Influencia del genotipo, sexo fetal y suplementación materna con hidroxitirosol sobre el desarrollo prenatal del cerdo ibérico

Abstract

The Iberian pig, which belongs to the Sus scrofa meridionalis or Mediterranean pig type, has been raised for centuries in extensive systems and as a consequence, it has developed a "thrifty" genotype that allows it to adapt to extreme climatic conditions and seasonal cycles of abundance and scarcity of food, typical of the southwest Iberian Peninsula. On the other hand, the breed's rusticity and the scarce genetic selection determine a lower efficiency of its productive parameters compared to other selected cosmopolitan breeds. However, in recent years, consumer demands for quality meat products has led to the intensification of Iberian pig production systems. Intensive systems increase the profitability of the production process, as they shorten production cycles and reduce the months of life to reach the minimum slaughter weight. However, there are marked differences in the efficiency of the production of the Iberian pig with respect to improved breeds, the most evident being the shorter precocity and longer duration of the production cycle in the Iberian pig...