Pigs are omnivores. They are among the ten most intelligent animals, because... showed high results in both intelligence and observation. They are good swimmers.
Many people think that pigs love to wallow in mud. In fact, they bathe in puddles to get rid of parasites: the mud dries, forms a crust and falls off, along with the parasites. The same crust protects them from mosquitoes and midges, and cools the body in extreme heat.
Pigs are bred for meat, fat, and skin. The largest breeds of pigs were bred specifically to produce these healthy products, and we will tell you about them. In addition, pigs are used to search for truffles and drugs; dwarf breeds are kept at home as pets.
Vietnamese potbellied, 120 kg
The breed originated in Southeast Asia, but then spread to Romania, Canada, Ukraine and other countries. Its peculiarity is early ripening, because Sexual maturity in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig occurs at the age of 4 months, and in a wild boar - at 6 months.
They differ from other breeds and have high immunity. They have their own characteristics of the digestive system, so roughage (up to 50%) can be included in their diet.
Sows are very clean, with a well-developed maternal instinct, give a lot of milk, are balanced, and have about 6 to 18 piglets in a litter, i.e. one pig can give birth to about 24 babies a year.
At birth, a piglet weighs from 450 to 600 g. An adult boar can gain weight of 120-140 kg, occasionally up to 150 kg, while a pig weighs less: from 100 to 120 kg, rarely - 140. Most often, representatives of this breed are black, There may be small white spots.
Boars have tusks that grow up to 10-15 cm. The bristles can reach 20 cm in length, forming something like a “mohawk.” If the animal is frightened, or, conversely, pleased, it rears up.
The largest domestic pig breeds
Pork varieties of outstanding size include:
- English white;
- large white;
- Latvian white;
- Duroc;
- Landrace and others.
More on the topic: Quantitative indicators of pig farming in Russia
Any of the listed species can allow its owner to raise a world record holder, of course, with the proper level of feeding and care.
Large domestic animals such as the English White pig were developed in Great Britain in the late nineteenth century by crossing local pig breeds with Portuguese and Chinese breeders. This breed is one of the most popular in the world pig breeding.
Animals of this species gain two and a half, or even three centners in just a year and a half, and their height at the withers ranges from one meter fifty to one meter seventy centimeters.
Young English white grass reaches its optimal weight for slaughter of 100 kilograms in less than two hundred days.
Large white also comes from England and belongs to the meat and fat pig breeding direction. Today, it is this variety that is most popular in our country and in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
An adult boar can reach a mass of three point eight hundredweight, and outstanding individuals weigh almost five.
The Latvian White is also distinguished by its strong build and impressive dimensions. These animals were developed in the second half of the twentieth century by hybridizing Large White and White Short-Eared pigs with native porcine species.
The average live weight of an adult male is about three hundred twelve kilograms.
Duroc is a large variety of pork popular in the USA and Canada. In another way, this breed is also called Duroc-Jersey. A distinctive feature of such pigs is their red color, inherited from one of the ancestors - the Guinea red pig, which was brought to America from hot Africa. The intensity of their growth is simply amazing.
The daily weight gain of Durocs reaches almost a kilogram (more precisely, up to nine hundred and sixty grams); the weight of an adult boar can reach almost four centners.
Igor Nikolaev
auto RU
Landrace are large meat pigs. They were bred in Sweden as a result of the hybridization of large white pigs and local breed species. True, many years of breeding work were required to select the best and cull the worst representatives of the breed.
An adult boar can weigh up to three centners.
Pietrain, 260 kg
The breed was bred in Belgium at the beginning of the twentieth century. She is of the meat variety. Became especially popular in the 1950s. They are variegated in color: white with black spots, but are sometimes born pure white.
Pietrain pigs is dense and muscular. They grow up to 80 cm at the withers and can weigh from 220 to 260 kg. These pigs are raised for their meat, and their body structure eliminates the possibility of large amounts of fat.
They have delicious meat; they get up to 140 kg from one animal. Pietrains are picky eaters, they give birth to few piglets, they need good conditions, because... They do not tolerate extreme cold and heat well. Without proper care, they quickly get sick and die.
Features of cultivation
In an effort to raise the largest pig in the world, farmers, in pursuit of glory, forget about the health of their pets. An animal carefully fed by its owner will suffer from obesity and will not live long. Due to excess body weight, giant boars develop problems with the joints, limbs and heart, and it becomes difficult for the animal to move and breathe. Therefore, you should strive to raise not the biggest pig, but a healthy and well-fed individual, wisely selecting the diet and living conditions.
It should be noted that pigs do not always become huge due to obesity. If a farmer wants to have a healthy and well-fed pig, then he should choose large breeds. An important role in raising giants is played by pedigree, housing conditions, diet and genetics - a mini-pig will not grow into a hefty boar, and vice versa.
Pigs are omnivores, so fattening your pets to gigantic sizes is not difficult. However, it should be remembered that the main thing in pig farming is to raise healthy pigs that will produce a lot of tasty meat.
Large white, 270 kg
The breed was bred in the 19th century in England, and at the end of the 80s it was brought to our country. The Large White is a meat-fat breed, the sow weighs from 200 to 270 kg, and the boar weighs from 290 to 370 kg.
She is unpretentious to food and quickly acclimatizes. They are pale pink in color, covered with smooth and light bristles. They grow up to 170-190 cm in length. These are calm animals that easily get along with both people and other breeds of pigs.
They are indiscriminate in food, mature early (they are already able to bear offspring a year), very fertile (10-12 piglets are born, sometimes more). They do not tolerate frost and sun rays well, and can easily catch pneumonia or get burns.
Giant wild boars
Boars are aggressive and cunning animals. A large individual weighs on average two hundred to two hundred fifty kilograms and is two meters long. The height at the withers can reach one meter and twenty centimeters.
A huge wild pig weighing about 300 kg
The largest wild boar was shot in 2004 in the USA in the state of Georgia. Its weight exceeded three hundred kilograms, and its length was more than three meters. The length of the giant's fangs is about seventy centimeters. After research by scientists, it was discovered that this individual was a cross between a wild boar and a domestic pig. They concluded that this boar had grown up on a farm, since it simply would not have survived in the wild with tusks of this size.
The largest wild boar in the world was shot in America, in the state of Alabama. The monster weighed four hundred and eighty kilograms and its length was three and a half meters. The tusks of this boar were thirteen centimeters long, and the shoulder girth was one meter and ninety centimeters. This record holder was killed by an eleven-year-old hunter named Jamis, who believes that he was just lucky and he most likely could not shoot such a giant again. This boy started hunting very early. His first big kill was a deer, which he shot at the age of five.
some large boars can be lured
Another giant wild boar was discovered in Turkey. His name is Attila. The wild boar belongs to the subspecies Sus Scrofa. His weight is more than three hundred and fifty kilograms.
Urzhumskaya, 300 kg
The Urzhum breed appeared in the 50s of the twentieth century, in the Kirov region. Got this name because... was withdrawn to the city of Urzhum. It was approved in 1957. She is white in color, body length is from 170 to 180 cm.
It is a breed of bacon type. An adult pig weighs 250 kg, and a boar weighs even more - 350 kg. It is considered a prolific breed; in one farrow a sow can produce from 11 to 13 piglets; already at 7 months they weigh 100 kg.
The bulk of the weight is meat, about 55%, but there is also lard - up to 36%. The meat is good and is used to make bacon. The result is an unpretentious breed that can be kept in the northern regions. These pigs are excellent mothers and are calm.
Brought glory to the owners
A farmer who breeds purebred offspring of the largest breeds has a chance to become famous throughout the world thanks to his outstanding pet.
The largest boar known to mankind is Old Slot. The record holder was a representative of the Gloucester breed. The giant was raised by English farmer Joseph Lawton. According to historical data, its length was slightly less than 3 m, its height was 1.43 m, and its weight was 6395 kg.
Unfortunately, today there is no reliable information about the conditions under which fat boars were raised. Moreover, some experts doubt the veracity of the information, because it is quite difficult to imagine such a weight with the indicated dimensions. However, it is Old Slot that is today recognized as the largest boar in the world, his record has not been broken.
An honorable second place belongs to the no less famous boar Big Bill, raised by American farmer Elias Jackson. With a body length of 272 cm, the pig weighed 1158 kg. Such outstanding dimensions brought considerable fame to the giant’s owner, but turned out to be a very heavy burden for the animal itself. The boar could hardly move. And while traveling to another exhibition, he fell in a truck and broke a limb.
This injury was the last test in Big Bill's life - he died. For a long time, the stuffed pig was a real relic of the farmer’s family, but over time it too disappeared without a trace.
Mirgorodskaya, 330 kg
The Mirgorod pig appeared in the Poltava region, it was recognized as a separate breed in 1940. This is a meat-and-fat breed, black and white in color.
Work on developing a new breed began in the 1890s; selection work was carried out under the leadership of A.F. Bondarenko.
The body length of a boar is 165-175 cm, they weigh from 280 to 330 kg. Sows are slightly smaller, 155-160 cm, weighing from 200 to 220 kg. One pig can give birth to 10 or more piglets. Migorodsky pigs are especially valued for their lard: it is very tasty, up to 4.5 cm wide.
Vietnamese pigs
The Vietnamese breed of pigs also belongs to the meat breed, but its quantity is not so large. This breed is early maturing and has high fertility. Sexual maturity occurs at 4 months; after 4 months, the pig can bring its first offspring in quantities of up to 20 pieces. She can give birth for 18 years, and produces approximately 24 piglets per year.
Productivity
Slaughter for meat occurs at 8 months of age, when there is still no cholesterol, and the meat is very tasty and sells very quickly. High taste qualities occur due to the good absorption of plant foods.
Advantages and disadvantages
Any breed of pig has its advantages and disadvantages, the advantages of the breed:
- rapid ripening;
- high fertility;
- high quality meat;
- unpretentiousness to food;
- disease resistance;
- calm character;
- quick payback.
Flaws:
- do not like drafts;
- any food will not work, it is necessary to choose exclusively for Vietnamese pigs;
- The sow feeds the piglets for a long time, so she becomes exhausted.
Care
Before purchasing a Vietnamese pig, you need to prepare a room for it in advance, which should be dry and clean. This breed is not fussy about keeping, and since they are small in size, a pigsty for them will become a whole farm. In the summer, it is necessary to walk the pigs; for this purpose, an area of one hundred square meters in size is allocated for one adult pig. When walking, logs should be dug into the ground so that they can rub their backs.
Vietnamese pigs are extremely clean, and when walking they relieve themselves only in one corner. If at the moment it is impossible to go out for a walk, then they will endure as long as necessary. The premises must be kept clean. Pigs must have clean water at all times.
Pigs and piglets should be fed grass, and they eat any grass in large quantities. The daily menu should include: wheat, barley, oats, peas and corn, but not in pure form, but in the form of porridges. If it was decided to give dry grains, then they must first be crushed.
Breeding
The main rule for obtaining healthy and viable young animals is that the boar should not be a relative of the sow; this applies to those animals that they decided to breed. In general, pigs of this breed are early maturing, but you need to breed a pig with a boar if its weight is less than 30 kilograms.
By the following signs you can determine that a pig is ready for mating:
- the sow is worried;
- the genital loop becomes swollen;
- discharge appears;
- if you press on the croup, the pig does not move from its place, but listens to the sensations.
Landrace, 330 kg
The breed was developed in Denmark, is a bacon-type pig, and was registered in 1896. Landrace breed was so productive and produced excellent bacon that it made Denmark one of the main suppliers of bacon in Europe.
Fearing competitors, Landrace dogs were not exported abroad, and only in the 1940s did this breed appear in other countries. Pigs of this breed grow up to 2 m, sows – up to 1.6 m. They are pink in color, but they also come with a pockmarked color. They are peaceful, obedient, non-aggressive. Weight they can reach: sows - 200-220 kg, and wild boars - 280-300 kg.
The downside is that they are very demanding in terms of conditions and food, and they need a walking area. The advantages are high fertility (10-12 piglets) and a peaceful character.
World record holders
Every farmer who raises pigs strives to raise well-fed animals, taking care of the nutrition and living conditions of their pets. And many pig farmers succeed: farmers raise the largest pigs in the world, which bring fame to their owners.
The record holders are:
- The hog named Old Slot is the weight champion among pigs. This is a boar originally from England, raised on a private farm owned by Joseph Astberry. Thanks to the efforts of the owner, Old Slot grew truly enormous: the weight of the boar was 6 tons, and the body length was 3 m. Old Slot is inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest boar.
- The second most massive pig on the planet is a boar named Big Bill. A large piglet was born in Great Britain as a result of crossing two breeds: Polish and Chinese. Having matured, Bill weighed more than a ton, and his body length was 2 m 74 cm. Unfortunately, the story of one of the most gigantic boars ended sadly: on the way to the exhibition, Bill broke his leg. The owner, wanting to help the pet, administered a dose of sleeping pills to the animal, which caused death. Big Bill's body was stuffed.
- Another weight champion is considered to be an animal that grew up on a farm in China, whose owner was pig farmer Li Shun. Unfortunately, the pig's name remains unknown. Li Shun bought the pet that brought him popularity as a small and weak pig. When the pig was 10 months old, the farmer wanted to sell it. However, the buyers turned out to be intractable and did not agree to the asking price. Then Li Shun decided to fatten the pig enough to get the maximum amount of money for it. In 2013, the pig weighed more than 600 kg.
- The boar Chun-Chun became a contender for the title of “the largest pig in the world.” The boar grew up in China and from birth stood out among its relatives: the pig was small, but it ate for three. As a result, the dimensions of the grown Chun-Chun brought fame to the owner: the weight of the pig was 900 kg, the body length was 2.5 m, and the fangs were 15 cm. After his death, the stuffed boar became the property of the Museum of Agriculture in China.
- Big Norma is recognized as the fattest pig in the world - she weighed 1.2 tons, and Norma’s length was 2.5 m. Due to her excess weight, the animal did not live long, and after death it was buried with honors.
- The world's largest living pig is Rumba, who lives in the United States. Rumba's body length is 7 m, and its weight reaches 5 tons.
Chun Chun
Big Bill
Poltava meat, 350 kg
It was bred in 1993 in the Poltava region, it has taken root in Ukraine. This is where productivity is greatest, while in other regions it falls.
The Poltava meat pig is large, with a very long body - 185 cm. The weight of an adult pig is 330-350 kg. It has a fairly high meat yield - up to 62%, and it turns out very tender. Lard is nutritious and has a pleasant taste. Another plus is high productivity: from 10 to 15 piglets, almost all of them survive.
Poltava meat breed is not picky about food, produces high-quality meat and lard, and has good immunity.
Tong (China)
Only seven decades later, a boar named Tone, originally from China, similar in size, although slightly inferior to Bill, appeared. He was an unusual pig from the very beginning. Over the 5 years of his life, a lonely farmer, Xu Changjin, became very fond and attached to his pet. His friendship with Ton began on April 25, 1999. A year later, five other pigs from Tone's litter were big enough to sell, but he was so skinny that no buyers were interested.
Thus, Xu refused to sell the pig that year. The future champion was pompous, very small and weak. However, Xu did not neglect him, and the boar suddenly began to grow after he celebrated his second birthday. Soon its weight exceeded 300 kg and was larger than almost all individuals in the area.
The farmer now kept the hog in his house and paid him special attention, every day Tone Pig took a bath and ate 4 kg of feed. The sign above the door read: "Home of the Giant Pig." Then people began to come to the farmer, offering good money for the boar. However, by this time Xu had become so attached to the pet that he refused to sell, saying: “He is my companion.”
During the Spring Festival in February 2003, Xu wrote a spring verse to show his pride in the pet, whose weight had already exceeded 700 kilograms. Tone had to arrange a sand bed in the yard because the pig was too big to stay in the house. The news spread everywhere and many people came to see the boar. However, Xu rarely opened his gate to show off the prize pig because he was afraid it would be stolen.
The house was protected by a strong gate and a strong wall. With the farmer forced to spend almost all of his savings on food, Xu's friendship with his pig was the topic of conversation in the local village.
By the end of January 2004, Tong weighed 900 kg, which, according to Xu Changyuan (the head of the village), could bring the owner 3,000 yuan (360 US dollars). After the spring holidays, the owner discovered that the tone began to rise less and less often. And on the night of February 4, the farmer fell asleep after dinner, and in the morning his beloved Tone was already found dead in his sleep.
At noon, Xu posted a note on his gate: “No visitors. My giant pig is sleeping and will never wake up." Six days later, the farmer went to the Liaoning Agricultural Museum to donate a friend to the museum.
Important! It took 16 people to load the boar onto the truck. It was the heaviest pig in Chinese history.
Ukrainian steppe, 350 kg
It was bred by academician M.F. Ivanov in 1928-34. He worked on a breed that would be highly productive, but at the same time unpretentious in terms of conditions and food.
The Ukrainian Steppe is similar to the Great English White, but with a larger build. She is also white, with a pink tint, and thick stubble. It has a calm and friendly disposition and easily adapts to temperature changes.
This is a meat breeding breed, the sows of which weigh from 210 to 230 kg, and the boars - from 300 to 340 kg. Quite prolific, from 11 to 12 piglets. It is characterized by high early maturity, good meat mass, resistance to diseases, and adapts to different conditions. High productivity at low financial costs.
Brazier breed
In the 21st century, experts developed a new breed of barbecue pigs, which have a distinctive feature - wool. It is difficult to confuse the Mangal breed with someone else, because their hair is thick with curls like that of a lamb. Thick hair allows the animal to endure severe frosts without problems, and in the summer to escape from annoying insects. Based on color, the grill can be divided into four types:
- black;
- red;
- white;
- mixed.
The black type of barbecue is practically no longer available.
Mangals are on the verge of extinction, there are very few of them left in the world, but the meat of these pigs cannot be compared with anything, it is the most delicious, tender and juicy.
There are many types of meat pigs, each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Many breeds can be easily bred even at home without experience. The meat yield from such breeds is about 80% per carcass. If you have decided to deal with a certain breed of pigs, you should first familiarize yourself with it, and then begin keeping and feeding.
Productivity
The live weight of a pig is up to 200 kilograms, and that of a wild boar is up to 300 kilograms; the largest record weight of a wild boar was as much as 500 kilograms. Marbled meat is of high quality and delicate taste, but they also have lard, the thickness of which is 5 centimeters when the pig is 8 months old, and at 10 months of age the layer of lard reaches as much as 10 centimeters.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Mangal breed of pigs has the following advantages:
- high meat productivity;
- unpretentiousness in feeding, they can eat even the cheapest food;
- simplicity of content;
- resistance to temperature changes;
- precocity.
And now about the disadvantages:
- the breed is rare;
- To purchase it you need to have a lot of money.
Care and maintenance
To roam, these pigs need freedom, and the place where they will graze must be fenced with a strong fence so that dogs and other predatory animals cannot get to them. It is important to determine that there are no poisonous plants in the area, as they love grass and eat it indiscriminately. While walking, they should not be constantly exposed to sunlight, so a canopy should be made.
In addition to grass, pigs can be given vegetables, fruits, and food waste. In the summer they can nibble succulent grass, but in winter it should be replaced with high-quality hay. Newborn piglets begin to be fed on the third day from birth.
Breeding
Raising these pigs is quite difficult, since there are very few barbecues. Pure breed piglets are quite difficult to find, and non-purebred ones, when they grow up, do not have such good qualities in every sense. If you are lucky enough to purchase barbecues, then they can only be harvested when they reach a hundred kilogram weight. A sow can give birth to up to 16 piglets at a time.
Large black, 350 kg
It was obtained in the 19th century in England and is considered a meat-and-fat breed. As the name implies, their skin is black and has the same stubble. Males weigh from 300 to 400 kg, females are 100 kg less.
The body of a large black pig is like a barrel, the head is small, and the neck is arched. The sow gives birth to 10-12 piglets, which already weigh 100 kg at 6 months. You can get up to 52% meat and about 40% lard. They are omnivores and easily adapt to heat.
The world's biggest pigs of yesteryear: Big Bill
Big Bill. That was the name of the giant record-breaking boar with a sad fate. They raised this amazing creature as a luxurious example of the work of pig farmers of the early twentieth century, but were unable to demonstrate the result. The boar was a cross between two breeds - Chinese and Polish, weighed 1158 kg and had a body length of 2.72 m.
The boar's uniqueness was supposed to be confirmed and the boar's size recorded in 1933 at the World's Fair in Chicago, but Big Bill didn't get there. An accident on the highway, a broken leg and the inability to alleviate the suffering of a huge animal forced the owner to euthanize the pet.
The inconsolable owner ordered a stuffed animal from his favorite boar, which was passed down through the family for a long time.
Duroc, 400 kg
The breed appeared in 1883, was originally called the Duroc-Jersey, and is a representative of the meat breed. You can recognize it by its red bristles, which darken as the animal grows, but retains this shade.
The body length of a Duroc reaches 180 cm, it is muscular, with strong, strong legs. An adult boar weighs from 360 kg, females are lighter. The main advantage of this breed is the highest quality of meat; it is called “marbled”.
They have a calm character, are not picky about food, and are early ripening. Disadvantages - number of piglets (7-8, no more than 10), low resistance to disease, demanding conditions for walking.
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The biggest hog in the world today
The largest boar in the world is named Old Slot. It is known that he weighed more than six tons, namely six tons three hundred and ninety-five kilograms. The giant's height at the withers was almost one and a half meters. The boar was only six centimeters short of reaching three meters in length.
The largest pig in the world was a Gloucester breed
Old Slot or Old Slot lived in Great Britain, and was raised in Cheshire by a farmer named Joseph. This is a specimen of the Gloucester breed.
Unfortunately, pigs are not among the largest animals on earth. But the largest bird in the world, according to uznayvse.ru, can grow up to 2.8 m.
