What Kind of Pig Is the Fragrant Pig? Understanding Its Breed Characteristics in One Article
The fragrant pig is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla, family Suidae, genus Sus, famous nationwide for its small size, early maturity and delicious meat. The most famous breeds are the Congjiang fragrant pig and Jianbai fragrant pig from the Qiandongnan region of Guizhou, which was awarded the title "Hometown of Chinese Fragrant Pigs" by the national agriculture department, and the Bama fragrant pig from Guangxi near the Qiandongnan region of Guizhou. There are also breeds such as the Huanjiang fragrant pig and Tibetan fragrant pig, all of which belong to the dwarf small pig breeds.
The fragrant pig has a short, small build, with black coat hair that is fine and glossy, a long head, a flat forehead, crisscrossing wrinkles on the forehead, an obvious hairless area around the eyes, thin ears extending flat to both sides, a slightly concave back and loin, a large round and drooping belly, short thin legs, and a small thin tail with white hair at the tip. At 6 months of age, a boar has an average weight of 14.2 kg, a body length of 65 cm, a body height of 33 cm and a chest circumference of 55 cm. A sow at 8 months of age weighs 30 kg, with a body length of 70 cm, a body height of 47 cm and a chest circumference of 73 cm. The slaughter rate of fattened fragrant pigs is 63.6%, and the lean meat rate reaches 52.2%.
The Congjiang fragrant pig has a particularly small build, a relatively straight head, shallow and few forehead wrinkles arranged in an inverted "eight" shape, no hair whorls, a ring of hairless eye circles around the eyes, a black coat that is sparse and glossy, and also a small amount of white at the tail tip, on the four hooves and at the center of the forehead. It has thin skin and fine bones, a round and pointed mouth, a pink or black snout tip, small thin ears slightly extending flat to both sides or slightly drooping, a short body, a broad and concave back and loin, a large round belly that touches the ground, a relatively plump hindquarters, short thin limbs, straight forelimbs, hindlimbs that are mostly resting on the pasterns, and 5 to 6 pairs of teats.
The Jianbai fragrant pig is a world-famous miniature pig and also a national second-class rare protected animal. It is mainly produced in the jungle mountain villages of Jianhe County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province. Its main food is wild plants. Its pork's distinctive fragrance, tenderness, pure natural quality and freedom from pollution have attracted great attention from scientists. According to expert appraisal, the Jianbai fragrant pig is rich in amino acids and trace elements essential to the human body.
The Bama fragrant pig originated in Bama Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi. It is a precious and rare local small pig breed with a long breeding history, stable genetic makeup and excellent quality. In March 1995, after Bama was named "Hometown of Chinese Fragrant Pigs" by the National Special Products Economic Professional Committee, it was recorded in the annals of history as a local specialty. The Bama fragrant pig is wild in nature and early maturing, with a delicate appearance and a short, small, round build. It is raised extensively and has strong adaptability and disease resistance. A breeding sow is generally used for eight years, and at most up to fourteen years.
The Tibetan fragrant pig is also called the ginseng pig. In the Gannan and Minxian areas of Gansu, it is also called the "juema pig" because it often roots for juema (Potentilla anserina). It is an ancient livestock genetic resource unique to the western Sichuan plateau, Yunnan, Tibet, and the Gannan and Minxian areas of Gansu. It belongs to the free-range grazing type, and its main places of origin are Aba Prefecture and Garze Prefecture in Sichuan, Shangri-La in Yunnan, the Nyingchi area of Tibet, and the Gannan and Minxian areas of Gansu.