Breeds of Pigs For Farming

Local Breed: Local breeds are different from one place to the other, so we are not going to treat much of this. In Nigeria, our local breeds look like this with the follow features:
1. They are a small body size compared to other exotic and crosses pig types
2. Most of them are kept under scavenging systems.
3. Resistance to several diseases and parasites.
4. They are always stronger than the exotic and crosses pig types
 

Exotic Breeds
The most common pig breeds for commercial pig production are the Yorkshire, Landrace, Hampshire, Duroc, and Tibetan, Tamworth and Meishan breeds and their crosses. These breeds produce lean meat combined with efficient feed conversion (3 kg of good feed is needed to produce 1 kg of pork). Compared to local pig breeds, these commercial breeds are less resistant to diseases and suffer more from hot weather and low quality feeds. Pure exotic breeds generally do not perform well in rural pig production systems.



1.
Yorkshire The features are as follows:
Yorkshire: white, long body, erect ears, good mothers, live weight of a mature male 300 – 450 and female 250 - 350 kg.
High prolificacy, with a litter size of 12, weaning percent of > 70, and 7 pairs of teats.
Widely used for upgrading local breeds.

2. Landrace The features are as follows:
Landrace: white, large drooping ears, long body, good mothers. One of the newest breeds of a Danish origin.
They are noted for having the highest number of pigs per litter, average live weight of matured male is 310 – 400 kg
and female is 250 – 330 kg.
Good for Bacon production. High prolificacy, average litter size of 11 with a good weaning rate.

3. Hampshire The features are as follows:
Hampshire: black, white belt, muscular. Average live weight of matured male 300 kg and female is 250 kg.
Good for Bacon production.
High prolificacy, with a litter size of 9 with high weaning rate.

4.Duroc The features are as follows:
Duroc: red, muscular, partially drooping ears, desirable as sires.
They grow the fastest out of all the other breeds. Average live weight of matured male 300 kg and female is 250 kg.
High prolificacy, with a litter size of 9 with high weaning rate.

5. Tibetan The features are as follows:
The Tibetan breed of pig is especially adapted to the high hills, cold climate and to being on pasture all year round. It
is characterized by: Light body weight (mature wt about 35 kg .)
Black hair coat, with long and dense bristles. Highly developed digestive organs; the length of the intestine is about 36 times its own body length.
Ability to deposit fat in the body.
The internal and visceral fat is about 15 percent of body weight.
Muscles with a marble appearance and meat with a special flavor.
Low prolificacy, with average litter size of 5, weaning percent of 69, and 5 pairs of teats.

6. Tamworth The features are as follows:
Tamworth: Ginger, golden red to dark red colored breed with a long head, prick ears, a straight face and snout, and a long, narrow body.
Mature boar may weigh 245 – 265 kg and sow 200 – 300 kg. They produce smaller litters than other commercial breeds.

7. Meishan The features are as follows:
The Meishan breed of pig was developed in China and characterized by:
A black colored breed with short legs, big stomach, deep back and very ugly face are the major visible features.
Very high prolificacy, with a litter size of 14 -17 with average birth weight 900gm, weaning of 11 - 12, and having 8-9 pairs of teats.
Daily weight gain is 300 – 400 gm with FCR 5:1. An adult male weight about 450 kg and female
 weight 350 kg average.