Study on the behaviour of Cinta Senese and Large White x Cinta Senese pigs reared at pasture

In the last year, outdoor rearing system of pig has become more popular due to benefits in relation to animal welfare and a high acceptance by customers but, also, for economic management and higher quality of product. Understanding of the behaviour of traditional breeds on extensive environment is crucial both for knowledge of foraging strategies linked to a sustainable use of natural resources and for reduction of environmental risk linked to species-specific behaviour. In this research the native purebreed Cinta Senese and its crossbreed with Large White farmed in a natural rearing system in Tuscany have been considered. The aim is the study of feeding and dynamic behaviour of pigs of the two genetic types during diurnal times through all the season of one year. In situ direct observations were conducted on a total of 76 growing-fattening pigs during daylight hours and repeated for 3-5 consecutive days in every season. Animals behaviour was recorded by "scan sampling" at 20 minute intervals by a team of four observers, previously trained for observation under field conditions. Also environmental temperature was recorded at the same time interval. The punctual observations were grouped into three daylight slots (morning, middle day and afternoon), to obtain the relative frequencies of the main activities within each diurnal time. Data were subjected to ANOVA with the proc. GLM of SAS using breed, daylight slot and season (and relative interactions) as discrete effects and temperature as continuous variable. Both genotypes spent about 70% of the daylight hours in total feeding, but the growing temperature (from 7° to 29°C) determined a linearly decrease of this activity. Pigs showed greater interest on food in the afternoon, especially in grass feeding with significant differences respect to the morning when animals appeared less involved in active behaviours. Animals were more interested in feeding in autumn and spring when they demonstrated, also, an intense rooting activity respect to other months. During summer, pigs showed greater propensity to rest respect to all other seasons (p<0.05). Furthermore, Cinta Senese pigs in summer dedicated less time to the food research respect to the other genotype (44% vs 80%; p= 0.001). The results showed that pigs had the opportunity to express for many time feeding specific behaviours, but purebred Cinta Senese seems more affected by environment effect and by resources availability of extensive system.