What Pig Breeds Are There? A Detailed Explanation of Common Type Classifications
China's geographical conditions and ecological environment are diverse and complex, and coupled with a long history of pig farming, many excellent local breeds have been formed under the careful cultivation of the working people, numbering more than 100. In the 1980s, appropriate consolidation was carried out, and the method of classifying China's local breeds into 48 pig breeds was determined, mainly divided according to natural geographical regions, growth characteristics, and economic uses.
(1) Classification by natural agricultural region
China's local pig breeds can be roughly divided into six types according to factors such as appearance and body shape, production performance, and natural conditions:
1. North China type: North China type pig breeds are widely distributed, mainly north of the Huaihai and Qinling. North China type pigs are mostly black in coat color, with a few showing white patches at the ends. The body is relatively large, with thick and sturdy limbs; the head is relatively flat and straight, and the snout is relatively long; the ears are large and drooping, and the skin is thick with many wrinkles. There are generally about 8 pairs of teats, and the litter size is generally about 12 piglets. They have good maternal qualities, strong lactation, a relatively high survival rate of piglets, and relatively high feed utilization. Representative breeds include the Min pig, Bamei pig, and Huanghuaihai Black pig.
2. South China type: South China type pig breeds are distributed in the southwestern and southern edges of Yunnan Province, parts of Guangxi and southern Guangdong, as well as southeastern Fujian and Taiwan, China. South China type pigs are mostly black-and-white in coat color, with the head and rump mostly black and the abdomen mostly white. The body is relatively small, the back and loin are broad and sunken, the abdomen is large and drooping, the skin is thin and the hair is sparse, the ears are small and erect or extended flat to both sides, and sexual maturity is early. The main breed is the Guangdong-Guangxi Small Spotted pig.
3. Central China type: Central China type pig breeds are mainly distributed in the area east of the Dabie Mountains and Wuling Mountains between the south bank of the Yangtze River and the Tropic of Cancer. Central China type pigs have a relatively large body, and their body shape is similar to that of South China type pigs. The coat color is mainly black-and-white, with the head and tail mostly black, and there are black patches of varying sizes in the middle of the body. The constitution is relatively loose, the bones are fine, and the back and loin are relatively wide and concave; there are 6 to 7 pairs of teats, and the litter size is 10 to 13 piglets. The main breed is the Central China Two-End Black pig.
4. Jianghai type: Jianghai type pigs are mainly distributed along the Han River and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as the southeastern coastal areas. The coat color of Jianghai type pig breeds gradually transitions from all black to black-and-white, and a few pig breeds are entirely white; the bones are sturdy, the skin is thick and loose with many wrinkles, and the ears are large and drooping. Jianghai type breeding pigs have high reproductive capacity, mostly more than 8 pairs of teats, and a litter size of more than 13 piglets. The main breed is the Taihu pig.
5. Southwest type: Southwest type pig breeds are mainly distributed in most areas of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Sichuan Basin. Southwest type pig breeds are mostly all black or a considerable number are black-and-white, and there are also a small number of red-haired pigs. The head is large, and the legs are relatively thick and short. The litter size is generally 8 to 10 piglets, the slaughter rate is low, and there is more fat. The main breed is the Neijiang pig.
6. Plateau type: Plateau type pig breeds are mainly distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The coat is mostly all black, with a few black-and-white and red. The head is narrow and long, the snout is straight and pointed, the canine teeth are well developed, the ears are small and erect, the body shape is compact, the limbs are firm, and they resemble wild boars; the litter size is 5-6 piglets. Growth is slow, and the carcass lean meat rate is high. The main breed is the Tibetan pig.
(2) Classification by economic use. Classified by economic use, pigs can be divided into three economic types, namely the lard type, the lean meat type, and the dual-purpose meat and fat type.
Lard type pigs: the pig body is short, wide, and deep, and the body length equals the chest circumference, with a difference of 2 to 5 cm; the Berkshire is the representative. The carcass has more fat, and the lean meat rate is below 45%. This type of pig can effectively use carbohydrates in feed to convert them into body fat. However, its ability to use feed protein to convert it into lean meat is relatively poor, and more feed is consumed per unit of weight gain. At present, the market for lard type pigs is not large.
Lean meat type pigs: the pig body is long and shallow, with a small head, light shoulders, and full rump and legs; the whole body is streamlined, and generally the body length exceeds the chest circumference by 15 to 20 cm. This type of pig is typically represented by the Soviet White pig. The carcass lean meat rate is above 60%. Lean meat type pigs have relatively high feed conversion efficiency.
Dual-purpose meat and fat type pigs: the body shape, degree of fatness and leanness, and feed conversion efficiency are between those of lard type pigs and lean meat type pigs, and the lean meat rate is generally 50% to 55%, with the Soviet White pig as the typical representative. China's excellent local breeds differ from foreign bred breeds and new breeds developed through domestic crossbreeding, and are not suitable for classification using these three economic types.
(3) Classification by pig breed breeding method and breed source. Pig breeds can generally be divided into China's local pig breeds, introduced foreign pig breeds, newly bred pig breeds, composite line pigs, etc.