Ethnic -Zootechnic characterization and meat potential of Sus scrofa “creole Pig” in Latin America.

Abstract

Resumen El objetivo de la presente revisión científica fue sistematizar información bibliográfica actualizada, concerniente a los aspectos genéticos, morfológicos, zootécnicos y potencial carnicero de los cerdos criollos de Latinoamérica encontró una población de 73 millones de cerdos criollos en Latinoamérica, la mayoría de ellos criados bajo sistemas de producción extensivos, semiextensivos y agro pastoriles. Dado su origen europeo, la adaptación a los diferentes ecosistemas del continente y la introducción de razas ha devenido en una gran diversidad de cerdos criollos, lo que ha dado origen al aumento de variabilidad genética de los cerdos criollos latinos beneficiando su rusticidad, que involucra una mayor eficiencia del sistema inmunológico. De la misma manera, su calidad de omnívoro le permitió una buena adaptación a regímenes alimentarios variados. Los cerdos criollos manifiestan un comportamiento reproductivo aceptable, tomando como referencia los indicadores de producción intensiva, precocidad sexual y alta viabilidad de los lechones al destete; sin embargo, su crecimiento es lento y su periodo de lactancia es largo. Con respecto a la calidad de sus cortes cárnicos, tomando en cuenta criterios subjetivos como la terneza y el valor nutricional, el cerdo criollo tiene mayor valor económico aventajando a los cerdos hipermagros.

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

“…Moreover, although Uruguayan heritage breed pigs have poor productive and reproductive indicators compared with more commercial pigs [74], their adaptation to the consumption of grazed forage and other foodstuffs available in the area represents a viable alternative to reduce feeding costs, therefore improving profit margins [75,76]. Furthermore, it has been shown that feeding with grazed forage can improve feed conversion ratios [76], that outdoor production systems (with pasture) generally require less investment in facilities [50], and that there is less dependence on external resources than indoor systems, which promotes system resilience [77].…”

On the origins of American Criollo pigs: A common genetic background with a lasting Iberian signature

“…The first domestic swine arriving in the American continent came from the Canary Islands, in the second voyage of Columbus in 1493 [1]. Over a period of expansion and adaptation to local conditions, pigs arriving from the Iberian Peninsula reproduced in large numbers and rapidly expanded throughout the continent [2][3][4]. As happened with other livestock species in the Americas, the descendants of pigs of Iberian ancestry are known as "Creole" or "Criollos" [5,6], and they include a wide variety of populations with different phenotypic characteristics and adapted to an enormous variety of environments and production systems, spreading from the United States to Argentina, and from tropical climates to nearly desert conditions [7].…”

Sexual Allometric Monomorphism in Araucan Pig from Colombia: Preliminary Results

“…Iberoamerica has a great number of animals completely adapted to local conditions whose production is sustainable and ecological in all its phases, and whose product has a high nutritional value [ 11 ]. Known as “Creoles”, the pigs were not introduced to Colombia until the 16th century [ 9 , 12 ].…”

“…Known as “Creoles”, the pigs were not introduced to Colombia until the 16th century [ 9 , 12 ]. There they underwent hundreds of years of natural selection on the basis of adaptation to local environmental characteristics [ 13 , 14 ], which included survival and reproduction in geographical areas of tropical climates [ 11 ].…”

“…Over the past few decades, awareness has been raised about the importance of preserving animal genetic resources, although research initiatives are not yet totally widespread to most of the American continent [ 11 , 15 ]. This study aimed to evaluate the allometric growth of the Araucan pig breed, a local Colombian breed, in relation to different quantitative traits and considering genders separately.…”