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American Pig Breeds

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1. Chester White-The Chester White is a breed of pig which originated in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was formerly known as the Chester County White. The Chester White was first developed around 1815-1818, using strains of large, white pigs common to the Northeast U.S. and a white boar imported from John Russell Duke of Bedford, Bedfordshire county, England, referred to as which was referred to as a Bedforshire or Cumberland. In 1848, two breeders at a county fair, one from Delaware County and the other from Chester County, showed their two breeds. The judge decided to use the name Chester County White. "County" was dropped and the breed became known as Chester White. By 1884, a breed association was officially formed, but competing organizations, sometimes for individual strains, continued to appear into the early 20th century. In 1930, all breed organizations were consolidated under the Chester White Swine Record Association, an act which aided the spread of the breed into the rest of the country. One important characteristic of the Chester White pig is that it does not carry the stress gene or halothane gene. This means that they will not die when put under general anesthesia. These pigs are shown to be very fertile. They have a 12 percent higher conception rate than other top-ranked breeds, as well as bigger litters. The body of the Chester White Pig breed is totally white and the ears of the breed are medium in size and droopy. Their pale color leaves Chester Whites prone to sunburn; they must be given access to shade in the summer. The average weight of the mature Chester White Pig (Sows) 500 to 650 pounds and the average of the male (Boar) is 550 to 800 pounds.

2. Choctaw Hog-The Choctaw Hog is a breed of pig historically used by Native Americans. The Choctaw descends from livestock brought to the Americas by Spaniards from the 16th century onwards. The Choctaw Hog was used not only by Native Americans but also by European settlers and a succession of other peoples in the Southeastern United States for over three hundred years. The Choctaw people and their livestock migrated from the Deep South to Oklahoma Territory in the early 19th century. The United States government forced the Five Civilized Tribes out of Mississippi and Alabama in 1830, and they too brought more hogs to Oklahoma. It is from Oklahoma swine that today's Choctaw Hogs are descended and their appearance has changed little in 150 years. Choctaw hogs have two distinctive characteristics indicative of their ancestors brought from Spain. First, their toes are typically fused forming a single hoof like that of a mule. Secondly, many have fleshy wattles on each side of their necks. These hogs are black, sometimes with white markings, and at about 120 pounds, they are relatively small for a domestic pig. Feral descendants of Spanish pigs are much more common than non-feral ones, but the Choctaw is "a pure Spanish breed" and is distinct from the exact feral hog populations in the Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge area, which are of mixed ancestry. They are quick and athletic pigs with heavy forequarters.

3. Duroc-The Duroc pig is an older breed of pig that forms the basis for many mixed-breed commercial hogs. Duroc pigs are red, large-framed, medium length, and muscular, with partially drooping ears, and tend to be one of the least aggressive of all the swine breeds. The breed originated in America, one of several red pig strains which developed around 1800 in New England. One theory is that the pigs were imported from the Guinea coast of Africa. Another suggestion is that the red color came from the Berkshire pig from Britain, a breed that is now black but at that time was rusty brown. The modern Duroc originated circa 1850 from crosses of the Jersey Red and New York's older Duroc. The breed started being used as show hogs around the 1950s. Originally the Duroc was a very large pig. Today it is a medium-sized breed with a moderately long body and a slightly dished face. The ears are drooping and not held erect. The color is often an orangish-brown, but any color is allowed from a light golden shade to a deep mahogany red.

4. Guinea Hog-The Guinea hog, also called the pineywoods Guinea, Guinea forest hog, acorn eater, and yard pig, is a breed of pig originating in the United States. The Guinea hog is a rare breed with a black coat, sturdy body, curly tail and upright ears. The name derives from the origins of the Guinea hog on the Guinea coast of West Africa. Around 1804, Thomas Jefferson acquired some of these pigs, which had arrived from Africa via the Canary Isles. The original strain, although basically black, also had a hint of red. Later they were crossed with other breeds. This new breed, the American Guinea hog retained its black color but lost the red tint and is sometimes called a black Guinea. These pigs were popular with subsistence farmers, not only through their ability to forage for themselves, but also because their habit of eating snakes made the farmyard safe for children and livestock. The breed fell out of favour after around 1880, and for a while was in danger of being entirely lost. In 2005 the American Guinea Hog Association was formed which works to ensure its continued existence. Guinea hogs are small pigs compared to modern breeds; they weigh less than 200 pounds and will yield 50 to 100 pounds of meat and fat. They are good as free-range foragers but are also at home in a farmyard and are reasonably even-tempered. The Guinea hog is not used for commercial farming because of its small size and high lard content.

5. Hereford-The Hereford is a breed of pig named for its color and pattern, which is similar to that of the Hereford breed of cattle: red with a white face. Originating in the United States, the Hereford is a rare variety of swine which was created from a combination of Duroc, Poland China, and perhaps some Chester White or Hampshire. It was first developed from 1920 to 1925, and by 1934 the official Hereford registry was opened. The breed grew in numbers into the mid 20th century, but by the 1960s populations plummeted due a shift in preference by commercial pork operations away from purebred hogs and towards hybrids. Hereford hogs are hardy animals suited for either extensive or intensive production. It has a docile temperament, and is suited to use in 4-H and similar programs. It is a medium to large swine breed, mature sows weigh about 600 pounds and boars about 800 pounds.

6. Poland-China-The Poland China is a breed of pig, first bred in the Miami Valley of Ohio in 1816, deriving from many breeds including the Berkshire and Hampshire. It is one of the oldest American breeds of swine. The Poland China breed has a medium to large-sized body Male Poland China males weigh between 550 and 800 pounds females pigs weigh between 500 and 650 pounds. They are typically black and may have white marking on the nose, legs, and body. The Poland China Pig breed is very prolific, and litters between 16 and 17 pigs are not uncommon.

7. Red Wattle Hog-The Red Wattle hog is a breed of pig originating in the United States. It is named for its red color and distinctive wattles or tassels. The Red Wattle is a large, red hog with a fleshy wattle attached to each side of the neck. The wattles have no known function. The Red Wattle comes in a variety of shades of red, some with black specks or patches, and red and black hair. Some individuals are nearly black. They typically weigh 600–800 pounds, although large specimens can reach 1,200 pounds. The early history of the Red Wattle hog is not clear. The modern breed descends from animals found in East Texas in the late 1960s and early 1970s by H. C. Wengler, who cross-bred two wattled red sows with a Duroc boar to start the "Wengler Red Waddle" line. Other animals were found, also in East Texas, about 20 years later by Robert Prentice, and became the Timberline line of Red Wattles. Prentice also crossed his Timberlines with Wengler's line to make the Endow Farm Wattle Hogs. In the 1980s three breed registries were maintained, but there was no central breed association. In 1999 the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy found only 42 breeding animals belonging to six breeders. A Red Wattle Hog Association was started, which since September 2012 has maintained the pedigree book for the breed.

8. Mulefoot Hog-Mulefoot are a breed of pig which is named for its intact, uncloven hooves reminiscent of a mule. The Mulefoot likely originated with swine brought to the Gulf Coast by the Spanish. While pigs with single hooves are found in writings as far back as Aristotle, the Mulefoot is the only population to be considered a breed, with an established standard type and extensive agricultural usage. The breed is possibly related to the Choctaw pig, and may share a similar ancestry. The Spanish-descended stock was minimally managed, with some selective breeding, which continued into the late 1800s. Breed standards for the Mulefoot arose around 1900, and its ability to fatten quickly meant was used mainly for the production of meat and lard, with its hams being particularly prized. The breed was seen mainly in the Corn Belt and Mississippi River Valley. In the mid-20th century, the population began to decline, and by 1964, one breeder, R.M. Holiday of Louisiana, Missouri, established what would become the last herd of purebred Mulefoot hogs. By 1976, the registries for the breed closed, and the herd books, pedigrees and other registration information was lost. In 1993, Mark Fields and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (later The Livestock Conservancy) began working with Holiday to re-establish the breed registry and expand breeding programs to additional farms. As of 2006, there were estimated to be fewer than 200 purebred Mulefoot hogs in existence. These pigs are typically black, on rare occasions having white markings, and typically reach a weight of 400 to 600 pounds. The breed thrives when raised on pasture and has retained the ability to forage for food. The sows are known as good mothers, having litters that average 5 to 6 piglets.

9. Ossabaw Island Hog-The Ossabaw Island hog is a breed of pig derived from a population of feral pigs on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. As the Spanish explored the coast of the Americas in the 16th century, livestock such as pigs were often left on islands as a future food source. Over the following hundreds of years, the population of these feral pigs remained isolated on Ossabaw, which is one of the barrier islands off the Georgia coast, and there was very little introduction of other domestic breeds. They are thought to be the only U.S. breed which is descended from the Iberian-type pigs brought to North America by the Spanish. The breed characteristics of Ossabaw Island hogs have been shaped by the pressures of feral life in an island habitat. They are small swine, less than 20 inches tall and weighing less than 200 pounds at maturity.This size is partly due to the phenomenon of insular dwarfism, and individuals kept in off-island farms may grow slightly larger in successive generations. Ossabaw hogs appear in a wide range of colors, with the most common being black and a spotted variety. They have long snouts, upright ears, and a heavy coat of bristles compared to other pig breeds. As a result of life on an island where the abundance and scarcity of food is seasonally variable, Ossabaw hogs store fat in a different manner than most domestic pigs and have a "thrifty gene". Ossabaw hogs also have adapted to the high salt diets and minimal availability of fresh water on the island. Ossabaw Island hogs have been documented as having a negative impact on endangered species such as the loggerhead sea turtle and snowy plover, disturbing nests and eating eggs. This, plus the varied other impacts they have on the ecosystem, have convinced the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to recommend the eradication of all feral swine via trapping, shooting and hunting by the public. A very small breeding population of Ossabaw hogs are kept off the island by farmers who market them as a form of heritage pork, and there are also herds at several zoos, at Mount Vernon and at Colonial Williamsburg. Due to the presence of vesicular stomatitis and pseudorabies on the island, no more live pigs may be removed from the island.

10. American Yorkshire-The American Yorkshire, a breed of domestic pig, is the American version of the Large White pig, white in color, with erect ears, which are different from the lop ears of the chester white. In 1830, the first Yorkshires were imported to the United States, specifically to Ohio, but because of their slow growth rate, they did not become popular until the late 1940s. The modern Yorkshire is very muscular, with a high proportion of lean meat and low backfat, in addition to being very sound and durable. The Yorkshire Pigs have been appreciated for their bacon manufacture since the origin of the breed. Yorkshire pig breeds are distinguished by their large size body. The weight of a mature Yorkshire boar is 500 to 750 pounds and sows around 450 to 650 pounds. Yorkshire Pig breeds are recognized for bulky litters, averaging 13 piglets, and for having outstanding motherly instincts. Yorkshire Pig breeds and their descendants are to be found in almost all rotational breeding and crossbreeding programs and are known as “the mother breed” due to their heavy influence on commercial swine operations. They are the most recorded breed of swine in the United States and in Canada.

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