An experiment was conducted at the Instituto de Pesquisa Agronecuária do Centro-Sul (IPEACS), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to compare two systems of finishing swine. One group was fattened on pasture, while the other was raised in confinement. Twenty-four weaned Hampshire pigs were used in a randomized block design four replications per treatment. The animals raised in pasture took fewer days to reach a market weight of 90 kg (171 days) than raised in confinement (187 days). Total ration consumed was significantly higher (P < .01) for the group on pasture. Pigs fed on pasture were significantly (P < .05) more efficient at converting feed than those in confinement. Although the pasture fed pigs tended to gain more rapidly, this difference was not statistically significant.Em experimento realizado em Itaguaí, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, com o objetivo de determinar qual o melhor entre dois sistemas de criação para que os porcos atinjam, mais rápida e economicamente, 90 kg, foram utilizados 24 animais desmamados de raça Hampshire, seguindo o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições e dois tratamentos. Os animais mantidos em pastejo gastaram menos tempo para atingir 90 kg (171 dias de idade) do que aqueles em confinamento (187 dias de idade). Menor consumo de ração (265 kg), maior ganho médio diário (694 g) e menor conversão alimentar (1:3,77) foram observados no sistema de pastejo
