The Yorkshire pig breed, bred in the 19th century in Great Britain, is now in demand among Russians who first met it in the post-war years. The fruit of the labor of English breeders is worthy of attention โ these pigs are distinguished by high productivity, unpretentious disposition, they get tender and tasty marbled meat. Consider the characteristics of the breed โ its advantages and disadvantages, external features and rules of care.
Yorkshire pig breed
Characterization
If we briefly characterize the Yorkshire pig, then it is worth mentioning its unusual physique, friendliness and quiet disposition, unpretentiousness in keeping and good fertility. These animals have inherited excellent qualities from their ancestors. Yorkshires are meat-greasy breeds, piglets are grown for bacon.
Origin
The Yorkshire pig breed was first introduced to the English public in 1851. It happened at an exhibition in Windose. A certain Joseph Tooley, a weaver, who lived in those days in the English county of York, was engaged in pig breeding in his spare time. He had several pigs at his disposal. As a result of mating a boar named Samson and a sow Matchles, he received offspring with interesting characteristics. Later, in his selection work, he also applied the method of closely related mating.
Presenting the result of his work at the exhibition, Tuley managed to surprise those present โ the pigs were distinguished by a large, but lean body, excellent characteristics. Thus began the story of the Yorkshire pig. Over time, the large farmer Winman bought all the animals from Tuley. Later, purebred representatives of the English breed were crossed with various breeds of pigs to improve their characteristics. The Yorkshire pig ultimately contains the genes of the English long-eared, white Chinese and Leicester breeds.
This breed came to Russia after the war. Thanks to active breeding work, which is carried out to the present day, it was possible to create many domestic species based on Yorkshire. They are well adapted to local conditions and have excellent performance.
Appearance
Yorkshire pig outwardly differs from other breeds in physique. She has a lean figure, her stomach is tucked up, does not sag. Consider the main parameters of appearance:
Male Yorkshire breed
- The length of the body of an adult boar reaches 180 cm, and that of a female โ 169-170 cm.
- The neck is muscular, the legs are strong and well defined. The hooves are powerful.
- The shoulder girdle of these pigs is also massive, well developed in width.
- The withers are straight, no depressions are visible in the area of โโthe shoulder blades.
- The back is straight, smoothly turning into the sacrum.
- The head is compact, the ears are elastic, small erect, slightly apart.
- Yorkshire pigs are white, their skin is smooth, delicate, the folds are shallow, there are not many of them.
- The bristles are evenly distributed.
Reference. Despite their strong, sturdy build, Yorkshires are quite friendly animals.
Productivity
Meat from representatives of this breed is highly valued. It tastes tender and juicy. Piglets are raised for bacon, adults are used to obtain tallow meat. These pigs are characterized by rapid weight gain, but they are still inferior to some breeds. By 6 months, piglets do not gain 100 kg of weight, their weight reaches this mark by about seven months of age. The average daily gain in piglets, subject to proper fattening, is about 800 grams.
Yorkshire sows are fertile. For one farrowing, they usually bring 11-13 piglets. The body weight of an adult boar reaches 320-350 kg, and a pig โ 220-240 kg. These are good indicators.
Reference. Meat yield โ 65%, in some cases โ more than 70%.
Feeding
Yorkshire pigs are unpretentious in food, moreover, they are adapted to grazing, which allows you to save some money. However, to obtain high-quality meat, their nutrition must be carefully monitored. The rate of meat yield depends on the direction of fattening. Consider the principles of feeding Yorkshire piglets for bacon.
Fattening for bacon
Bacon fattening of pigs is divided into two time periods:
- From 2,5 months to 5,5.
- From 5,5 months to the time of slaughter.
Bacon
In each of these periods, feeding is done differently. At the first stage of fattening, cereals, cereals, potatoes, vegetables, fish and dairy products, hay, greens, and waste predominate in the diet of piglets. At this stage, the weight gain per day should not exceed 500 grams.
Starting from 5,5 months, if piglets are fattened for bacon, it is impossible to save on their nutrition. Until the slaughter, concentrates, protein foods, as well as root crops and vegetables should prevail in their diet. At this time, the weight gain per day increases and amounts to at least 600 grams.
Meat and greasy fattening of piglets
The peculiarity of Yorkshire pigs is that with increased fattening, they build up a lot of fat. To obtain high-quality marbled meat with streaks of fat, it is necessary to increase the rate of concentrates in the diet of piglets that have reached a body weight of 100 kg by 0,25-0,3 feed units every 10-12 days. It is imperative that pigs are given protein every day. The average gain in this case should be about 800 grams daily.
In Russia, the Yorkshire pig breed is popular among farmers because these animals are highly productive, unpretentious and prolific. However, they also have their drawbacks โ poor adaptability to the harsh climate. Yorkshire pigs are the owners of delicate skin, she often suffers from sunburn in the summer months.
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