March29 , 2024

4 Best Pig Breeds for commercial Pig Farming

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4 Best Pig Breeds for commercial Pig Farming

Some pig breeds are poor feed converters, have low mature body weights, have poor carcass quality, produce small litters, and attain maturity late. These are some of the characteristics of pigs that are bad for the pig farming business. So if you want to start a pig farm, begin with mixes of the following exotic breeds of pigs:

1. Large White (Yorkshire)

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This breed is entirely white, but they have freckles (black pigment spots). A Large White pig has a moderately long head, has a slightly dished face and a broad snout. Its neck is fine, long and evenly full to shoulders with deep and broad chests. Additionally, they have long, level and wide back. Mature boars have weights between 300 kg and 450 kg, and mature sow weighs between 250 kg and 350 kg. Large White pigs possess good carcass quality. The breed is highly prolific and an efficient feed utilizer.

2. Landrace

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Breed Characteristics: This breed is also white with freckles. It is known to have a long, deep side, relatively short legs, square ham, heavy lop ears, and trim jowl. It has a leaner carcass than meat as well as less back fat and lard. Landrace breed is highly prolific and an efficient feed utilizer. A mature male weighs as high as 380 kg and a mature sow weighs up to 320 kg.

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Read also: factors to consider before starting a pig farm

3. Duroc

Breed Characteristics: The breed is moderately red-colored with shades varying from a golden to cherry red color. Duroc pig is well-known to have an excellent weight gain rate and a high feed converter. The sow matures early, produces large litter (up to 15 piglets), and has good mothering ability. This pig breed has good carcass quality and body weight of about 400 kg and 350 kg for the mature boar and mature sow respectively.

4. Poland China

Breed Characteristics: Poland China pig is black with white patches on the face, feet and snout. It has a large body size and floppy ears. It has strong bones and well-developed legs and feet. It is prolific (produces 16 to 17 piglets per farrow) and has excellent meat and carcass quality. It is also an excellent converter of feed to meat and attains maturity early. A mature boar weighs between 250 kg and 360 kg, and a mature sow weighs between 225 kg – 300 kg.

 

Contributed by AKINBOBOLA .A

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