Large breeds of pigs. The best meat breeds of pigs. Pig breeds for meat production. We provide animals with proper care

There are more than a hundred breeds of pigs in the world, depending on the direction of productivity, they are classified into meat-sucking, bacon, greasy and decorative. In the USSR, 22 breeds of pigs were bred, many of which were domesticated and farms CIS countries are bred now. In modern Russia, there are 32 pig breeds that were imported from other countries, or were bred as a result of selection.

The classification of pig breeds is carried out according to such characteristics as origin, constitution, direction of productivity.

By origin, pigs are divided into several groups:

• The first is descended from the wild European boar.
• The second is from a wild Asian boar.
• The third is mixed, combining the features of European and Asian boars.
• Fourth - factory breeds obtained as a result of artificial crossing of various breeds.

There are four types of pigs depending on the build:

• With a rough, dense structure.
• With a rough, loose structure.
• With a delicate dense structure.
• With a delicate loose structure.

By productivity, pig breeds are divided into:

• Versatile, with high productivity and high meat quality.
• Meat and bacon with high meat quality and average performance.
• Greasy with a thick layer of bacon and early salting of the carcass.

Large white pig

Pictured is a white pig.

We will name several main and best breeds of pigs of various directions that are grown in our country in households and farms.

It makes up the main percentage of the livestock in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, China, USA, and other countries of the world. The first large white pig was brought to Russia from England. The animal has taken root here thanks to such qualities as unpretentiousness to feed, the ability to quickly gain weight, and to produce tasty and high-quality meat and lard.

Pigs of this breed are quite large and early maturing. With proper care and feed, they are capable of gaining weight of 180-210 kilograms or more per year. The live weight of an adult boar reaches 370 kg, and that of sows - 270 kg. One sow is capable of producing 11-12 or more piglets in one farrowing.

White pig's meat is tender, juicy, tasty, sprouted with fat, which is why it is called marbled, it is in good consumer demand. Bacon products are also tasty - smoked and semi-smoked products are very popular among the population.

Of course, the quality of pig meat and lard products depends on feed - they must be saturated with vitamins and minerals that animals need at any time of the year, and especially in winter. Large white pigs love pastures, at home or on a farm, they need to create a place to walk, preferably with grass or low bushes.

Landrace

- an elite bacon, early maturing breed, the distinctive qualities of which are lean meat and a thin layer of fat. The breed was bred at the beginning of the last century in Denmark by crossing Danish and large white English pigs.

Landrace is distinguished by a strong constitution, good meaty forms, an elongated body, dense and wide hams. The head is small in size with a fleshy thick neck, the chest is narrow, the back is straight. The body is covered with a rare soft white bristle, which is why the Landrace looks like its progenitor - a large white pig, from which it still differs in large long ears hanging over the eyes.

These are large-breed pigs - wild boars reach two meters in length with a chest girth of more than one and a half meters, sows are 1.6 meters long with a girth of one and a half meters.

The live weight of a mature wild boar is 280-300 kg, of a sow - 200-220 kg. At a time, the female brings 10-12 piglets, which by two months gain weight of 17-20 kg, and after three months their weight can be 100 kg.

By all accounts, Landrace is the best domestic bacon pigs. High performance indicators cannot be achieved without a warm room and good nutrition. Their diet should include grain and green fodder, as well as vegetables, silage, mixed fodder, bone and fish meal, dairy products - skim milk, whey.

In addition to a warm shed for growing landrace, it is necessary to have a place for walking with grass and greenery.

The video shows a pig of the Landrace breed.

Mirgorod pig

- a breed of meat-sucking direction of productivity, bred in the Poltava region in Ukraine as a result of crossing of domestic Ukrainian pigs of variegated colors with large white, Berkshire and Tamworth boars. It has been considered a separate breed since 1940. Because of the black-and-white color of these animals, they are called Mirgorodskaya pockmarked.

Distinctive features of the Mirgorod breed of pigs are black and white color, strong constitution, wide chest and trunk, rounded hams of moderate length.

Live weight of wild boars is 280-330 kg, sows - 200-220 kg. The body length in wild boars is 165-175 cm, in sows - 155-160 cm. At one time, a sow can bring 10 or more piglets, which gain 14 kg by two months.

At the age of three years, Mirgorod pigs have following indicators: the mass of wild boars is 275 kg, the body length is 170 cm, the weight of sows is 217 kg, the body length is 160 cm.

At breeding farms, the weight and size indicators of Mirgorod pigs are even higher - wild boars reach a weight of 296 kg with a body length of 179 cm, and sows weigh 238 kg with a body length of 162 cm.

Vietnamese potbelly

In the photo, Vietnamese pot bellies.

Vietnamese pot-bellied pig breed originally from Southeast Asia - were first brought to the countries of Eastern Europe from Vietnam in 1985. Recently, breeders from Russia, Belarus and other CIS countries have become interested in the breed.

Pigs of this breed are distinguished by rapid sexual maturity, which in females occurs at 4 months, and in boars at 6 months. Representatives of this breed love to graze, love plant food, therefore they are called herbivores. However, in addition to grass, grain should be included in their diet, and roughage in winter.

The live weight of an adult wild boar at the age of 1 year is 120-140 kg, for an adult pig, 100-120 kg.

In one farrowing, a pig is able to bring from 6 to 18 piglets, most often there are 12 of them. Considering that a female bears an average of 115 days of babies, she can bring 24 pigs a year.

At the age of 7-8 months, an adult Vietnamese pig weighs 75-80 kg - this is the normal slaughter weight of Vietnamese pigs. This is a breed of bacon direction.

The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig has a wide and low body, a wide chest, and a large saggy belly. She has a small head similar to that of a pug. During puberty, fangs begin to appear in hogs, which after three years grow to 10-15 cm.

Another distinctive feature of Vietnamese pigs is the bristles, which can reach 20 cm in length and form a "mohawk" that rises at the moment when the boar intends to intimidate the enemy, or is scared himself. The "mohawk" rears up at the boar's moment of joy.

Typically, Vietnamese pigs are black with white spots on the head and hooves. The good disposition and sociability of Vietnamese pigs have become the reason that they are often bred not for meat and bacon, but as pets.

The video shows Vietnamese pot bellies.

Belarusian black-and-white breed

In the photo there is a black-and-white Belarusian pig

The Belarusian black-and-white breed of pigs is a breed of universal, meat-and-greasy direction of productivity. A big plus in breeding these pigs is that they love pastures, where they find their own food on their own. In addition, Belarusian pigs have a strong constitution and fertility. Their color, as the name implies, is black and motley - with white, black and sometimes red spots.

Representatives of the Belarusian black-and-white breed are distinguished by a long, deep body, light head, ears hanging over their eyes. Wide, slightly sagging back, short and strong legs, well-developed hams.

An adult wild boar gains weight up to 300-340 kg, a sow - 220-240 kg. In one farrowing, a pig brings 9-12 piglets, which weigh 100 kg by six months.

The breed was bred on the farms of the Byelorussian SSR, by crossing local, Polissya breeds with a large white, large black, Berkshire pig and Landrace.

High yields of potatoes and cereals, a lot of grass, which was used for fattening pigs, made it possible to breed large, massive pigs with good performance in meat and lard. The improvement of the breed was also facilitated by the addition of blood from other breeds. As a result of long-term, purposeful work, Belarusian black-and-white early maturing pigs of high productivity appeared.

Mangalitsky breed

was bred in Hungary in the middle of the 19th century, and was brought to Russia after the end of the Second World War in 1945 - first to the Moscow region and the North Caucasus. Currently, braziers are mainly bred only in the Caucasus.

The Mangalitsky breed, or braziers, differ from the rest of their brethren by the presence of a wool cover that protects them from high and low temperatures. It is noteworthy that when kept in a warm room, barbecues do not become overgrown with thick wool, their hairline is no different from the bristles of ordinary pigs. However, in cold climates or when kept outdoors, they have a thick, soft and long coat, which, moreover, slightly curls like lambs, therefore braziers are called woolen pigs. The color of the coat can be different - white, black, dark red, dirty red.

Pigs of the Mangalitsk breed are of medium size with a strong structure, powerful legs, strong hooves.

An adult wild boar reaches a weight of 160-180 kg, a sow - 120-150 kg, at a time she brings only 4-6 piglets, whose weight reaches 65-70 kg by 6 months.

Grilled meat is juicy, tender, tasty, low in cholesterol, so it is considered dietary. Mangals are a greasy breed, and their fat is valued all over the world. In pigs of this breed, fat begins to be deposited quite early, at the age of 8 months the fat thickness reaches 5-6 cm, and by 10 months - 7-9 cm.

The advantages of this breed include unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention and omnivorousness. They have excellent immunity and do not get sick even without vaccinations. The disadvantages of braziers are the tendency to obesity and low fertility.

The video shows a curly mangalitsa in Siberia for a walk.

North Caucasian breed

- pigs of meat and greasy productivity. The breed was bred by the method of complex crossing of Kuban pigs with representatives of the Berkshire, white short-eared, large white breeds.

Pigs of the Kuban breed were well adapted to a difficult climate - large temperature fluctuations in winter and summer, had good immunity and high fertility. However, they were late maturing and did not pay off the maintenance costs poorly.

To correct these shortcomings, they were crossed with representatives of the large white breed; other, zoned breeds of pigs were also used in the work. As a result, the North Caucasian breed of pigs was bred.

North Caucasian pigs are distinguished by a wide head, a wide chest, rounded ribs, a wide back, well-shaped hams, strong legs with hard hooves, thick, soft bristles that evenly cover the whole body, black and motley color. By winter, North Caucasian pigs have a thick undercoat that warms them in cold weather.

The live weight of adult wild boars is 300-350 kg, sows - 250-270 kg, a sow in one farrowing brings 10-12 piglets, which by 6 months gain 100 kg of weight. The champion of the breed named Kubanets weighed 408 kg, had a body length of 180 cm, a chest girth of 178 cm.

In Russia, the North Caucasian breed is bred in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Rostov and Volgograd Regions. To improve the performance of meat, North Caucasian pigs are crossed with animals of meat breeds.

Duroc

appeared as a result of crossing Berkshire pigs with red Guinea pigs. As a result of systematic and purposeful work, the Duroc breed was officially registered in the United States in 1883.

A distinctive feature of Duroc pigs is their red-brown color, which they inherited from their Guinean ancestors. Some individuals have a golden color. Due to their unusual color, they differ from their other relatives.

Initially, the Duroc were a greasy breed, but the demand for meat forced breeders to change their type of productivity. As a result of crossing with animals of meat breeds, the modern meat-greasy pig Duroc was obtained.

Duroc pigs are distinguished by a strong constitution, large size, long ears that hang in front of them, and an arched back. Duroc's legs are strong, the hams are well developed. Boars and pigs of this breed hardly differ in size - the live weight of adults is 300-360 kg in wild boars, and 240-300 kg in pigs.

In one farrowing, the female is able to bring 9-11 piglets weighing 1.1-1.6 kg. For six months, piglets gain 170-180 kg of weight.

The advantages of pigs of the Duroc breed include excellent performance in terms of meat yield, its high quality and excellent taste, early maturity of piglets, and a calm character. And the disadvantages are low fertility, high demands on protein feed, high morbidity.

The video shows a pig of the Duroc breed.

Siberian northern breed

The Siberian northern breed of pigs belongs to the universal - meat-greasy type. Pigs of this breed are distinguished by a strong constitution, well-built, even body, good growth. Straight or arched back, small head, strong legs, well developed hams.

The skin of the Siberian pig is covered with a long thick white or reddish bristle with an undercoat that appears in winter. If not for this feature, Siberian pigs would be very similar to their congeners of the large white breed and Landrace, which were involved in the breeding of this breed. The warm undercoat that the "Siberians" inherited from the unproductive, but resistant to low temperatures, ancestors-aborigines, allows them to tolerate severe frosts well, therefore they are grown in Siberia, the Urals and Kazakhstan.

The live weight of an adult wild boar reaches 315-360 kg, the weight of a sow is 240-260 kg. At one time, the sow brings 1012 piglets, which in 7-8 months gain weight up to 100 kg.

The advantages of Siberian pigs can also be attributed to a calm character, tasty, juicy meat, well-developed hams, resistance to diseases. They practically have no serious shortcomings.

For those planning to breed pigs, it is better to start with the purchase of piglets of zoned breeds, with them there will be fewer problems and surprises.

I am glad to meet you again, dear ladies and gentlemen! Today we'll talk about agriculture, more precisely, how to breed pigs.

Maybe someone wants to grow one or two pigs, and someone wants to do it on a grand scale. In any case, you need to get some information about what breeds of pigs are popular with us. So you will save yourself from mistakes when choosing a breed, you will not suffer damage due to the fact that you bought a species that is not adapted for living in our climate. A photo and description of the pig breed will be presented, which will tell a lot about them. After reading the material, you will begin to understand the topic quite well. So let's get started!

General information

In addition to the polar regions and mountainous regions, where sheep are traditionally engaged, pig breeding is developed everywhere in Russia. And pig breeds can be divided into three main categories:

• universal (meat-sucking);
• meat;
• greasy.

There are more than a hundred species of pigs in total, but you and I, since we live in Russia, not all are suitable, and you need to choose a breed that could be easier to grow at home, taking into account its adaptability to our climate, assimilation of feed available in abundance in a particular region.

To do this, I would like to acquaint you with the breeds of pigs, the breeding of which is quite successful here. I will give all the necessary information with photos and names of breeds. Is it worth wasting time on those who cannot live at all in our latitudes ?! Right?

Attention should be paid to white pigs. It is recommended to buy them, as they are not afraid of the cold, and in many regions of our country this is a big plus. In addition, piglets of this breed grow quickly. There are cases when they were born in a barn in winter, nevertheless, they survived and grew up healthy.

Duroc pigs

One of the versions says that for pigs of the Durok breed, the homeland is the Guinean coast of Africa. In principle, this is confirmed by the fact that these animals are found in all countries with which Guinea was connected by sea routes even at a time when the slave trade flourished. However, some argue that the dyurks have long been known in Europe, and in particular in America they appeared thanks to Columbus.

All this is certainly interesting, but I think that you are more interested in the practical side - the characteristic. Therefore, I pass immediately to the description.

Duroc pigs have long legs, so they are not afraid of rather significant obstacles, they move without problems even on not very flat pastures. However, their mobility is sharply reduced when they reach the age of two years. At this time, the animals begin to get fat quickly.

Their special feature is a curved profile, and these pigs can also be recognized by the drooping tips of the ears.

Vietnamese

Pigs of the Vietnamese breed are omnivorous, and they cannot be fed as the same white, for example. In warm weather they are fed twice a day. For an adult, I advise you to give 700 g of compound feed, preferably mixed with bran (50:50).

You can indulge your pig in unlimited quantities:

• alfalfa (another herb);
• zucchini;
• a drop of pear and apple trees.

Braziers

Brazier pigs have a very good appetite, therefore they are often obese. I advise you to make sure that they have enough potatoes and pumpkin in their diet.

This breed is not as common as those already familiar to us, it is more often found in Europe, more precisely in:

• Hungary;
• Spain;
• England;
• Ukraine;
• Russia.

These pigs are becoming less and less, and they are bred mainly for obtaining an elite dietary type of meat, which, despite the abundance of fat, does not contain cholesterol.

This breed was obtained after a wild pig and a Carpathian mangalica were crossed. The animals have thick curly hair, they do not need vaccinations due to good immunity, pigs are calm, and behave well in pasture.

The species was bred in the 19th century. on the Middle Danube lowland. In Hungary since mid XIX at. until the middle of the XX century. these animals were very popular as they gained weight quickly and produced a lot of fat. Lard, bacon and salami from the Hungarian mangalica were in great demand throughout Europe, and the breed was known around the world at that time.

Large black pigs were bred in 1899. Their appearance was the result of crossing of local long-eared, Neapolitan and Chinese black pigs. On the European continent, this breed is called Cornish. She came to Russia from Germany in 1949. At first they started breeding in the Stavropol region, and then in the Tula region. They are large, sturdily built animals.

To make a large white pig, a large black animal is crossed with a large white pig or Landrace. At the same time, the body turns out to be slightly elongated.

The large black pig can be found mainly in the UK, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, in the southern and central regions of Russia.

Meat pig pietrain

This pig of meat direction was bred at the beginning of the last century in Belgium, when local pigs were crossed with Yorkshire, Berkshire and a number of others.

The animal has thin bones and excellent musculature (especially large hams). The body is cylindrical, compact and wide. The ears are erect and small, in the photo all this is clearly visible. Pigs can be white or variegated in color.

Pietrain piglets, which are born at a time up to eight, do not grow very quickly, but they are very viable. An adult petrene, as a rule, weighs 180-240 kg, a boar - 200-260 kg.

The Vietnamese pot bellied pig belongs to the universal ones. This animal is considered omnivorous, but its food is mainly plant food:

• green mass;
• vegetables;
• hay.

In feeding, these pigs are not picky - in the summer they can eat one grass, in the winter - hay. You can not feed them with grain at all, or give it a minimum amount. For a year, the animal gains from 55 to 100 kg of weight, under good conditions - up to 120 kg.

I note that vaccinations for this species are usually not needed, these pigs do not get sick at all, or very rarely. These pigs have a highly developed parental instinct; they will cope with their piglets without your help. It's great! Draw your own conclusions!

Pigs of this breed have tasty meat and lard. As a rule, they are bred for meat, trying to make sure that there is a minimum of fat.

Most often the color of Vietnamese pot bellies is black, but there are white individuals or white animals.

It is very profitable to grow this breed in Russia. We know that the price of meat is lower, the less feed we spend during the period of raising the animal. It will take 5-10 times less to feed "flip flops" than to feed an ordinary pig! Add to this the unpretentiousness of animals in food. It turns out very, very profitable, isn't it?

Mirgorodskaya

We are all familiar with Gogol. We know that the town of Mirgorod is often mentioned in his works. This same Mirgorod is located in Ukraine in the Poltava region. There, as the name implies, the meat-sucking breed of Mirgorodskaya pigs was bred in 1940, then still in the Ukrainian SSR.

These motley black animals are popular because they give good fat, which is mistaken even for a coupon, since its thickness is ideal - 4.5-5 cm. It is tender and tasty.

This animal perfectly adapts to its habitat, therefore it feels comfortable in any corner of Ukraine and in many parts of Russia, in particular, it is perfectly adapted to life in the forest-steppe; easily begins to graze on pastures, which is very beneficial to farmers; loves potatoes, but grains must be present in their diet.

In terms of early maturity, Mirgorodskaya is not inferior to the most popular European breeds, but the live weight of adults is much lower - for a sow up to 220 kg, and for a boar - up to 250 kg. In addition, the quality of the meat is not very high, along with good lard. So, think about what is your priority.

This breed is quite fertile - 10-11 piglets are born for farrowing. Average milk yield - up to 55 kg.

These animals do not need any special conditions of keeping. A spacious enclosed space in a cold season is enough for them. In the summer, as I said above, they walk in the pasture.

Do not forget to clean the bases, and regularly clean and ventilate the area. The water container should be washed regularly, especially for piglets under six months of age.

Karmals

A karmal hybrid was obtained by crossing herbivorous breeds: a Korean boar mated with a mangalica, then a hybrid female was brought together with a brazier boar.

This beef breed matures quickly - they reach puberty after 115 days. The body of the karals is covered with thick, curly hair. In keeping, animals are unpretentious, have good immunity, and are fertile. On grazing, hybrids gain 270-290 kg, and their meat has a pleasant taste.

These pigs eat various herbs, including ordinary ones. They also eat cereals and vegetables, grains, hay and beets. They do not need a warm room, they all year round can live on the street. Sows give birth completely independently.

Karmales can sprout even at the age of eight months, when most pigs are just becoming ready to reproduce.

Bacon lovers

When choosing lard on the market, I personally pay attention to the layer of meat in it automatically, and I am sure that it is far from the only one here. So, if you want the lard to be not one hundred percent fat, I recommend getting to know the Landrace breed. These pigs are just for those who are partial to good bacon.

The species was bred in Denmark, and recently. But very quickly the bacon landrace spread throughout the planet. Americans are especially fond of them, many of whom prefer to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast.

In Russia, this breed has also become popular, because in addition to getting good meat, these pigs are used for crossing in order to get a larger offspring, because a Landrace sow can bring up to 13 piglets at a time!

With good housing conditions and proper feeding, pigs quickly gain weight per centner. The weight of an adult sow usually reaches 250 kg, a boar - up to 300 kg.

Fast ripening yorkshire

If you want the pig to gain weight quickly, I recommend not to ignore such a breed as Yorkshire. Subject to good nutrition and appropriate care, pigs of this breed at the age of a year already weigh 180-210 kg, sometimes even more.

An adult Yorkshire sow weighs 200-270 kg, a boar - 280-370 kg. For farrowing, the sow gives birth to 11-12, and sometimes more than 14 piglets, the milk yield of animals is 70-90 kg.

With proper feeding, pigs of this breed produce high quality meat. When you cut the meat across the muscle fibers, you can see how thin layers of fat are evenly distributed over it. Marble meat is juicy, tender and tasty, and the demand for it is very high.

You may live in the very north, but you have friends in warm areas. So, sending them a link to this article on e-mail, in Vkontakte, etc., you can safely count on the fact that your friend, who has decided to start farming, will certainly treat you with delicious homemade pork lard or barbecue when you visit him in the summer!

In the countries of the former Soviet Union, pig breeds of several groups are bred. The first includes the most common types of pigs - Ukrainian steppe white, large white, Estonian bacon, Landrace, Poltava factory and Welsh. The second group is the Ukrainian steppe pockmarked, Mirgorod, large black, North Caucasian, durok breeds with red, black and black-pockmarked color.

Differences and features of breeds

All breeds that belong to different groups differ in a certain physique. By the type of physique, there are such pigs:

• bacon (Estonian and Landrace);
• universal (large white);
• mostly greasy (Ukrainian steppe and Mirgorod);
• meat-bearing and meat (steppe white).

All names define the main performance of the product.

For the meat group the following external signs are characteristic:

• light ham and small chest volume;
• lightweight front;
• significantly elongated body.

The size of the chest volume in these animals is much smaller than the size of the body.

Greasy species differ in such external signs:

• rather heavy front end;
• large chest volume;
• very wide and deep body;
• heavy and meaty ganaches;
• fleshy and poured ham.

The volume of the chest girth significantly exceeds or is commensurate with the size of the body.

The versatile and meat-bearing varieties occupy an intermediate group between the greasy and meat types.

Description and photos of popular species

Landrace

This breed was developed in Denmark in the middle of the 19th century. For selection, a rather tough choice was made among these animals. The main focus was on indicators such as fleshy and early maturity... As a result of long and painstaking work, pigs of English white and Danish breeds were selected and crossed. Intensive feeding was also carried out, where a significant amount of animal protein was in the diet.

The Landrace breed is a meat type of pig. A large amount of meat and a small layer of subcutaneous fat, make it possible to attribute Landrace to the bacon type of pigs.

Breeders found a very interesting feature, when Landrace was crossed with other breeds, amazing offspring were obtained. The uniqueness was that during the fattening of offspring weighing up to 100 kg, the mass amount of lean meat increases by 4-5%.

External description of Landrace:

• long ears hanging strongly over the eyes;
• elongated body;
• the hairline is not thick and light;
• thin skin.

Breeding a Landrace is a tricky business. This is due to the fact that sows and young animals are demanding in terms of care and maintenance. Even small deviations in the feeding process or in keeping conditions negatively affect fertilization, the number of offspring and many other indicators.

For boars of this breed of pigs bred in our country, the average body weight is about 300 kg, the trunk can reach a volume of up to 182 cm, and the girth of the chest is about 164 cm. Sows can reach a weight of 280-290 kg, the size of the body is about 168 cm, and the girth of the chest is up to 150 cm. Landrace sows are highly fertile. For one farrowing, they give up to 9 piglets. The average daily weight gain of this breed reaches 709 grams. For 190 days, animals of this breed gain about 100 kg of live weight.

The main features of Landrace: very high rates of development and growth, mobility, endurance. The best quality bacon is obtained from the Landrace breed.

Disadvantages: Weak sides, wiggle and hitching, does not tolerate stress.

White breed

Today, on the territory of our country, the white large pig is considered the most popular breed. The high popularization of this breed of pigs in our country is due to its qualities. Pigs of this breed have adapted well to the forage and climatic conditions. But they do not tolerate extreme cold and heat... A white pig was brought to our country from England. Due to the large selection and genetic work, high acclimatization, the white breed is now successfully bred in Europe, America, China, Canada, Japan, Ukraine and Belarus.

Large white pigs can be fattened to produce carcasses with lots of either meat, bacon, or lard. Pigs of this breed are distinguished by a harmonious and rough constitution, have a white color and strong forms.

The size of the body in boars reaches 190-195 cm, and in sows 150-160 cm. A large head with a high forehead, the neck is thick and long. The ears are not thick and large, slightly tilted forward, but do not hang down.

Back: Long and wide, without interception behind the shoulder blades. Chest: Deep and massive. The loin is wide. Rear: not saggy and wide. Round hams... White pigs are short and have strong legs with even and wide hooves.

The skin is elastic and tight without folds. The bristles, which are densely located all over the body, are thin and smooth.

The sows have excellent fertility. For farrowing, up to 14 piglets are given, milk production is about 55-65 kg. Piglets after 2 months can reach a live weight of about 22-27 kg. Piglets reach the control mark of 100 kg in 170-185 days.

Feature white large pig: good and fast adaptability to feed and climatic conditions. Flexible genetic structure, high rates of fertility and early maturity.

Disadvantages: high propensity for obesity... Not very pleasant appearance: poorly expressed ham, drooping rump. Poorly tolerate extreme heat and cold.

Duroc

It is a red color breed. It was bred in the middle of the 20th century in the USA, today it is popular all over the world. The uniqueness of this breed is as follows: the Duroc was bred as a greasy breed, but the high demand for meat changed the direction of its productivity. Duroc is quite hardy and perfectly adapts to pasture conditions.

Duroc in breeding work is usually used to breed breed hybrids. The meat of these pigs characterized by good quality.

This breed is characterized by a dense constitution and large size. The body is medium in size, wide and deep. In boars, the size of the body is about 182-187 cm, in sows about 173-188 cm. The ears are hanging forward and long. The back line is in the form of an arch, the legs are strong and high, with pronounced hams. Skin color can be golden to deep red.

Duroc sows are not very fertile. According to this indicator, they are inferior to the breeds of the white pig and Landrace. In approximately one farrowing, the sow produces about 8 piglets. Duroc sows are calm and feed the piglets well. Daily weight gain is about 770-900 grams. Duroc is an early maturing breed, gain 100 kg of live weight in 160-175 days.

Features: good grazing adaptability and endurance, carcass uniformity, calm animals, stable and high meat performance.

Disadvantages: poor fertility, susceptible to diseases with atrophic rhinitis, are highly dependent on the amount of protein feed.

Pig brazier

In the 19th century, a unique breed of pigs - brazier - was bred by selection method. Distinctive feature This breed is considered to be hair: thick, forming curls that resemble astrakhan fur.

First, the Hungarian Mangalitza and the British Lincolnshire breed were bred. They differed from each other only in the color of the hairline. These breeds left the market completely in 1971, because they could not compete with the fast maturing and fast growing breeds. Today there is only one left in the world hungarian breed of these pigs.

The features of the hairline allow pigs to easily endure the winter, and in the summer to escape from various insects. People also call them "sheep pigs". According to the color of the hairline, the grill is divided into 4 types: white, red, black and mixed. Black species on the verge of extinction.

Mangalitsa pigs do not need special conditions maintenance and care: they eat various plant foods, do not require an insulated room, and do not need vaccinations.

Meat belongs to the group of delicacies. Neither the beauty of animals, nor various prohibitions, nor a small number of livestock stop manglitsa meat lovers. There are quite a few of these pigs in the world today.

First farrowing the sow gives about 3-6 piglets, and in further farrowings the number of piglets increases. Piglets are fully formed within six months.

Vietnamese pigs

This breed of pigs quickly became popular in farms and backyards. The black-bellied pig was brought to Canada and Europe in 1984 from Vietnam.

The Vietnamese pig is a bacon breed. Meat high QualityThe small amount of lard and the flavor differences from other breeds are what makes them attractive for breeding.

A sow of this breed can reach 110-125 kg, and a boar 160 kg. The meat yield has a record in 74-85% of live weight... The Vietnamese pig has a high fertility and early maturity. After 5 months, the pigs become sexually mature, and after six months the sow already produces the first offspring, from 15-18 piglets at a time. A sow gives about 25 piglets per year, and so on for 15 years.

At the age of six months, when the weight of pigs reaches a live weight of about 74-81 kg, animals are slaughtered. Qualitatively, meat, with a small amount of cholesterol, is sold instantly.

The high quality of the meat is due to the fact that the body of these pigs perfectly processes plant foods. The diet contains about 60% of roughage. Keeping this breed of pigs on pastures significantly reduces feed costs. Special balanced feed, all kinds of root crops and green feed are the main diet of Vietnamese pigs.

Hanged-bellied pigs are very clean... If walking is possible, then the pigs relieve themselves on the walk in one place. At night, when it is impossible to go out for a walk, the animals will endure until the morning. The room will always be dry and clean. In the summer, especially in the heat, it is imperative to leave fresh water.

Due to the good fertility and low cost of feed, breeding Vietnamese pigs is quite a profitable business.

Difference of the breed: strong immunity to various diseases and early ripening time, calm disposition, unpretentiousness, omnivorousness.

The above types of pigs are among the most productive. For a personal household, it is advisable to choose a Vietnamese, large white or early maturing beef breed... These are the most prolific, large and unpretentious pigs. You don't have to spend a lot of money on growing them, and the result will certainly be excellent.

According to the direction of productivity, pig breeds are divided into three types - meat (bacon), greasy and meat-greasy. The classification of pig breeds is necessary to make it easier for farmers and business executives to choose the direction of business and the desired type of animals.

Key features

Pigs of meat breeds have an elongated body, large hams, small and light breasts. Their live weight reaches one hundred kilograms; after slaughter, up to 60% of meat and 30% of lard are obtained from one carcass. The best breeds of meat-producing pigs are Duroc, Landrace, SM-1, Estonian bacon, Urzhum.

Pigs of the greasy type are distinguished by a shortened body, a loose constitution, and short hams. When slaughtered, about 50% of meat and 40-45% of lard are obtained from the carcass. The main breeds of greasy pigs are the large black pig, the Hungarian mangalitsa, the Mirgorod breed, and the Ukrainian steppe speckled pig.

Bacon and greasy pig breeds

Meat pigs are between the greasy and meat breeds. In the carcass, 53-54% is meat, and 34-37% is fat. To obtain meat, it is better to slaughter them at a young age, since adults who have reached a certain size begin to accumulate fat. The best meat-bearing breeds are Murom, Latvian white.

All of these pig breeds can be raised and bred on farms and households.

Meat breeds

Landrace is the first pig breed bred as a meat pig. The breed was bred in Denmark by crossing local pigs with large whites. The resulting piglets were fed foods high in animal proteins.

New specimens were selected based on characteristics such as early maturity, meat quality and return on feed costs. The result is a bacon-type pig breed with a thin layer of subcutaneous fat and a high percentage of lean meat. The carcass of animals fed up to 100 kilograms contains 2-5% more lean meat than pigs of other breeds.

The description of the Landrace breed looks like this: the body is elongated, the head is medium in size, the hams are wide and flat, the ears hang over the eyes, the skin is thin, the bristle is white, not too thick.

Live weight of boars is about 300 kg, sows - about 250 kg, fertility of sows - 10-11 piglets.

Landrace pigs are used to obtain high-quality meat, as well as for breeding new breeds of pigs with excellent performance in terms of meat, early maturity and fertility.

The Duroc breed was bred in the United States in the 19th century; the breed was brought to the USSR in 1976 to the farms of the Zaporozhye region. The breed is distinguished by a red suit of various shades - from light red to dark.

Pigs have a wide and deep chest, round ribs, an arched back, well-developed hams, high legs. The head is wide. Live weight of wild boars is 336 kg, body length - 170-183 cm. Live weight of sows - 250-260 kg, body length up to 180 cm. Some individuals gain weight up to 330 kg. The first time a sow brings 7-8 piglets, next times 9-10 piglets.

The Urzhum breed was bred in the Kirov region of the RSFSR, officially approved in 1957. The breed is distinguished by its strong constitution and high productivity. It adapts well to the Russian climate and feed.

The skeleton is massive, the bristles are well developed, the head is round, with a long snout, the legs are strong, the back is long, the belly is large, rounded.

The live weight of boars is 310-330 kg, sows 240-250 kg, sows are multi-fertile - 11-12 piglets are born in one farrowing. Youngsters at the age of 6 months are gaining weight of 100 kg each individual, giving an average daily gain of 680-720 grams.

The Estonian bacon breed was officially registered in 1961. The breed was bred in Estonia by crossing local gilts with Landrace and German long-eared breeds.

The Estonian breed has an elongated body, thin bones, long neck, fleshy back, well-developed hams, pink skin. The breed is well acclimatized in the Baltic countries.

The live weight of boars reaches 330 kg, sows - 220-240 kg, body length - 185 cm in males and 160 in females. The sows are multiparous, they bring 11-12 piglets at a time. The average daily gain of young stock is 750 grams.

The early maturing meat breed was obtained by crossing the best domestic and foreign meat breeds. Work on the breeding of the breed was carried out according to a unified method in 73 large collective and state farms of the USSR, located throughout the country.

The result is pigs with a strong constitution, a wide body, large hams. The breed significantly surpasses other breeds in terms of early maturity and acclimatization.

Young animals gain weight of 120 kilograms at the age of 4-5 months, therefore pigs of this breed grow up with less consumption of feed and funds.

The average live weight of adult boars reaches 300-320 kg, the weight of sows is 240 kg. Sows bring 10-11 piglets at a time, which together weigh about 190 kg at 2 months.

The video shows piglets of the SM-1 breed.

Greasy breeds

The large black breed was obtained in England by crossing three breeds - Chinese, Neapolitan and local long-eared. In Russia, the breed began to grow in the 50s of the 20th century.

The breed is distinguished by its black color, slender constitution, drooping ears, short legs. Boars gain up to 280 kg of live weight, sows - up to 236 kg. The body length is 174 cm in males and 160 cm in pigs.

For one farrowing, a sow leads to 10 piglets, the total weight of which reaches 165 kg by the age of two months.

The Mirgorod breed was bred by the specialists of the Mirgorod breeding plant by crossing animals such as Large White, Temvois, Berkshire, Ukrainian Short-eared. Currently, it is willingly bred in farms and households in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

Mirgorod pigs have a strong constitution, their chest girth is equal to the length of the body, but sometimes it is larger than it. Ears are erect, legs and hams well developed.

Color - variegated - black and white, black and red, or completely black. The skin is elastic, the bristles are thick, uniform.

Boars gain 250 kg of live weight, sows - 220 kg. Body length 170 cm in boars and 160 in females. For one farrowing, the female brings 10-11 piglets, which weigh 142 kg by the whole brood by the age of two months. Slaughter carcass yield up to 85%. Meat yield - 55%, fat yield - 33%.

Mirgorod pigs are very early maturing, reaching slaughter weight at 6 months. Their meat has a low moisture content, so it is used for smoking.

Meat and greasy breeds

The Murom breed was bred in the Vladimir region by crossing local pigs with representatives of the Lithuanian white and large white breeds. Therefore, their exterior is not much different from appearance parent breeds.

Pigs of the Murom breed have a wide, massive body, strong and short legs, white color, thick bristles.

Live weight of boars 300-320 kg, sows - 200-220 kg. The pigs are quite fertile, they bring 10-11 piglets at a time. Pigs are rather early maturing, so the breed is popular not only in households and farms of the Vladimir region, but also in neighboring regions.

The Large White breed was developed in Russia on the basis of English breeds.

Representatives of the breed are distinguished by a large and long body, a medium-sized head, a slightly curved snout. The neck of the pigs smoothly passes into the body. The chest is wide and deep, the back is straight, the belly is voluminous, dense, legs and hams are straight, short. Skin without folds, elastic, white-pink, bristle long, uniform.

Adult boars gain up to 350 kg of live weight, sows - up to 260 kg. The body length in boars is 178-190 cm, in sows up to 165 cm. Sows bring 10-12 piglets at a time.

Video is a large white breed of pigs.

The Breitov breed of pigs was bred in the Breitovsky state breeding nursery of the Yaroslavl region by crossing Danish, Estonian, Polesie and Latvian pigs with local late-maturing pigs. The breed was officially approved in 1948.

Later, the breed became popular in 30 regions of Russia, and at the end of the 20th century it remained only in the farms of the Yaroslavl, Smolensk, Leningrad and Pskov regions.

Representatives of the breed are distinguished by a strong constitution, large size. Their head is medium in size, the snout is slightly shortened with a bend. The ears are long, drooping. The neck is of medium length, the chest is deep and wide. The back is straight, legs and legs are well developed, strong, straight. The skin is dense, the bristles are thick, the skin is white or spotted.

The body length in boars is up to 170 cm, in females - up to 160 cm. Live weight of males is 300-350 kg, females - 220-260 kg. The breed is distinguished by high fertility - for two farrowings per year, a sow brings 20-24 piglets. Individuals are known that bring 15-17 piglets. Piglets grow quickly, love potatoes and other juicy feed. At the age of 6-7 months, piglets weigh 90-100 kg each. Breit pigs can be raised on pasture.

The breed is widespread throughout Russia and is widely used for industrial crossing with purebred and crossbred queens of large white and other pig breeds. The prolificacy of crossbred sows increases by 5-10%, the early maturity of young animals - by 5-12%, while reducing feed costs per 1 kg of live weight gain; the meat content in the carcass increases by 2-7%.

It was bred in Denmark by crossing a Danish pig with a large white pig under full-fledged feeding conditions when the rations were saturated with animal proteins. At the same time, there was a long selection and selection according to early maturity, payment for forage products and meat qualities. The pigs are of a typical bacon type. Their body is stretched; the ham is wide, flat; the ears are long, overhanging the eyes; thin skin; white bristles, sparse. Boars of this breed have a mass of 309 kg with a body length of 181.6 cm; sows - 253 kg with a body length of 166.7 cm; plurality of sows 11 piglets. Average daily gain in live weight - 707 g; feed consumption per 1 kg of growth - 3.97 feed. units; the age of reaching a live weight of 100 kg - 189 days. In the farms of our country in the coming years, Landrace will be used in interbreeding with sows of domestic breeds and breed groups, as well as in hybridization and breeding of new types of pigs. Purebred breeding herds of Landrace are concentrated in the Tsvetkov breeding farm, Kaluga region; breeding plant "Krasny Bor", Novgorod region, etc.

The pig is the most profitable pet: it grows quickly, does not cause trouble for the owner and consistently gives a fairly large offspring. Knowing the characteristics of this or that breed, the rules for looking after it, you can get the most out of pigs. There are over 100 pig breeds in the world. All of them are divided into three areas: meat-and-fat, meat and greasy.

Meat pigs ... This universal direction is the most popular. Large white, Mirgorod, Kemerovo, Siberian, Lithuanian white, Latvian white, large black and the like belong to meat-bearing breeds. Most of them are bred by crossing the Great White. These animals have well-developed muscle tissue (adipose tissue is somewhat less). Therefore, they can be fed for both meat and lard. The advantage of this species is the good adaptability of most breeds to different climatic conditions.

Well, now actually a small description and some photos of the most popular and highly productive breeds of pigs.

Breed "Big White" ... This breed is the most widespread in our villages. Among its advantages are high fertility (a sow gives birth to up to 14 piglets), good adaptability to feeding conditions and very rapid growth (up to 100 kg of live weight in 6-7 months). Animals of this breed have strong legs, smooth elastic skin, thin light bristles. They adapt well to both cold and extreme heat. Adult hogs weigh over 300 kg, sows - from 200 kg. Disadvantages of the breed - a tendency to obesity, white color (which is why pigs in the south suffer from sunlight), and they also do not tolerate severe frosts very well.

Mirgorodskaya breed of pigs ... Pigs of this breed are wonderfully adapted to feeding in pasture conditions in the forest-steppe zone. Not whimsical to feed at all. They have a strong constitution, well-developed hips, elastic skin without folds, densely covered with shiny bristles. Colors from black (black-spotted) to black-red. In one farrowing, the sow brings 10-11 piglets. The meat of these pigs has excellent taste due to its low moisture content and the presence of fatty layers. Great for making dry sausages and canned food. However, the meat yield in the carcass is less than that of the large white. Adult wild boars weigh 260-300 kg, sows - 200-230 kg.

Breed "Big Black" (Cornish) ... The breed was bred in Great Britain (on the Cornwall Peninsula) by crossing long-eared English pigs with Chinese black and Neapolitan ones. Characteristic signs - strong constitution, proportional body with a slightly elongated torso, large ears that hang over the eyes. Animals that are well adapted to the pasture mode of keeping, unpretentious to feed, tolerate heat well. Sows bring 9-11 babies. They are approximate nurses - in comparison with other breeds, the mortality of suckling pigs in the large black is the lowest. The meat is not greasy, the ham is tender. If fed for meat, the thickness of bacon may not exceed 2 cm. Among the disadvantages are folds on the skin, weakening of the legs when held without pasture. The weight of adult males reaches 260-300 kg, females - 200-240 kg.

This breed was bred to Kemerovo region RF, in Siberia, so it is most adapted to frost. Pigs of a characteristic strong constitution, predominantly pure black in color (although there are spotted ones), covered with thick bristles. 10-11 piglets are born at a time, up to 90% survive. Pigs gain weight quickly enough. They are very whimsical to feed, but consume less than other breeds. The meat is quite lean. The thickness of the fat layer is small, even with "greasy" feeding. An adult wild boar weighs 330-340 kg, a sow - 240-250 kg. Now let's get acquainted with some beef breeds.

Pig breed "Landrace" ... These pigs were bred in Denmark by crossing local folds with English breeds. Animals have an elongated body, thin white skin covered with short soft bristles, they have a very playful disposition. One farrowing produces 10-12 piglets. The most valuable advantage of the breed is the wonderful lean meat with thin lard. Landrace is whimsical to feed and keeping conditions. Even a minor violation of their diet can affect their performance. The weight of an adult hog is 330-350 kg, of a sow - 220-250 kg.

Breed "Latvian White" ... Signs of the breed - strong constitution, strong legs, elongated body, rough white bristles. Sows bring 11-12 piglets. The daily gain is slightly lower than that of the great white, but the meat is lean and tender, the fat is thin. Latvian white does not tolerate excessive heat and frost. But the food is not too whimsical. The wild boar grows up to 310-330 kg, the female - up to 220-230 kg.

Pig breed "Duroc" ... The main advantage of this breed, which comes from America, is early maturity. Thanks to this, it is spread throughout the world. In our country, they are even working on the creation of a Russian duroc based on it. Which, with the promises of breeders, will retain all the qualities of the American, but will have greater fertility and weight gain (the fact is that sows of this breed are not noted for high fertility - 9-10 babies per farrowing). Pigs are unpretentious to climatic conditions and feed. And their meat is very high quality, with thin veins of bacon. Wild boars reach 350-370 kg, sows - 260-320 kg.

Pig breed "Tamworth" ... One of the oldest breeds. Pigs are very hardy, feel good in harsh climatic conditions... In addition, they are completely unpretentious in terms of content and feed. They have a strong constitution, narrow elongated body, wide erect ears, strong legs. The disadvantage of the breed is low fertility (6-10 piglets at a time). Although this is offset by a high survival rate. Tamworth gives excellent quality bacon. Up to 25-30 weeks, they reach 100 kg - and are ready for slaughter.