Food resources, growth, and reproduction in female wild boar : studies in wild and rearing conditions

Abstract

The purpose of this study, based on data obtained on one hand in natural conditions and on the other hand in captivity, was to determine in the Wild boar, the relationships between food resources, body growth patterns and reproductive performance. For a given area, young animals of both sexes have the same body development until they are 1 year old ; but some differences could exist from one area to another. In adults of same age class, males are heavier than females. After mast feeding, adults gain more weight, and births occur earlier. In rearing conditions, a decrease of spontaneous food intake is observed in summer. Restricted diet throughout the growing period of the young, followed by an ad libitum diet, had drastric consequences on the weight at puberty, but did not delay the onset of puberty. On the contrary, a short period of food restriction after the growing period of the young had no effect on weight at puberty, but led to precocious puberty. Females which received a very limited food supply showed delayed puberty and reduced body development. Knowledge of such adaptative processes adopted by this species could be useful for its management both in wild and rearing conditions.