Fattening of large white, local Samoan and crossbred pigs

Large White, local Samoan and Large White X local Samoan crossbred pigs were fattened under 3 different systems of management. Under the first, simulating village conditions, pigs were fenced in a grass paddock and fed copra and scraps. The crossbreds grew significantly faster than Large White and local Samoan pigs. In the second system where a 30% crude protein supplement was fed in addition to feedstuffs from village resources there were no significant differences in production characteristics between the various types of pigs. The growth rate of all groups of pigs still lagged behind the growth rate of Large White and crossbred pigs in the third system fed a complete balanced diet. Under commercial management local Samoan pigs grew more slowly and had a higher feed conversion than Large White and crossbred pigs.