Large Animal Science LibraryLA111 Breeds of Swine
MAIN IDEA: What are the most common breeds of swine used in the United States? Pigs may have been the first animals to be domesticated by humans from a variety of native pigs throughout Europe and Asia. The term "domesticated" may not be entirely accurate. Some cultures simply allowed pigs to roam freely in woodlands consuming diets of wild roots and nuts, then rounded them up at butchering time. It was discovered early on that meat from pigs could be preserved better than meat from other species through smoking or pickling, making pigs the meat animal species of choice for many early societies. THE DEVELOPMENT OF BREEDS Throughout much of the early history of agriculture, pigs and humans coexisted loosely. However, in the early 1700s, agriculturalists began selecting pigs based on economical traits such as the ability to fatten rapidly, or for increased muscular development. These "improved" varieties formed the basis for selective livestock breeding. Selection for various traits has waxed and waned over the past 200 years, but improvement of domestic swine compared to the original, native, semi-wild pigs is unmistakable. Pigs that look alike and have been bred from common ancestors are recognized as breeds. Associations for most breeds were established over the past 150 years to record the parentage of individual animals and assure the "purity" of their bloodlines. Pure breeds are systematically used in today's commercial production systems to generate crossbreeds as either parent stock or slaughter animals. Endangered breeds: Dozens of breeds are recognized around the globe, each selected for traits important for local conditions. Since the advent of fairly standardized swine production systems in the United States and Western Europe, many breeds have fallen out of favor and are endangered. Endangered breeds should be preserved so the genetic base of the swine industry does not grow too narrow. For example, resistance for certain diseases could be hidden in the genes of some endangered breeds. These endangered breeds are sometimes called heirloom or heritage breeds. Breeds common in modern commercial swine operations: Historically, eight major breeds have been used extensively in the United States' swine industry. Those eight breeds are Berkshire, Chester white, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland China, spotted swine and Yorkshire. Of these, only the Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire are common in modern commercial swine operations. Berkshires and a relatively new breed, the Pietrain, are used to a lesser degree. Knowledge of breed characteristics is important in many management decisions for hog producers. Terminal crossbreeding is a system in which sows (females) are selected on the basis of their maternal traits and are bred to sires (males) which are strong in traits for meat production. The system is called terminal because all offspring are used for meat production, and replacement females are purchased instead of bred into the herd. Breeds used for maternal traits are typically white in color and include the Yorkshire, Landrace and Chester white breeds. Valuable maternal traits include large litter size, fertility and ability to feed large litters. Breeds used for the sires in pork production are normally colored, and excel in leanness and muscling. These paternal breeds are the Duroc, Hampshire and spotted breeds. Composite breeds (hybrids) are developed by seedstock companies such as DeKalb and Pig Improvement Company for use as maternal or paternal lines. Following is a description and brief historical background of each of these breeds. Another page provides some breed photos. BERKSHIRE The modern Berkshire is a black pig with six white points -- each of the four feet, the face and the tip of the tail. The ears are erect and should be small in relation to those of other breeds. Berkshires are proven to produce high-quality pork in terms of ideal color and marbling. This consumer appeal has resulted in several niche markets for Berkshire-sired market hogs for export, and a recent resurgence in breed popularity. In the business world, a market niche is a small segment of a larger market that represents the special needs of a small group of customers. Berkshires originated from an area around Berkshire, England, in the 1800s, but word of an improved strain of pig from the area surfaced as early as the 1700s. The foundation stock for the Berkshire breed was originally red, with the black color pattern established near the end of the 1800s. There was probably an infusion of Chinese pig genetics during breed establishment. Berkshires first came to America in 1823, and the American Berkshire Association was formed in 1875. CHESTER WHITE "Chesters," as they are commonly known, are a hardy, white breed with small, droopy ears. Chester Whites are named for Chester County, Pennsylvania, but may have been established in Jefferson County, New York, from a combination of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Cumberland genetics. Ohio breeders imported some of these pigs from Chester County, Pennsylvania, improved them and renamed the breed Ohio Improved Chester. Their popularity has waned in recent years as a result of competition from Yorkshires and Landrace, two breeds that thrive in today's intensively managed, large, commercial confinement swine production systems. A variety of breed associations were formed before and shortly after 1900 to record pedigrees and promote Chester White hogs. Between 1911 and 1930, all associations were combined to form the Chester White Swine Record Association (CWSRA). In 1997, the CWSRA combined with Poland China and spotted breed registries to form the Certified Pedigreed Swine Association. DUROC Durocs are a large, red breed with drooping ears. First called "Duroc-Jerseys," they originated from a variety of local colonial red pigs in New England. Breeds used in the development of Durocs included the Red Guinea from Africa, Berkshires, and Red Rock pigs from Spain. Tamworths, another red breed of note, did not contribute to the establishment of Durocs. Durocs are known for their growth rate and excellent quality pork. They are routinely used in crossbreeding systems as terminal sires (used to sire market hogs, not replacement females) worldwide. In fact, American Durocs were exported to Denmark, improved and reimported to the United States as Danish Durocs. The Duroc-Jersey Breed Association was formed in 1883, with a name change in 1934 to become the United Duroc Swine Registry. Duroc swine are now registered through the National Swine Registry along with Yorkshire, Hampshire and Landrace breeds. HAMPSHIRE The trademark color of Hampshire hogs is black with a white belt around the shoulders. Hampshires should have upright ears. In 1893, a group of farmers in Kentucky formed the first breed association called the "American Thin Rind Association" because of the low amount of fat these belted pigs produced in comparison to other breeds. The ancestors of Hampshires were various breeds of belted hogs found in England, including the now rare Wessex Saddleback. In 1904, the name "Hampshire" was adopted for the region around Hampshire, England, where their ancestors apparently originated, and the record association name was changed to the American Hampshire Record Association. The Hampshire breed is now registered through the National Swine Registry along with Yorkshire, Duroc and Landrace breeds. At a time when most pigs were bred for their fat production as well as for meat, Hampshires were poor producers of lard. After World War I, when the economics of pork production began to emphasize the production of lean meat instead of fat, the demand for Hampshires rose rapidly. Today, Hampshires are used mostly as a terminal sire breed in commercial crossbreeding systems. Producers recognize their ability to efficiently produce lean carcasses, although their growth rate is generally somewhat poorer than the growth rates of other breeds. LANDRACE Landrace are long-bodied, lean, white pigs with large drooping ears. They are a relatively new breed to the United States, having been imported from Denmark in 1934 and Norway in 1954. Landrace are prized for their maternal genetics, especially their milk production and ability to wean large, heavy litters in a commercial setting. Most commercial sows in the United States have at least some Landrace blood. The ancestors of Landrace are native Celtic pigs from continental Europe. Breeders from various countries, most notably Denmark, systematically improved the native pigs into a breed that has been exported to many countries around the globe. The first breed association for American Landrace was formed in 1950. The Landrace breed is now registered through the National Swine Registry along with Hampshire, Yorkshire, Duroc and Landrace breeds. POLAND CHINA Poland China hogs were the mainstay of the American swine industry in the early 1900s. Their color pattern resembles that of Berkshires, but their ears droop instead of standing upright. Polands are known for their appetite, growth rate, muscling and hardiness. Stories from the early 1900s indicate that Polands grew to immense size and were good producers of lard. Today, Poland Chinas are generally considered too fat by many commercial producers, and are seldom used in commercial crossbreeding schemes. Poland China hogs originated from neither Poland nor China. They were developed in The Miami Valley of Ohio in the latter half of the 19th century, probably from Berkshires, the ancestors of the Hampshire breed, and a breed called the Irish Grazier. The first record association, formed in 1878, was called the Ohio Poland Record. Today the Poland China breed is registered through the Certified Pedigreed Swine Association along with Chester White and spotted breeds. SPOTTED SWINE Spotted swine can be black with white spots or white with black spots. Their ears are typically small, and droop over the eyes. "Spots" are rugged individuals, better adapted to outdoor production than most breeds commonly used in modern confinement systems. Their strong points are growth rate and durability. Spotted boars (uncastrated, male pigs) are known for being aggressive breeders. Like Poland Chinas, spots are generally regarded as too fat for use in intensive commercial production systems and are not very numerous in the United States. The genetic base for the Spotted breed was developed in Putnam and Hendricks counties in Indiana in the late 1800s. Ancestors of the breed were essentially the same as those of the Poland China, with the additional infusion of the Gloucester Old Spot breed from England. Until 1960, the breed was known as the Spotted Poland China. The first breed association for the Spotted breed was formed in 1914, and was called the Record Association of Bainbridge, IN. The name was changed at one point to the National Spotted Poland China Record, and then renamed again in 1960 to become the National Spotted Swine Record, Inc. Spotted swine are now registered through Certified Pedigreed Swine Association along with the Poland China and Chester white breeds. YORKSHIRES Yorkshires are long-bodied, white hogs with upright ears. They are perhaps the most commonly used breed in the world. Yorkshires, known for their maternal traits, farrow and wean large litters. Most commercial sows in the United States contain some Yorkshire genetics. Yorkshires were originally established in the area surrounding Yorkshire, England. In their native country, and in much of Europe, they are called "large white." American Yorkshires were bred separately for such a long period that 20 years ago they could have been considered a distinct breed. However, recent integration of imported English and European large whites have largely erased that distinction. The American Yorkshire Club was formed in 1893. The first Yorkshire registration book was published in 1901, although English large whites were first imported to the United States in about 1830. Yorkshires are now registered through the National Swine Registry along with the Hampshire, Duroc and Landrace breeds. PIETRAIN Pietrain hogs are generally spotted in color with small, drooping ears. Their color pattern is often difficult to distinguish from that of Spotted Swine, although Pietrains often have some red hairs mixed into their coats and the hair is less pigmented. Pietrain crossbreeds often have a blaze or stripe down the center of the face. Pietrains are incredibly heavily muscled, lean animals. Their carcasses contain several percentage points more lean meat than the carcasses of almost any other breed (66.7% vs. 63.2% usable lean when compared with Belgian Landrace). Today, market hogs are generally sold based on the lean content in the carcass, so producers sometimes use Pietrains and Pietrain crossbred boars as terminal sires. However, the meat from Pietrain-sired pigs is sometimes watery and pale, resulting in poor consumer appeal and poor processing characteristics. Pietrains originated from a genetic mutation in local Belgian pigs that resulted in an extreme muscle pattern. The breed was originally discriminated against because of the propensity for the most extremely muscled specimens to die for no apparent reason. Researchers have since discovered that sudden death, and correlated pork quality problems, are a result of the HAL gene. Pigs with the HAL gene become extremely stiff when forced to breathe halothane gas. Pigs without the gene have no reaction to the gas. The sudden death syndrome was renamed "porcine stress syndrome" (PSS). Pigs with two copies of the HAL gene are the most extreme in their muscling and are referred to as "stress positive." Meat from stress positive pigs is of extremely low quality. Pigs with one copy of the gene are slightly lighter muscled than stress positive pigs, and are called "stress carriers." Stress carriers produce acceptable quality pork. Genetic tests are now available to determine an individual pig's HAL status, and breeders currently select Pietrain breeding stock that maintain the extreme muscling without the HAL gene and its associated problems. There is no breed registry association for Pietrains in the United States. Another page provides some breed photos. SUMMARY: Livestock breeders have only recently (within the past 150 years) begun recording the parentage of pigs with certain economic and visual traits. The genetic foundation for swine breeds consisted of common, local hogs that traditionally ran semi-wild. Those wild pigs show little resemblance to today's lean, heavily muscled, fast-growing, intensively managed pigs. In only 150 years of selective breeding, livestock breeders have manually "genetically engineered" the pig into an efficient, reliable source of protein.
** American Berkshire Association
** Certified Pedigreed Swine Association
** Ion Bejenaur - All Pig Breeds List From A to Z
** Iowa State University - Crossbreeding and Hybrid Vigor
** Livestock Conservancy - Heritage Swine
** National Pork Board - Major Swine Breeds
** National Swine Registry - What Is the NSR?
** Oklahoma State University - Breeds of Livestock - Swine
** Penn State Extension - Crossbred Breeding Systems
** Pork Checkoff - Senior Quizbowl Breed Eligibility Activity
** Purpose Games - Swine Breed Identification
** SuperTeacherTools - Pig Breeds
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