Duroc pigs have a very unusual and attractive appearance. So far, they are not often found in private households, but recently there has been a clear trend towards an increase in their popularity.

History

The Duroc breed of pigs was bred in the 80s. 19th century in the USA. The ancestors of pigs are Spanish, Guinean, Berkshire, as well as Portuguese breeds brought to America by immigrants from European countries.

The breed was bred by specialists from Jersey and New York, which led to the division of the Duroc pig into two types:

  • Animals bred in Jersey had a small crest on their backs, were distinguished by dense bristles and rather heavy bones. In addition, they had rather large ears.
  • The pigs bred in New York were smaller than the Jersey pigs. Their main advantage was their high early maturity.

Initially, the breed was bred in the greasy direction of productivity, but then breeders began serious work to improve the meat characteristics of pigs.

Duroc pig breed

Currently, the breed is in demand in many areas. If we talk about Russia, here Durks pigs are especially often bred in such regions as Brest, Rostov, Stavropol and Krasnodar regions.

Tribal characteristics

According to the breed description, Duroc pigs have a strong, but light skeleton. Adult females reach an average of 1.7 meters in length, and males - 1.8 meters. The weight of an animal also depends on its gender and can vary for males in the range from 300 to 350 kg, and for females - from 240 to 300 kg.

Pig breed Large White - description

Duroc piglets have an even, slightly curved back and a flat chest, which practically does not protrude. The belly of pigs sags, but not significantly. On each side there are 7 nipples located at a fairly large distance from one another. The legs of animals of this breed are strong, high. The head is large with a slightly curved profile.

Important! One of the most significant species characteristics of Duroc pigs are long and drooping ears.

The color that the pig has can vary from golden to fiery red, tan markings are allowed. If an animal has a white area on its body, this is considered a marriage.

Duroc's pig is covered with fur almost completely. The only exceptions are ears, stigma and lower legs. On the listed parts of the body, hair is either completely absent, or there is a slight pubescence.

As for the character of the animals, he is generally calm. Both pigs and boars are quite friendly to each other, to the breeder and to other animals. They are not at all characterized by fearfulness. Duroc pigs are also calm about changing the conditions of keeping and feeding.

Any Duroc sow is distinguished by multiple births - she brings at least 8 piglets for farrowing. But for domestic pigs, this figure is the lower limit of the norm.

Breeding breed

Breeding features of the breed

Despite the rather wide distribution of the Duroc piglet breed, it is often not too easy to acquire purebred individuals. This is due to the fact that many breeders prefer to breed pigs of the described breed with others in order to increase the litter rate.In this regard, in order to acquire young animals, it is recommended to contact specialized breeding farms, where a guarantee of the exact belonging of the animal to the Duroc breed can be provided.

Content

Pig - description and characteristics

The owner of the Duroc pigs in terms of their maintenance will not have any particular difficulties. Caring for them is pretty simple. The most important thing is to provide the animals with the opportunity to walk. It is recommended to release pigs into the fresh air from early spring to late autumn. With the ability to lead an active lifestyle, the pig feels much better, and its meat becomes more tasty.

For the organization of walking, it is often sufficient to fence off the area next to the pigsty and make the entrance and exit free for the animal.

The placement of Duroc gilts in the pigsty must fully comply with the standard requirements for the maintenance of pigs.

Important! According to its characteristics, the Duroc pig breed tolerates low temperatures well, so that additional heating of the pigsty can be avoided.

Feeding

Duroc piglets are particularly demanding for high protein feed. Piglets are usually chosen for fattening at the age of about two months. They are kept until the animals reach a weight of 100 kg. They reach this indicator much faster than most other types of pigs. Of course, the final result largely depends on the careful observance of the feeding regime, as well as the balance of the feed themselves.

The optimal nutrition for pigs of the described breed are:

  • potatoes;
  • legumes;
  • cake;
  • combined silo;
  • cereals (in moderation).

Important! An excess of barley, corn and oats in the diet is the main cause of animal obesity, which, in turn, leads to a loss of meat quality.

Experts recommend adding fish and bone meal to pigs' diet. No less useful will be meat production waste, dairy products, sugar beets.

As for the number of feedings, in winter, their number should be at least three, and in summer, two times a day is enough.

Many farmers point out the absolute unprofitability of breeding the breed solely for the purpose of selling piglets. Due to small farrowings, year-round maintenance of adults simply cannot pay off.

Feeding

From the very first days of life, piglets need to start introducing complementary foods. If this is not done, or if you start doing it too late, there is a high risk of rickets or general delay in physical development. Especially important for suckling pigs are foods that contain sufficient amounts of components such as copper, vitamins, and iron.

The main signs of sexual heat in Duroc pigs do not differ from other artiodactyls. The period of active hunting lasts for 48 hours. In this case, the sow should not be touched on the first day. The mating should be done on the second day. It is best to repeat the process twice to enhance the effect.

It should be noted that the survival rate of Duroc piglets is rather high - about 93%. If pigs are reared on an industrial scale, the mating of sows with boars is usually done according to a special plan. Usually, two boars are recruited to fertilize sows at an interval of approximately 12 hours. In private farmsteads, such a technology is not practiced, since it is not always possible to find a sufficient number of males ready for mating.

At first glance, there is nothing difficult in raising Duroc pigs. But, having decided to breed them, you should remember that the pets will please the owner with an excellent weight gain and growth only on condition of careful care and regular care from the farmer.

Advantages and disadvantages

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The Duroc meat breed has a number of undoubted advantages, for which it is valued, in the first place:

  • high real meat yield (from 60 to 70 kg);
  • fat thickness above the spine - from 1.2 to 1.8 cm;
  • early maturity of young animals, which in just six months is able to gain up to 150 kg of weight;
  • high quality meat and lard (pigs' meat is marbled - expensive and very tasty);
  • excellent health and stamina;
  • good survival rate of young animals.

The main disadvantage of the breed is its relatively low fertility. In addition, farmers often complain about the high tendency of animals to such a disease as atrophic rhinitis.

Their diet requires a high protein content. But if you overdo it with fish waste, meat products are more likely to have not only a fishy smell, but also a corresponding taste.

In general, pigs are perfect for breeding even by the most experienced farmers. They rarely get sick, quickly gain weight and reproduce without problems. A small offspring is fully compensated by the early maturity of individuals.

Many breeders make a choice in favor of the Duroc breed, because, after weighing all the pros and cons, they understand that pigs still have much more advantages. And the shortcomings are more specific than real problems.