How to Raise Miniature Fragrant Pigs? A Detailed Explanation of Key Breeding Techniques

The miniature fragrant pig originated in the ethnic minority mountain areas of Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces in China. Adults weigh no more than 32-68 kg; the smallest adult boar weighs just over 20 kg and the sow only 30 kg. The lean meat rate of miniature pigs is around 60%, and the meat has no gamy odor, being delicately fragrant and tasty - it enjoys the reputation of “when one household cooks meat, the whole neighborhood smells the fragrance”.

I. Breeds

China has more than a dozen miniature pig breeds. Judging by coat color, there are pure black, pure white, white with black forehead, tail and four hooves, and black on top with white underneath. There are four pure black breeds:

1. Small body, no hair around the eyes, large belly, slightly concave back and loin; adult boar 21.2 kg, sow 30 kg; a dual-purpose meat-and-fat type.

2. Short snout, flat forehead, large belly dragging on the ground, concave back and loin; adult boar 38 kg, sow 41 kg; an ideal raw material for roast suckling pig.

3. Small head, back and loin mostly straight; adult boar 48 kg, sow 68 kg; high dressing percentage, good meat quality.

4. Narrow and long head, back and loin straight or slightly   arched; adult boar 28 kg, sow 32 kg; meat is tender and delicious. Pure white breed: adult boar 20 kg, sow 28 kg; a lean-meat type. Black-on-top-white-underneath breed: adult weight around 50 kg, meat tastes good.

II. Feeding of Breeding Boars

1. Diet formulation   should be determined according to local conditions. A reference formula is corn 66.5%, soybean cake 10%, peanut cake 10%, wheat bran 8%, fish meal 3%, bone meal 1.3%, shell meal 0.7%, salt 0.5%, plus added multivitamins.

2. Management   After 1.5 months of age, boars must be kept in individual pens, and the boar house should be some distance from the sow house. Exercise twice a day, 10-30 minutes each time. Fragrant pigs reach sexual maturity at 4 months of age and can only be used for mating at 6 months of age. An adult boar is mated once a day, with 1-2 days of rest each week.

III. Feeding of Sows

Sows reach sexual maturity at 4 months of age and can be bred at 6 months. The estrous cycle is 20-21 days, estrus lasts 3-4 days, and the gestation period is 114.65±3.24 days.

In feeding sows, good body condition must be maintained; they should not be too fat or too thin. During gestation, ensure they eat and sleep well, with appropriate exercise twice a day. In mid-gestation (20-28 days), more roughage can be fed; in late gestation, more concentrate and minerals should be added. During farrowing, ensure the farrowing house is warm, dry and clean, with a suitable temperature of 22-33 degrees C; utensils should be disinfected. A few days before farrowing, the amount fed should be reduced, then gradually increased after delivery, reaching the full amount after 5-7 days. During lactation, feed 3-4 times a day and ensure the sow has plenty of drinking water.

IV. Feeding of Young Pigs and Commercial Pigs

Piglets have relatively high temperature requirements. The suitable temperature for young pigs is 30-32 degrees C within 3 days of birth, 27-30 degrees C at 4-7 days of age, 22-27 degrees C at 8-30 days of age, and 20-22 degrees C at 31-45 days of age. To preserve the original flavor of commercial pigs, two points should be noted in feeding: first, do not feed compound feed containing additives and the like; second, adhere to the principle of mainly feeding green and succulent feed; green, succulent, concentrate and roughage can be mixed and fed.