Classification of pig breeds and types

   China's geographical conditions and ecological environment are diverse and complex, coupled with a long history of pig breeding, under the careful cultivation of the working people, many excellent local breeds have been formed, and their number has reached more than 100. after proper merging in the 1980s, it is determined that the local breeds in China are divided into 48 pig breeds, mainly according to the natural geographical region, growth characteristics and economic uses.

   (1) Classification by natural agricultural region

   Chinese local pig breeds can be roughly divided into six types according to their appearance, shape, production performance, natural conditions and other factors.

   1. North China type: North China type pig breeds are widely distributed, mainly in the north of Huaihai and Qinling Mountains. The coat color of Huabei type pig is mostly black, and a few white spots appear at the end. The body is large, the limbs are stout, the head is straight, the mouth tube is larger, the ears are big and drooping, and the skin is thick and wrinkled. The nipple is about 8 pairs, the litter size is about 12, the maternal quality is good, the lactation ability is strong, the piglet breeding rate is high, and the feed utilization rate is high, which represents the pig breeds such as Min pig, Bamei pig, Huang Huai Hai black pig and so on.

   2, South China type: South China pig breeds are distributed in the southern and southern margins of Yunnan Province, in some areas south of Guangxi and Guangdong, and in the southeast of Fujian and Taiwan. The coat color of South China pig is mostly black and white, the head and buttocks are mostly black, the abdomen is mostly white, the body is small, the waist is broad and sunken, the abdomen is large and drooping, the skin is thin, the hair is thin, the ears are upright or extended to both sides, and the sexual maturity is early. There are mainly two Guang Xiaohua pigs.

   3. Medium-sized China: medium-sized pigs are mainly distributed in the Dabie Mountains and the east of Wuling Mountains between the south bank of the Yangtze River and the Tropic of Cancer. The Chinese medium-sized pig has a large body and is similar in shape to the South China pig. The hair color is mainly black and white flowers, the head and tail are mostly black, there are black spots of different sizes in the middle of the body, the physique is loose, the skeleton is meticulous, the back waist is wide and concave; the nipples are 6-7 pairs, and the nests give birth to 10-13 babies. There are mainly two black pigs in Central China.

   4, Jianghai type: Jianghai type pigs are mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of Hanshui River and Shijiang River as well as the southeast coastal areas. The coat color of Jianghai pig breeds gradually changes from all black to black and white flowers, and some pig breeds are all white; the bones are strong, the skin is thick and loose, wrinkled, and the ears are drooping. Jianghai type breeding pigs have high fecundity, with more than 8 pairs of nipples and more than 13 litters. There are mainly Taihu pigs.

   5. Southwest type: southwest type pig breeds are mainly distributed in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and most areas of Sichuan Basin. The coat color of southwest pig breeds is mostly all black and a considerable number of black and white flowers, but also a small number of red pigs. The head is big and the legs are thick and short. The litter size is generally 8-10, the slaughtering rate is low, and the fat is mainly Neijiang pigs.

6. High prototype: plateau plastic pig breeds are mainly distributed in Qinghai-Tibet Island. Most of the coat is all black, a few are black and white flowers and red. The head is long, the mouth is simply pointed, the canine teeth are well developed, the ears are small and erect, the body is compact, the limbs are solid, and it looks like a wild boar; the litter gives birth to 5-6 babies. Slow growth and high lean percentage of carcass. There are mainly Tibetan pigs.

   (2) according to economic use classification, pigs can be divided into three economic types, namely, fat type, lean type and meat fat type.

   fat type pig: the pig body is short and wide and deep, the body length is equal to the chest circumference, the difference is 2-5cm; represented by Buckshaw. There is more fat in the carcass, and the lean percentage is less than 45%. This type of pig can effectively convert carbohydrates in feed into body fat. However, the ability of using feed egg quality to convert into lean meat is poor, and more feed is consumed per unit weight gain. Now the market of Zhichuan pig is not big.

   lean pig: the pig body is long and shallow, the head is small, the shoulder is light, the buttocks and legs are plump, the whole body is streamlined, the general pig body length is more than 15cm to 20cm around the chest. This type of pig is represented by Su Bai pig. The lean percentage of pig carcass is more than 60%. The feed conversion rate of lean pigs was higher.

   meat and fat dual-purpose pigs: body size, lean degree and feed conversion efficiency are between fat pigs and lean pigs, with a general lean meat rate of 50% to 55%, with Su White as a typical representative. The local fine varieties in China are different from the foreign varieties and the new varieties bred in China, so they are not suitable to be classified by these three economic types.

   (3) according to the breeding methods and sources of pig breeds, pig breeds can generally be divided into Chinese local pig breeds, foreign introduced pig breeds, newly bred pig breeds, matching line pigs and so on.