REPRODUCTIVE PARAMETERS OF THE ECOLOGICALLY EXPLOITED SOWS

The utilisation rate of the pastured sows is 2.16 births per year, prolificacy is 10.80, and the number of weaned piglets is 9.6, a higher percentage of losses in the first days compared with intensive exploitations being recorded. The sows’ fertility varied depending on the sows’ age, first time births recording a fertility percentage of 86.0% and those having multiple births recorded 75.3%. The appearance of post partum hogging after a feeding period of 6 weeks has manifested in 85.3% of the first time births and 88.4% in second time births, and 4.2% respectively 3.7% at the second period.