Huai Pig

Huai Pig

　　The Huai Pig is an ancient local breed originating from the Huaibei Plain. As early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods around the 1st century BC, agriculture in the Huaibei Plain was already quite developed. To meet the needs of meat consumption and farmland fertilization, pig farming became widespread, gradually leading to the development of the Huai Pig breed, which exhibited consistent physical characteristics and production performance. During the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties period from the 3rd to 6th centuries AD and the Southern Song Dynasty in the 12th century, the economy of the Huaibei Plain suffered from war damage, prompting two large-scale migrations southward. The Huai Pig was gradually introduced to the hilly and mountainous regions of Ning, Zhen, and Yang, where it was long bred into what became known as the Mountain Pig. Later, with the development of coastal areas, the Huai Pig moved eastward and gradually adapted to the saline-alkali lands along the coast, evolving into the Stove Pig.

　　Physical Characteristics

　　　　The Huai Pig is covered with dense black hair, with brownish underfur in winter; its face has shallow and few wrinkles, taking on a diamond-like shape; the snout is long and straight; the ears are large and drooping; the body is medium-sized and compact, with a narrow and flat back and waist — very few are slightly concave — a tight abdomen that does not drag on the ground; the limbs are tall and sturdy; sows have between 7 and 10 pairs of teats. [2]

　　Distribution

　　　　The Huai Pig is primarily distributed across the Huaibei Plain of the province, as well as the hilly and mountainous areas of Ning, Zhen, and Yang, and coastal regions. By the late 1970s, due to the widespread promotion of the New Huai Pig, most local Huai Pigs in the Huaibei region were replaced by the New Huai Pig and its crossbreeds. By 1987, the central production areas of the Huai Pig were mainly concentrated in counties such as Guanyun, Yizheng, Gaoyou, Liyang, Gaochun, Dongtai, and Dafeng, where the number of breeding sows ranked second among all local pig breeds in the province. [3]

　　Growth and Reproduction

　　　　The Huai Pig reaches sexual maturity early. Sows produce a relatively high number of piglets — averaging around 13 piglets over 3 to 9 litters. Fattening pigs gain an average of about 475 grams per day, with a feed conversion ratio of 4.57:1. The carcass features a relatively thin back and waist, thicker skin, and a high lean meat rate of up to 45%.

　　Current Population Status

　　　　 Male Huai Pig

　　The Huai Pig is an ancient local breed originating from the Huaibei Plain. As early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods around the 1st century BC, agriculture in the Huaibei Plain was already quite developed. To meet the needs of meat consumption and farmland fertilization, pig farming became widespread, gradually leading to the development of the Huai Pig breed, which exhibited consistent physical characteristics and production performance. During the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties period from the 3rd to 6th centuries AD and the Southern Song Dynasty in the 12th century, the economy of the Huaibei Plain suffered from war damage, prompting two large-scale migrations southward. The Huai Pig was gradually introduced to the hilly and mountainous regions of Ning, Zhen, and Yang, where it was long bred into what became known as the Mountain Pig. Later, with the development of coastal areas, the Huai Pig moved eastward and gradually adapted to the saline-alkali lands along the coast, evolving into the Stove Pig. Jiangsu Province classifies the Huai Pig breed into three types: Huaibei Pig, Mountain Pig, and Stove Pig. [4]

　　Conservation Status

　　　　In 2000, the Huai Pig was included in the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Conservation List under Announcement No. 130 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.