Українська версія | English version
Interinstitutional Thematic Scientific Collection PIG BREEDING

and agroindustrial production

ASSESSMENT OF ADAPTIVE CAPACITY IN DIFFERENT PIG BREEDS BASED ON FEEDING BEHAVIOR PARAMETERS


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UDC: 636.4.082.13:591.512.12:636.084.1

DOI: 10.37143/2786-7730-2026-7(85)7

REFERENCIS АРА style:Yaroshchuk, D., Lykhach, A., & Lykhach, V. (2026). Assessment of adaptive capacity in different pig breeds based on feeding behavior parameters. Svynarstvo i Ahropromyslove Vyrobnytstvo [Pig Breeding and Agroindustrial Production]. Poltava, 7(85), 82–97 [in Ukrainіаn].10.37143/2786-7730-2026-7(85)7

D. Yaroshchuk,higher education candidate for the scientific degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Applied Biology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Aquatic Bioresources, National University of Life Resources and Environmental Management of Ukraine
ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-6730
E-mail:vylykhach80@nubip.edu.ua
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 19 Horikhuvatskyi shliakh, Kyiv, 03041, Ukrainе
V. Ya. Lykhachdoctor of agricultural sciences, professor, head of the department of technologies in poultry farming, pig and sheep farming,
ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-6730
E-mail:vylykhach80@nubip.edu.ua
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Horikhuvatskyi Shliach Str., 19, Kyiv, Ukraine, 03041
A. V. Lykhachdoctor of agricultural sciences, professor, professor of the department of animal biology,
ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0472-6162
E-mail:avlykhach@nubip.edu.ua
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 19 Horikhuvatskyi shliakh, Kyiv, 03041, Ukrainе

Manuscript was received/ 30.03.2026

Received after review/ 15.04.2026

Accepted for printing/ 22.06.2026

Available online/ 30.06.2026

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to combine productive and ethological approaches to animal evaluation in modern pig production, where production efficiency is increasingly associated not only with the genetic potential of animals but also with their ability to adapt to technological environmental conditions. The aim of the study was to assess the adaptive capacity of Large White, Landrace, and Duroc pigs using feeding behavior parameters, in particular the number of daily feeding events and the number of daily visits to the feeder. Methods. Experimental studies were carried out in 2023–2024 at the agricultural production cooperative “Mig-Servis-Agro” in the Mykolaiv region on 30 growing-finishing pigs of different breeds. The animals were kept under identical technological conditions, with dry ad libitum feeding, using hopper self-feeders and automatic nipple drinkers. Behavioral acts were recorded by continuous 24-hour video monitoring followed by time-budget analysis during the control periods of fattening on days 77, 92, 102, 127, 152, and 165. Statistical processing of the results was performed using two-way analysis of variance with evaluation of the effects of breed, fattening day, and their interaction. Results. It was established that the number of daily feeding events was a relatively stable indicator of feeding behavior and did not undergo statistically significant changes under the influence of breed, fattening day, or the interaction of these factors. This indicates a strong dependence of this trait on standardized feeding and housing conditions. At the same time, a pronounced dynamic was found for the number of visits to the feeder, which significantly depended on breed, fattening day, and the interaction of these factors. The highest intensity of feeding behavior in terms of visits to the feeder was observed at the initial stage of fattening, especially in Large White pigs, whereas in subsequent age periods a decrease in visit frequency was recorded, followed by functional restructuring at the final stage of growth. Landrace pigs were characterized by a more stable type of feeding behavior, whereas Duroc pigs showed a more pronounced tendency toward an energy-saving feeding strategy. Conclusions. The obtained results confirm that the number of visits to the feeder is a more sensitive behavioral indicator of pigs’ adaptation to technological housing conditions than the number of feeding events. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using feeding behavior indicators to optimize feeder space, stocking density, and group formation and to improve the efficiency of fattening pigs of different breeds under industrial conditions. It was concluded that when assessing the adaptive capacity of pigs, it is advisable to take into account not only productive traits but also ethological indicators that reflect the animals’ response to environmental conditions and allow more substantiated management of technological processes in pig production.

Key words: pigs, feeding behavior, adaptive capacity, breed, fattening, ethological indicators, feeder visits, feeding events, industrial pig production

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