Swine and The Swine Industry
Origin and Domestication of Swine
•
Today’s swine originated from:
• European Wild Boar – still exist in Europe
• Black and gray or brown
• East Indian Pig (several types)
• These two crossed to form modern swine breeds
Swine Breeds
1.
Maternal breeds – typically white; excel in litter
size, fertility, milk production.
2.
Paternal (sire) breeds – typically colored; excel in
leanness, muscling, growth rate.
3.
Corporate swine breeding companies
•
ie. DeKalb, Pig Improvement Company (PIC).
•
sell synthetic “lines” of breeding stock
•
hybrids of 2 or more breeds to form “lines”
•
sire/terminal or maternal lines
Yorkshire
maternal breed – 1st in
USA
England (Large White)
white, erect ears
excels in:
– litter size
– milk production
– fertility
Chester White
maternal breed – 7th in
USA
Pennsylvania
white, small drooping
ears
excels in:
– litter size
– milk production
– fertility
maternal breed 4th in
USA
Denmark
white, large drooping
ears excels in:
– litter size
– milk production
– fertility
Landrace
Duroc
paternal breed – 2nd in
USA
New York/New Jersey
solid red color
excels in:
– leanness
– growth
– muscling
Hampshire
paternal sire – 3rd in
USA
Boone County, KY
black, white belt
excels in:
– leanness
– growth
– muscling
Spots (Spotted)
paternal sire – 5th in
USA
Putnam County, IN
black and white spots
drooping ears
excels in:
– leanness
– growth
– muscling
Poland China
Dual purpose – 8th in
USA
Warren County, OH
black, white on legs,
snout and tail
drooping ears
excels in:
– growth
– litter size
Berkshire
Paternal sire – 6th in
USA
England
black, white on legs,
snout and tail
erect ears
excels in:
– growth
– litter size
Swine Breeds
 Few (< 1%) purebred hogs in US

Used in some purebreed crossing systems
 Crossbreds: 20-30% more efficient in production
 Use terminal and maternal lines and corporate hybrids


e.g. Landrace x Yorkshire sows
Hampshire x Duroc boars
Premier Swine Breeding Company
MATERNAL
LINES
TERMINAL
LINES
Grading Pork Carcasses
 No standard Quality grades

Must have “acceptable” quality to meet standard
Grading System
 USDA # 1, 2, 3, 4, Utility
 Lean yield from ham, loin, blade shoulder and picnic shoulder




1
2
3
4
> 53%
50 – 52.9
47- 49.9
< 47
 Based upon back-fat and muscling score
Ideal Market Hog-Primary Product
 Standards set by National Pork Producers Council
 Market weight = 260 lbs
 Days to 260 lbs = 160 days avg.
 Loin eye area = 6.8 sq. in. avg.
 High fat free lean index
 from terminal crossbreeding program
Swine Breeds



Few (< 1%) purebred hogs in US
 Used in some purebreed crossing systems
 Source of known genetics for development of
hybrids
Crossbreds: 20-30% more efficient in production
= HETEROSIS
Use terminal and maternal lines and corporate
hybrids
 e.g. Landrace x Yorkshire sows
 Hampshire x Duroc boars
Pork Quality – PSE pork
Pork Quality – PSE pork

Pale, soft
less appealing to consumer
 water loss affects yield and profitability for
processors
 associated with porcine stress syndrome

 homozygous
recessive
 lean, heavily muscled hogs
Finisher
Swine Facilities
Free Range
Nursery or
Finisher with
Lagoons
Sow Farm