Final Project Script.

Hunter Brietzke

Identifying Breeds of Hogs
TEK 130.12c.12C

Good morning guys and welcome to Intro to Animal Science. Today we’re going to learn about the major breeds of hogs, and what makes them unique. First off, who here knows any breeds of hogs off the top of their heads? Well, if you don’t know many, or even any don’t worry. After this class you can drive down the road and classify any hog you may pass and impress family and friends. I could do this this alone, but I have created a handy little PowerPoint presentation to assist me. So here we go, first off we can see here the nine most popular breeds of hogs in the U.S. The Berkshire, Chester, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Pietrain, Poland China, Spot, and last but not least we have the Yorkshire.

First we’ll start with the Berks. They have an all-black body with 6 white points, meaning their feet, nose and tip of their tails are white. As you may already know, all breeds that end with “shire” have erect ears, so as the story goes, Berkshire have pointy ears. Some of the main benefits of the Berkshire are that it is known as a terminal breed. Terminal breeds are usually heavy muscled, which explains why they are known for their growth and ability to put on weight. Also, they’re known to be pretty durable in their foundation meaning they can pretty much remain sound in an type of setting whether its dirt, or totally confined. Lastly, they’re known for their superior meat quality. There is a program made especially for Berks named “Berkshire Gold” which gives premium to Berkshire carcasses and retail cuts.
Next we’ve got the Chesters. They’re all white, with short, floppy ears, opposite of the Shires. The Chester is known as a dual breed which means they are known for both their maternal and terminal qualities. They’re also a growthy and durable breed, like the Berks. Some could say that a good Chester is like that perfect pair of tennis shoes. Hard to find but when you find one, they last forever.
Next we can see we’ve got the Duroc breed. People who aren’t very savvy with hogs would say they’re brown, but however they are actually red. Like the Chester, they have short floppy ears. Durocs are known as a terminal breed and more importantly their ability grow extremely fast. The Nation Duroc Registry’s slogan is “Durocs; they grown on you”. They’re also a rugged and hardy breed that can pretty much survive under any condition.
  Next are the Hampshires. They have a black body and a white belt, as well as erect ears. They are a very musclar, carcass driven breed that is actually also known for high quality show pigs. I grew up showing Hampshires and was actually pretty succesful.
Now we’ve got the good ole Landrace. They’re solid white, with really big floppy ears. If you ever get confused between a Chester and Landrace, look at the ears. Some benefits of the Landrace are they’re known for their superior mothering abilities, and unlike any other breed the have an extra vertebrae in their spine which gives them added length of body.
Next we’ve got the Pietrains. They have a spotted body, with what you would call flighty ears, not floppy, but not erect. Somewhere in-between. The Pietrain are very unique. Not only are they a terminal breed, but they are also double muscled, so just imagine a body builder in a pig form and you’ve got it. Unfortunately all that added muscle comes with the lack of structural integrity so they’re not very durable in their foundation.
Next is the Poland China. They’re almost exactly the same as the Berks, same coloration, same benefits, however the only difference is Polands have floppy ears, rather than erect ears.
And last but not we have my personal favorite, the Yorkshires. They have an all-white body with erect ears. Like the other white colored breeds the Yorkshire is not only maternal, but actually known as THE “Mother Breed”. On top of this they’re also known for their terminal qualities, so collectively, they’re dual purpose. Boys and girls the Yorks can do it all. If you want high quality show pigs, or even superior mothers to make quality show pigs, choose a York.
Well I hoped you not only learned a thing or two, but also enjoyed learning about hogs. Make sure you study your notes cause next time there will be a quiz. See ya’ll tomorrow!