Breeds of Hogs
There are two leading types of breeds: lard type and bacon type. Lard-type breeds are heavier, and stockier, than bacon-type breeds in the United States. At one time they were raised chiefly for lard production, as the name indicates. A change of eating habits in the United States early in the 20th century led to the development of leaner lard-type breeds raised chiefly for meat.
Lard-type breeds that originated in the United States include the Chester White; the red Duroc, originally called Duroc Jersey; the Poland China, black with white feet; the Spotted Poland China, similar to the former but with white spots on its body; and the Hampshire, black with a white belt around the forepart of the body. The Berkshire, marked like the Poland China but smaller, is a breed developed in England.
The Berkshire hog is a small breed with black skin and white feet.Bacon-type breeds include the Tamworth, an English breed that owes its origin to the Irish Grazer, brought in from Ireland; the Yorkshire, a white English breed; and the Landrace, a white breed from Denmark.
| Important breeds of hogs | |||
| Breed | Place and date of origin | Identifying features | |
| American Landrace | Indiana, 1930's | White; drooping ears; long body | |
| Berkshire | England, 1700's | Black with white markings; erect ears; short snout | |
| Chester White | Pennsylvania, early 1800's | White; drooping ears | |
| Danish Landrace | Denmark, late 1800's | White; drooping ears | |
| Duroc | New York, early 1800's | Red; drooping ears | |
| Hampshire | Kentucky, early 1800's | Black with white band around shoulders and front legs | |
| Pietrain | Belgium, early 1900's | Dirty white with black or reddish spots; semidrooping ears | |
| Poland China | Ohio, late 1800's | Black with white markings; drooping ears | |
| Spotted Swine | Ohio and Indiana, late 1800's | Black and white spotted | |
| Yorkshire | England, early 1800's | White; erect ears | |
Domesticated hogs are descendants of Sus scrofa (the European wild boar) and S. cristatus (the Asiatic wild boar) of the family Suidae.
