The British Pig Association has announced the best pig breeds for meat in the UK.
The British Pig Association (BPA) has announced its list of top 10 pig breeds for meat production in the UK.
As part of its annual survey, the BPA asked farmers what their favourite breeds were and why. The results are based on feedback from 800 producers across the UK, who represent more than 70% of all pigs produced in Britain.
Best Pig Breeds For Meat Uk
The top 10 pig breeds for meat production in Britain are:
Duroc – an American breed with good lean meat production, high fertility and good temperament.
Berkshire – a very old British breed that is hardy and produces excellent pork and bacon.
Large White – a traditional British pig with good growth rates and good lean meat production.
Yorkshire – a large white pig with a small backside which makes it ideal for outdoor rearing systems because of better heat tolerance than other breeds. It has excellent lean meat yield and good fertility rates making it popular with commercial producers looking for high productivity at low cost per kilo of meat produced.
There are many different breeds of pig in the UK, but if you’re looking for a good meat pig, there are only a few that are worth considering.
Here are the best pig breeds for meat:
Tamworths – Tamworths are one of the oldest dual purpose breeds, originally developed in Warwickshire. They’re not as hardy as some of the other breeds, but they’re good at producing quality pork.
Carcass weight is usually around 60kg and they can reach a live weight of 180kg. They have a long lifespan (around 10 years) and produce excellent quality pork with a good fat to lean ratio.
Yorkshire – Yorkshire pigs are also dual purpose animals and produce good quality meat and bacon from their large carcasses. They have a long lifespan (around 12 years), reach a live weight of 180kg and their carcass weight is around 50kg.
If you’re looking to raise pigs for meat, there are several breeds that are well suited to the job. The following are some of the best pig breeds for meat production:
Yorkshire Pig
The Yorkshire pig is a large breed that is known for its ability to put on weight quickly. They have a docile temperament and tend to be easy keepers. This breed can produce an average of 6 to 8 pigs per litter and reach market weight in about 12 months. They are good foragers and thrive when fed a diet that includes both grains and grasses.
Landrace Pig
The Landrace pig is another popular choice among producers who want to raise their own meat supply. These pigs are known for their hardiness and ability to survive in many different climates. They also have a high resistance to disease and parasites, making them an ideal choice for backyard farmers who want a self-sufficient lifestyle without having to worry about their animals getting sick or dying off during harsh weather conditions when they can’t properly care for them themselves.
Tamworth Pig
The Tamworth pig is another popular option among farmers looking to raise their own meat supply because they have been bred specifically for this purpose since the 1700s when they were first brought over from England by settlers headed
There are many breeds of pig, with each breed having its own unique characteristics.
Here are some of the most popular breeds of pig for meat production:
Berkshire
The Berkshire breed originated from a cross between the Large White, Landrace and Duroc breeds (the latter being a hybrid of the Yorkshire and Gloucester). Berkshires are known for their large size and long bodies, with some males reaching up to 350 lbs. They are also known for their distinctive black coloration, which can include white markings on their faces and legs. Their ears are usually upright but they can also be droopy or even folded over at times. They have minimal hair growth on their skin and are good foragers in the wild because they are active and fast runners. They produce less fat than other breeds but they do tend to put on weight faster than other meat breeds due to their larger size.
Duroc
The Duroc breed is one of America’s oldest purebred swine lines and was developed by crossing English imports with native stock in Virginia in 1820 by farmer Robert Bolling who wanted a hardy animal that could thrive in harsh conditions like those found on his farm in Loudon County, Virginia (today
There are many breeds of pig, but only a few are used for meat production. The most common breed of pig in the UK is the Large White, followed by the Landrace, Suffolk and Yorkshire.
Large White
The Large White is a British breed that originated in the late 19th century. It was developed from crosses between native breeds and imported breeds from Europe, including Duroc and Yorkshire. It has been bred to produce high yields of clean-flavoured meat with good texture and an excellent feed conversion rate.
Landrace
The Landrace breed originated in Denmark in the early 1900s and was later imported into Britain as a crossbred between two other breeds – Berkshire, which is now extinct, and Yorkshires. The Landrace has been bred for leanness and fast growth rates which makes it ideal for modern intensive farming methods.