Studies on native pigs of China, 1: Managements of Meishan pigs

1995

Nanjo, I.; Kobayashi, K.; Yoshida, S.; Kakei, S.

The following information were obtained through feeding and the reproduction of Meishan pigs and raising their piglets. 1. the external characteristics of Meishan pigs include a thin black skin, which is deeply wrinkled and with sparse hair; large hanging earlobes; thin breadth of the back, loin and ham and an inclined rump which is not sufficiently thick. The boars weigh about 170 kg while the sows are about 150 kg. Their nature is mild. 2. The feeding of green leafy vegetables is not necessarily indispensable; it was found that formula feed is adequate enough for breeding stocks. 3. As to disease resistance, some piglets had a dry cough, indicating pneumonia. This was confirmed by anatomical examinations. 4. Maturation was extremely rapid, as was shown by the fact that the two female pigs which farrowed soon after their introduction were both only a little over four months old. 5. Estrous signs were every clear. 6. Without risk of suffocation of piglets by sows, no delivery fences were needed. 7. A sow farrowed an average of 10.1 to 15.9 piglets, of which live piglets were 8.7 to 14.4, respectively. However, a low viability was observed in a sow named Yang-kuei-fei, where 40.8% of her piglet were born dead. 8. Average weight at birth was 1.0 kg for pure-bred piglets of Meishan pig, where even the lightest piglets, 0.38 kg in weight, survived. This average birth weight was also observed in piglets of the hybrid Meishan(female) x Jinhau(male), but the same the hybrid Meishan(female) x Landrace(male) piglets were heavier by about 15% at birth. 9. The recurrence of estrus after weaning was from 4.5 +- 0.7 to 10.2 +- 2.8 days and was;highly variable among individuals. The heat period was between 1.9 +- 0.6 to 2.2 +- 0.9 days and the gestation period was 112.7 +- 1.2 to 115.6 +- 1.6 days

[Science Reports of Faculty of Agriculture - Kobe University (Japan)]

1997/JP/JP1997_0.rdf