carcass length but increased backfat thickness in 1/2 WB genotype (P<0.05). The gender effect was less pronounced at the studied range of ages. The main benefit of crossing, though statistically insignificant, was the increase of rib eye area in hybrid genotypes with increasing WB proportion.