Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
Wild Boar Behaviour
The major characteristics of the wild boar is the tendency of the females and their young to form matriarchal groups known as "sounders" or "drifts." In the wild, the male lives alone except for the short breeding season. In domestic herds, boars run with the sows at all times.
Breeding generally takes place during the late fall and early spring. Wild boars develop to a sexual maturity between 15 and 24 months of age. Gilts can be bred as early as six months of age, but usually are bred at about one year of age.
The gestation period is approximately 110 to 115 days, with weaning occurring around 90 to 120 days of age. Gilts average three to four piglets for their first litter with later litters usually numbering five piglets. Sows can be expected to farrow twice per year. Females may not come into heat during the higher temperatures of July to October. The maximum sow to boar ratio should be 15:1, some producers prefer a 10:1 ratio. The aim in the initial breeding program is to use full blood wild boars as sires with standard sows as mothers. Selected cross-bred gilts from these matings are used as replacements for the sow herd which will increase the percentage of full blood wild boar in the population. These gilts are then bred to full blood boars. There is a strong correlation between nose length and meat quality. Current full blood lines include 3 identifiable genetic backgrounds:
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Kalden (a Swedish import originating in Poland)
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Old San Diego ZOO (originally from Europe)
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New San Diego ZOO (also from another European region)
