Forage Consumption and Its Effects on the Performance of Growing Swine—Discussed in Relation to European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) in Semi-Extensive Systems: A Review

Outdoor-reared European wild boar (Sus Scrofa L.) is regarded as a delicacy by consumers due to its favourable meat properties and an association with high welfare standards. The rearing of wild boar on pasture has the potential to minimise input costs relative to conventional production systems. However, some pasture production systems have been found to perform poorly due to low growth rates. This review collates the available scientific evidence on pasture-based production of wild boar and domestic pigs, to identify factors that influence feed intake, performance, and behaviour. Factors explored include season/weather, dietary supplementation, grazing management, forage availability, herbage quality, and sward type. For example, the additional feed availability associated with pasture grazing has been shown to be a significant factor that positively correlates with dry matter intake of wild boar. This has been demonstrated to result in better feed conversion efficiency and reduced feed costs without reductions in growth rates compared to animals without access to pasture. Furthermore, the increased availability of favoured species in pasture may also promote dry matter intake. The long-term sustainability of wild boar production is dependent on the economic, social, and environmental viability of the systems. Pasture-based production systems may be one way by which this can be achieved, but only if implemented correctly