PIG BREEDING TODAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 63, 10 April 1945, Page 6

PIG BREEDING TODAY

NEW ZEALAND TYPES

THEIR HISTORY AND ORIGIN

Contributed by A. F. Harwell Supervisor lor Bay of Plenty District

Pig Council

In a subject as wide as tliis it would be impossible to give a great wealth of detail, which though of academic interest to the student, would soon become boring to the layman. Here in New Zealand we have four breeds of pig in general use and they are the Tamworth Berkshire Large White and Large Black. All these breeds originated in England; there is also one "other breed slow. lj' growing in popularity in this Dominion- the Duroc Jersey. This is an American breed which can be dealt with later. From a perusal of the New Zealand Pig Breeders Association Herd Book by far the most popular breeds here, are the Berkshire and the Tamworth in that order.

A Common Origin

All the breeds of pig that are known today originated from the wild pig. This animal is well distributed over the earth and varies to a certain extent in colour and size according to the conditions prevailing in its natural habitat. Its colour varies from black and grey to chestnut according to the natural colour scheme with Avhicli it jhas to blend. It is believed that

tile actual origin of our pigs was the European wild hog which is a rusty grey when young turning to chestnut as it matures.

The Tamworth which is generally considered to be the oldest of all the breeds in use, is probably a direct improvement of the original WiM ll.Og eoinmon in England, As long as. 150 years, ago it was wgH IciiOAVn in the Midland Counties, particularly Staffordshire and takes its name from the town of Tamworth in that County. Early Selection About 50 years ago when the bacon curers in England started the campaign against the then 'fashionshort fat and heavy fore-quar-tered pig which carried two-thirds of its weight- in tlie least valuable part of the carcase, the Tamworth Avas selected by various breeders as the type pig to cross with the short fat pigs to render the carcase of more value to the bacon curer.

It has to be remembered that when first reclaimed i'rom its wild state, and even after domestication, this pig exhibited thriftless and unattractive features. Ungainly in appear- : anee long in the leg and snout, llat and light in the rib, co'arse in hair and skin and late in maturing— these were natural characteristics which failed to appeal to the pig breeders, but within the last 50 years by careful selection and breeding this breed has been improved to such an extent that today it has attained a popularitj r which it rightly deserves. The 'Captain Cooker' One of the most successful of the early breeders was a Mr G. M. Allander? and another was Lord Aucta land, after whose father the city of Auckland was named. In 1897 a separate class for Tamworth was provided at the Royal Shows in England and the modern type of Tamworth really started. It is most likely that the pigs, that Captain Cook is credited with having liberated in New Zealand were the old Tamworth breed: the variations in colour and shape seen in the Captain Cooker of today are due to all sorts of crosses with pigs ol' other breeds, that have escaped into the bush. Actually there is not a great deal of information available about the improvement of the Tamworth.

However quite a lot is Known about the Berkshire breed. ft will probably come" as rather a shock to Berkshire enthusiasts today to learn that the breed as known in England

for many years was a very large pig of reddish brown colour spotted with black and with largo flop ears; in other words as different as it could be from the modern Berk-, shire.

Experimental Crossing The first step in the improvement of the breed took place some time in the 17o()'s apparently, and tradition asserts that it was effected by a cross of the black or the deep plum coloured Siamese Boar on the old type Berkshire that has just been described. Other sources state that a cross with the pure white or spotted white Chinese boar was used, and it is probabie that, both these reports are true. The produce of the above crosses was then bred together and by careful selection the .modern type was evolved. In view

of the fact that the Siamese pig is described as plum coloured and that in 1811 the most favoured colour in Berkshire itself is also stated to have been a deep rich plum colit is more than likely that the brownish tinge or even deep chocolate colour which is sometimes seen in pure Berkshire today in New Zealand is a throw-back to this so. palled plum colour; and not as is sometimes maintained • due to a cross with the Tamworth. One of the outstanding features of the Berkshire has always been its early maturing qualities and this factor has been carefully preserved. Berkshires Popularity One noted authority describes the reasons for the Berkshire's supreme popularity in this manner—"This may be attributed to the facility with which it has become acclimatised in every part of the world to tile high returns it provides for both bacon andpportk t and owing to its great muscular power vitality and constitutional vigour and its marked tendency to resist disease.

As an all-round good pig for the farmer it properly occupies first place. The animal is well modelled possesses plenty of length, deep flanks, good hams well sprung ribs lays on flesh rapidly and lias a captivating and symmetrical outline. Special merit may be assigned to the Berkshire for the character of the meat —its tasty sweetness t fine texture and well balanced proportions of lean and fat ? which make it a general favourite with butcher bacon curer and consumer." The American Breed About the middle of the last century the Berkshire breed became very popular in America and Canada and large numbers were imported from England. Here the breed was worked on and adopted to the needs of the trade in these countries; firstly with a view to lard production for Avhieh purpose 't was crossed with other, breeds, rind later for bacon production. As a result of this latter development the so called Canadian Berkshire was produced, which is considered in New Zealand almost a distinct breed. This is rot a tjrue aspect of the case and the Canadian type is the. product of careful selection within the breed.

In dealing with the use ol' the Berkshire in the United States it is interesting to. note that it was used to improve the Poland-China breed in that, country. The modern Pol-and-China pig is of the same colouring as the Berkshire } namely t blacky with white feet } blaze and tail-tip. Maori Types Explained The old Poland-China was a black and 'white pig and the. interesting thing is that among the Maoris on the East Coast there, are pigs which they cail Kuni Kuni that correspond in type and colouring to the old and it seems very probable that they arc descendants of pigs of that breed traded to the Maoris in the early days by Amcrij can whalers operating in New Zealand waters. These pigs are ot' a very short immensely l'at type and were, highly prized by the Maoris which lor the way in which they have'persisted. Another breed that lias proved | very popular in . New Zealand is the Devon. This breed, with slight variations in size and characteristics, lias been bred in the south of England for many years and was known as the Hampshire and Devon the name varying with the locality in which it was bred but out here the accepted name is Large. Black and as such is registered in the New Zealand Pig Breeders' Association Herd Book.

Its origin is veiled in obscurity. It is claimed that it is not a com J polite breed and there is no evidence forthcoming as to the mingle ing of breeds to secure the present type. (To be continued)