Breeds of Pigs

---

American Swine Breeds
Over the
past few years it has become apparent that many people do not know what breed or type of pig they are buying. There are a lot of pigs to choose from, but when you are looking for a specific breed of pig, it is important that you know the characteristics of that breed. Especially  what they look like. For instance, when we started raising pigs we had
a couple sows that I now know were culls. They were all crossbreeds and showed poor characteristics that we had to remove them from our herd.
The object of this page is not to degrade the value of crossbred pigs, but to inform the public that there are specific traits and characteristics of each breed. There are many crossbred pigs that have been selectively produced to create specific results. These pigs are known as hybrids or super hybrids. We won’t be covering hybrid as they can be farm specific and are not typically a nationally recognized breed. What we are concerned with here are the traits and appearance of nationally recognized swine breeds. Example: If you are going to buy a Berkshire pig and you see that they have real floppy  ears, you are not getting a Berkshire. It may be a Poland China hog, but Berkshires have erect ears. This is just an example, I’ll get more into the details of each breed as we progress through this article.
The information gathered for this article is from the breeders registry for each breed. Some registries cover multiple
breeds, while others are breed specific. But nevertheless, there are specific traits in each and every purebred pig. A Duroc is red, a Chester White is, well, white. etc,etc,etc.
So let’s start with Americas big four. The National Swine Registry handles the paperwork for Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, and Yorkshires. According to their website:
“The
National Swine Registryformed
in 1994 as a result of the consolidation of the American Yorkshire
Club, the Hampshire Swine Registry and the United Duroc Swine Registry.
In January 1998, the American Landrace Association joined the
NSR. These four
breed organizations are located in one central office in West
Lafayette, Ind.”

It’s safe to say that these guys know their pigs. They have been breeding, selling, showing, and judging hogs for
many years. And on the website are the qualifications and disqualifications for each breed along with the history of the breed. I am not going to get into all those details since the NSR has done all the work already. I will however show you what the pigs look like and  give you the official breed markings and characteristics. After all, that’s why you’re reading this right?

Duroc Pigs

Breed
Markings and Registration Requirements

The color marking of all Duroc breeding hogs for registration shall be red.

Disqualifications
for registry – (1) white feet or white spots on any part of the body with the exception of the end of the  nose; (2) black spots, no more than three, none over two inches in diameter on the body; (3)  ridgeling (one testicle) boar; (4) less than six functional udder sections on each side of the underline.

Notice the Duroc is red all over. No white markings to be seen and his ears are droopy, covering the eyes. He is big boned and stands with his feet firmly planted. Obviously he is great breeding stock, but the idea is to show you what a Duroc really looks like. They don’t have white belts, or white feet, as a matter of fact they don’t have any white. If you go to a farm to buy a Duroc and see lots of white markings, ask what they crossed it too. If they can’t tell, you may want
get your stock elsewhere.

Hampshire Pigs

Hampshire s are one of the oldest breeds in America. They
have erect ears ( meaning they stand straight up). First let’s look at
the qualifications of the breed.

Hampshire Breed
Markings and Registration Requirements
Hampshire
boars and gilts must meet the requirements
(except color markings) along with the following to be eligible to show
in a breeding animal class.
1. Black in color with a white belt totally encircling the body
including both front legs and feet. Animal can have white on its nose
as long as the white does not break the rim of the nose and when its
mouth is closed, the white under the chin can NOT exceed what
a U.S. minted quarter will cover. White is allowed on the rear legs as
long as it does NOT extend above the tuber calis bone (knob of the
hock).
2. Must have at least six (6) functional udder sections on each side of
the underline.
3. Animals farrowed on or after January 1, 2005, the swirl is no longer
a disqualification for registration.
Hampshire swine classified as off-belts may be used for breeding
purposes, with offspring eligible for registration with the National
Swine Registry. Off-belts will continue to be eligible to be shown in
market hog classes, but will not be eligible for exhibition in breeding
swine shows. This policy is retroactive and will allow litters to be
registered that were not eligible previously, due to the Hampshire
Swine Registry off-belt requirements.

In the pictures above, the PSSS
boar on the left has the full belt that is specified in the Hampshire
breed requirements, while little Pig Farms, Black Magic, on the right
has what the requirements refer to as on “off-belt” She is a Hampshire
pig but doesn’t meet breed standards for showing in a national event. I
sure would like to see the babies between her and PSSS’ Game Face. He
looks good. So there you are, a Hampshire pig should look
like the one’s pictured here, preferably with a full belt. Hampshire
hogs are lsited as a Heritage breed.

Landrace Pigs

Landrace are white in color. Their ears droop and slant
forward with its top edges nearly parallel to the bridge of a straight
nose. Landrace, which are noted for their ability to farrow and raise
large litters, are the fifth most recorded breed of swine in the United
States.

Landrace
Breed Markings and Registration Requirements

No animal to be used for breeding purpose shall be eligible to record:

1. On which there is any hair other than white on any part of the animal’s
body

2. Which has upright ears

3. Which has less than six functional teats on each side of the underline
or has any inverted teats

4. Where an animal shows evidence of an extra dewclaw. Black spots in the
skin are very objectionable and any large spots or numerous black spots
located on any part of the hog makes the pig ineligible for registry.
However, a small amount of black pigmentation is allowed on the body of
the animal.

PSSS has some pretty boars don’t they. You can see in the
picture that this boar meets the criteria as defined by the NSR. Solid
white, big floppy ears, and well we can’t see the dewclaws but knowing
where this boar resides it’s safe to say he’s a keeper. We’ll look at
the Yorkshire next, but probably the easiest way to tell the difference
between the Landrace and the Yorkshire pigs are the ears. Remember, the
Landrace pig has floppy ears.

Yorkshire Pigs

Yorkshires are white in color and have erect ears. They are
the most recorded breed of swine in the United States and in Canada.
They are found in almost every state, with the highest populations
being in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio

Yorkshire
Breed Markings and Registration Requirements

The presence of one or more of the
following
disqualifies Yorkshire pigs from registry:

1. Less than six teats on a side

2. Any hair other than white on any part of the animal’s body

3. Total blindness

4. Hernia or ruptures

5. Hermaphroditism

6. Cryptorchidism

7. One testicle or any pronounced abnormal condition of the testicles

8. Black spots in the skin are very objectionable and any large spots or
numerous black spots located on any part of the hog makes the pig
ineligible for registry

9. Evidence of an extra dewclaw. However, a small amount of black
pigmentation is allowed on the body of the animal.

Notice how the ears are erect. Also notice all the extended
disqualifications as compared with other pigs, such as
Hermaphroditism.. What? Really? Ok guys, back to the breeding board.
Something went way wrong. Yorkshires are Americas typical market hog.
By using Yorkshires in many crossbreeding programs, producers are able
to extract what they call Hybrid Vigor. Meaning the offspring from
these crosses show better muscling and faster weight gains. In the
United States and Canada, this breed is called Yorkshire, however, in
England, where the breed originated, it is refered to as the Large White.
The next three breeds are Chester White, Poland China, and Spotted
pigs. The official registry is Certified Pedigreed Swine or CPS.
This registry was formed in 1997 and has over 1000 Junior and
Senior members. The CPS website doesn’t offer the specifics in as much
detail as the NSR, but these are all well established old American
breeds. The roots of these breeds may have come from Europe, but the
development of the breeds was as American as football.

Chester White Pigs

Chester Whites are classified as Heritage Hogs and are known
for superior mothering abilities, durability, and soundness.

Chester White Breed Standards:

1: Must be completely white

2: Possesses a dished face

3: has medium fall floppy ears

4: has a full thick coat

You can see in the image that the Chester White’s ears do not
lay fully flat over the eyes. Also the Chester White is typically a
more pure white hog when compared to Yorkshires and Landrace. Chester
Whites have been preferred by packing houses for their superior muscle
and white skin which dresses out to a light pink. The Chester White is
known as a Heritage Breed.

Poland China Pigs

Poland China’s are sort of a mystery pig. While the breed can
be traced back to a few Ohio counties, it is not known exactly which
breeds influenced the creation of the Poland China. Pigs during this
era needed to be large and travel easy to get themselves to market.
Poland Chinas fit the bill perfectly.

Poland China Breed Standards:

1:
Must
be black with six white
points (face, feet and switch) with an occasional splash of
white on the body. A hog may not possess more than one (1)
solid black leg and be determined as a Poland China.
2: Must have ears down
(floppy)
3: Must not have evidence of
a belt formation.
4: Can not have red or
sandy hair / and or pigment.

This PSSS boar (Bravo 2-10) has all the correct markings of a Poland
China pig. All 4 feet are white, white on his face, and white on the
tip of the tail. The CPS registry allows tail docking, so don’t be
alarmed if you see a Poland China that has a stubby black tail. It is
common practice for confinement operations to dock tails in order to
discourage biting when piglets get bored. Pay special attention to the
ears on this breed. The Berkshire, we’ll see them soon, has the same
markings, but they have erect ears. Poland Chinas have floppy ears.
Don’t confuse the two, they are definitely different breeds.

Spotted Pigs

American Spotted hogs have ties to both the Gloucester Old Spot and the
Poland China. The Spotted Pig is known to be prolific breeders, mature
early, and have good feed efficiency.

Spotted Pig Standards

1:  Ears can not be erect.
2: Any red tinted or brown spots are ineligible.
3: No solid black head from ears forward.
4: No distinct white belt pattern (hair or skin) encircling and extending down and onto each
shoulder.

As you can see, the ears on American Spotted hogs are not erect but
they also do not lay flat in the face as do the Gloucester Old Spot.
You can see the Gloucester Old Spot (GOS) guidelines at the GOS
Website. They say “The
ears should be well set apart, dropping forward to the nose” whereas
the American Spotted hog states “Ears cannot be erect”. A subtle
difference but it helps define a breed. Rather than bog down the site
with images, Search google images for GOS .
You can see a difference in the two breeds.

Berkshire Pigs

A little history first. I admit I am partial to the Berkshire
breed but in all fairness they are the oldest registered breed in the
world. No really, they are. An excerpt from The American Berkshire Association;
“
On
February 25 of the 1875, the American Berkshire Association was
founded, becoming the first Swine Registry to be established in the
world. This society drew forth an enthusiastic response from those
working with the breed both in this country and in England. The first
hog ever recorded was the boar, Ace of Spades, bred by Queen Victoria
of England.”

Berkshire Pig Standards

A Berkshire shall be:
1. A black and white animal with erect ears exhibiting Berkshire
character.
2. A Berkshire must have white on all four legs, face and tail (unless
tail is docked).
One of the white leg points may also be
missing.
3. Must be ear notched within seven days of birth.( This goes for all
pigs requiring ear notches)
4. A Berkshire must NOT have a solid white or a solid black face from
the ears forward.
5. A Berkshire must NOT have a solid black nose (rim of nose).
6. White is allowed on the ears, but NO solid white may appear on the
ears.
7. Occassional splash of white may appear on the body.

The
Berkshire, as seen above, has a few characteristic traits that makes
them stand out. The easiest to spot are the erect ears.
Compared to the Poland China, which has many of the same markings, the
Berkshire also a somewhat distinct figure. This breed is known foremost
for meat quality, with some backfat, but great marbling of the carcass.
They have shorter necks and more of a dish face. Berkshire pigs are
also known as a Heritage Breed.

Large Black Pigs

The large Black is listed by the American Livestock
Conservancy as critical with roughly 300 breeders in the U.S. as of
2008 and 144 breeders in U.K. in the same year. The large Black is
known for it’s ability to raise large litters out of doors while being
excellent foragers.

Large Black Pig Standards

1. Solid Black snout to tail
2. Large lop ears covering the eyes
3. Long strait face and snout
4. Long deep bodies

These pigs should be easily identified. They
are a huge black pigs. The
Large Black Hog Association, while still in it’s infancy
compared to other breeds, is making great progress in protecting this
breed from extinction. For those looking into pastured pig production,
this is a fantanstic breed. They may be a little difficult to come by,
but most good things require a little effort.

Hereford Pigs

This pig is trully American. It was developed in Iowa and Nebraska
during the 1920s from Duroc, Chester White, and Poland China
bloodlines. This is one of the easiest pigs to recognize. It has very
unique qualities and a striking appearance. Think of Hereford cattle in
the shape of a pig.

Hereford Pig Standards

1. Primarily red with a white face.
2. At least 2 white feet
3. Large lopped ears

See, I told you couldn’t miss this one. Almost looks like
he’s smiling at us. The Hereford Hog is on the watch list at the
ALBC. This breed does well on pasture or grain and shows good feed
efficiency by reaching market weight in 5-6 months using less feed than
many other breeds.

Mulefoot Pigs

It would be a disservice not to mention this breed in the
article. Unfortunately they are on the critical list at the ALBC,
probably due in part that they resemble what television shows as ferel
hogs. This is completely untrue. They are in fact a distinct breed of
swine that has breed standards. As the name suggests, Mulefoot hogs
have solid(non-cloven) hooves that resemble that of a mule. Made it
easier to name them for sure. Also makes them easily indentifiable.

Mulefoot Pig Standards

1. Solid, non-cloven hoof.
2. Solid black.( a few white points accepted.)
3. Medium pricked ears. Falling forward not covering the
entire face.

Good news from the Mulefoot
Hog Association, the breed has grown to over 600 registered
pigs. While still in the critical stage, this demands applause to the
breeders that have commited themselves to keeping Mulefoot Hogs. Don’t
disregaurd this breed if your looking into pastured pigs. They do well
out of doors, let’s say thrive outside. They are cold and heat tolerant
and acclimate well to many climates. Do Not mis-represent them as ferel
hogs.

Tamworth Pigs

The other red pig. Most notable about the Tamworth breed is
it’s ability to forage for itself. The Tamworth are originally from
central England in the counties of Stafford, Warwick, Leicester, and
Northhampton. While the color may resemble that of a Duroc, the
Tamworth is not to be confused with it’s red cousin.

Tamworth Pig Standards

1.Golden-red, abundant, straight and fine and as free from black hairs
as possible.
2. Face slightly dished, wide between the ears, jowl light.
3. Ears, large and erect
4. Black hair and black spots are objectionable.

The Tamworth is on the ALBC’s
list as threatened. The Tamworth is gaining in popularity wordwide as
more farmers are looking for pigs that do well out of doors in pasture
raised operations. The Tamworth is a natural rooter, just look at that
snout, it was made for the job. From The ALBC “Ginger
red coats make the pigs adaptable to a variety of climates and protect
them from sunburn. Tamworths have an active intelligence, and they are
agreeable in disposition. Sows are prolific, able to produce and care
for large litters. The piglets are vigorous and often have 100%
survivability. Both sexes of this breed reach a mature weight of
500-600 lbs (227-272 kg).”
While this index is not 100% complete for all breeds, nor does it
contain all the information available for all breeds, it does give you
an idea of what you are looking for when you go to purchase a pig. Keep
scrolling down for a look at what is not a purebred hog.
This is where it gets a little tricky. Some highly crossed pigs will
resemble a specific breed. It is in your best interest to see both
parents before purchasing a pig for breeding. If you are only
interested in Barbequeing a pig, it probably doesn’t matter, but you
most likely will get inferior meat quality.
This
little gilt may resemble a Landrace or
Chester White, but in fact she is from a variety of crosses. One of her
siblings was red with a white band in the middle.
I mentioned Ferel Hogs earlier in this article, so it’s time for you to
see one. But first, I have a little story. I’ll keep it short, stop the
huffin’ and puffin’. A few years ago when we decided to get some
Berkshires for our farm, we saw an add on craigslist for baby
Berkshires. Sweet, just what we needed. No pictures on the add, so I
called the guy. He said “yeah I have 9 baby Berkshires and one that is
about 90 pounds”
Great, we’re headed you’re way. An hour later we show up to
find out that what he had were, you guessed it, Ferel Hogs(wild)! I
asked if he knew what a Berkshire was. He replied ” I went all the way
to North Carolina to get these” I said” You were robbed”. I can only
hope he didn’t know what he was talking about.
THIS IS NOT A BERKSHIRE>>>

Notice the Feral hog on the right has a similar coat to the Mulefoot
pig. However, the Mulefoot has floppy ears and non-cloven feet.
I must emphasize that this article is only to help you identify
specific breeds. To some people pork is pork. To others, specific
breeds have a unique flavor or meat quality. I have personally had the
opportunity to enjoy many of the breeds mentioned above including feral
hogs. We have even had calls from folks looking for Pot Belly pigs for
consumption, (They are very fat and have a lot of waste) but our Pot
Bellies are for pets.
Do yoursef a favor and research the different swine breeds
before going out to buy one or more! If you see an ad online, get
pictures before you make the trip. Check out the facilities for
cleanliness. Be sure to see both parents and siblings if possible.
Remember, multiple crosses throw off multiple colors even though white
is a dominant gene, piglets can range in color in multi-crossed pigs.
Love your pig, Enjoy your Pork!