Different Breeds Of Pigs

Farm Blog at the State Fair: Today's Feature is Pigs and Hogs

In the swine barn -- New York state ranks 32nd in the United States for hog and pig production.

John Stenson, superintendent of the swine barn at the New York State Fair and a retired hog producer, admits it isn't a large part of the state's agricultural landscape. He said there are only a couple of large producers in the state, while others with pigs raise them for breeding stock, freezer pork or a growing industry -- roaster pigs.

In 2010, there were about 110,000 pigs and hogs raised in the state, with a total value of $11.8 million.

In the swine barn at the state fair, the few and proud pig and hog breeders show off all the different breeds and answer questions about the animals. And, of course, one of the highlights of the fair is to see the piglets. There usually are a couple of sows with numerous piglets there to oooh and aaaah over.

Stenson said the most popular breeds in the state are yorkshire, Hampshire and Duroc. He said the primary problem in New York state is there are no processing plants for swine -- any pigs being produced for pork products have to be taken to Pennsylvania for slaughter.

"But the pork produced in New York, the quality is excellent and the taste is excellent," he said. He added the prices are very good in the state.

Nationally, there are more than 61 million pigs and hogs, with Iowa the number one state for pork production. The United State is the world's largest pork exporter, with exports increasing to $4.8 billion in 2008. Japan is the top importer of U.S. pork.

Pork is the world's most consumed meat.

And for all those wondering, there is a difference between a hog and a pig. Hog is the general name for the animal while a pig is a young hog. Also a gilt is a female that has not yet been bred to have a litter of piglets.

Rare Breeds of Pig Keep Genetic Diversity, Useful Against Disease ...

The Mangalitza Wooly Pig is a good example of a breed that nearly died out. Others, such as the Lincolnshire Curly Coat pig, are now extinct

Sheep, goats, and cattle do not compete for food with humans – they live on grass. They were domesticated by early farmers to provide meat, milk, and wool. Domestic pigs, on the other hand, are omnivores (they can eat many things). Like their ancestor (the wild boar) they can survive well in forests, but they have been kept near humans and fed leftover scraps for a very long time.

Different parts of the world have developed domestic breeds of pig that are suited to local conditions and local taste, but many of these ancient breeds are dying out to be replaced by the few that do well under intensive farming.

Mangalitzas (or Mangalitsas), sometimes also called 'pigs in blankets', originated in Austria and Hungary. They were very common there until the 1950s (30,000 in Hungary in 1943), but are now becoming quite rarer.

In 2006 a few were brought to England, where the breed is registered with the British Pig Association (BPA). They are usually to be found in zoos (such as 'Tropical Wings' in Essex), or being raised by rare breed enthusiasts.

They were later (2007) imported into America, by a company called 'Wooly Pigs'! These animals are raised to produce pork 'equal to Europe's best'.

On a slightly whimsical note – one was taken to the premiere of a Nanny McPhee film by actress Emma Thompson.

Mangalitzas are similar in appearance to the, now extinct Lincolnshire Curly Coat pig.

The 'Curly Coat' was developed as a breed suitable for smallholders. The curly white coat helped it survive cold, wet, winters. It is ironic that the breed died out (in 1972) just before the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBTS) was formed.

Several other British 'local' breeds (such as the Cumberland, the Ulster White, the Dorset Gold Tip and the Yorkshire Blue) have also become extinct recently, because the practice of keeping a pig in the garden – to provide meat through the winter – has all but died out.

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