Iberian pig: description of the breed from Habugo, its keeping and breeding

Some places on the planet are famous not only for outstanding people, but also animals deserved before mankind. The Iberian black pig gave the world a tender dried ham - jamon. This ancient breed is not much different from its wild ancestors. The Iberian pig calmly endures both the content in the barn and monthly walks under the canopy of centuries-old oaks.

Appearance and characteristics of the breed

Almost the entire body mass of the Iberian pig is concentrated in an elongated rounded body. The black or gray skin is covered with short bristles. The powerful torso smoothly passes into an oblong head with a snout at the end.The "piglet" of the pig consists of strong cartilage, is very mobile, devoid of vegetation and is designed to get food from the ground. The trapezoid-shaped ears are attached on both sides to the head almost at its very top and fall below the eyes, partially covering them.

The legs of the Iberian pig breed are long and lean. Extreme 2nd and 4th fingers almost do not touch the ground. There are only 4 of them. The legs of pigs end in hooves. This is where the name "artiodactyls" comes from. The tail of a pig is disproportionately short and twisted in a spiral. General appearance - quite athletic, without folds of fat and skin, sagging.

The black Iberian pig has become a symbol of the Spanish city of Jabugo, famous for producing the best jamon in Spain.

Pros and cons of the Iberian pig

There is no perfection in the world. The cute Iberian pig has its flaws:

• very voracious;
• prone to obesity;
• demands enough areas of oak groves with different fruit ripening periods for its appetite;
• not fertile;
• has a semi-wild disposition, determined by the same genetics.

One main plus smoothes and pulls all the flaws in the character and physiology of a semi-pet. Incomparable marbled meat with an original flavor made Iberia famous all over the world.

Second plus - when there is not enough acorns and oak groves, the Iberian pig can be fattened, than God sent, and eat, utilizing its skin at the same time. This breed is not aggressive, neither within the herd nor towards humans.

Specific content, care and feeding

The original taste of the meat of the Iberian pig is inseparable from the conditions of its life. It was the natural conditions of the Spanish province that first opened to people a way to obtain such a product in an environment of domestication of previously wild animals. Pigs choose places rich in food (seeds, grains, fruits), cool and moist. They often migrate around water bodies. Bathing cools the body of pigs in the heat, as their skin is devoid of sweat glands.

If the Iberian animal is given free rein, it will eat everything that is offered to it or finds itself. But the manufacturer is not interested in pure fat. In order to get marbled meat, the pig needs to be given room for movement. For walking one individual, a hectare of forest is needed. 4 oak species with different acorn ripening periods provide food for the Iberian species from September almost to April. It is at this time that farmers release their pets into the wild.

Wild herbs and plant roots complete the nutrition of the Iberian pigs, making it a balanced diet.Running and digging the earth burn a lot of calories, the mass of future pork increases very slowly. But only such a mode of keeping gives the signature taste of meat. In the end, Iberian pigs manage to gain 160-190 kg of weight. Then the butchers take care of them.

Reproduction rules

Iberian pigs reach sexual maturity at 6 months. The delay can be caused by poor nutrition or illness. Before mating pigs, they check their he alth, select the best individuals of both sexes by systematic monitoring of each animal literally from birth.

If the farm has males prepared for procreation, it is not difficult to detect the female's hunting. She will pay special attention to the boar, and may even show aggression towards pigs and sows. When a male approaches a female who is in a state of hunting, she stands still, does not run away and does not resist.

If mating has to be carried out with someone else's boar, the female can also be checked for readiness for her even before meeting with the manufacturer. The pig shows the following signs of heat:

1. Swelling or redness of the vagina. It may bleed.
2. Unusual grunting.
3. When pressing on the back, it stays in place.

An average of 5-10 babies are expected from farrowing. When the pregnancy of a pig is established, it is immediately transferred to an enhanced balanced diet. For the period of feeding piglets with milk, the mother's diet should also be high-calorie, with a high protein content.

A good time for mating pigs is winter. Pigs will be born in 4 months.

Breed diseases

In the ailments of Iberian pigs, like other animals, the owners are often to blame. Improper feeding or poisoning due to inattention causes digestive disorders.

Anemia in newborn piglets.Weakness, diarrhea.Iron deficiency in the diet of a pregnant sow. Gastroenteritis.Pig diarrhea, developmental delay.Malnutrition , unbalanced nutrition.Dyspepsia in dairy pigs. Thirst, vomiting, increased salivation, convulsions.Excessive addition of food waste with s alt content to the feed. Mold poisoning.Severe diarrhea or constipation.Mold in feed.Worms.Slow weight gain or weight loss, poor appetite. Diarrhea, regurgitation, vomiting, attempts to drag the anus along the ground. Twitching and convulsions. Parasites in the feces.Unsanitary conditions, weakening of animals due to malnutrition.

Disease	Symptoms	Causes
	Bloating, diarrhea or constipation, lethargy, vomiting.	Maternal malnutrition, diseases of internal organs.
S alt poisoning.

It is easy for animals to pick up helminths, but regular cleaning of manure slows down the spread of parasites. It is necessary to periodically give animals antihelminthic drugs.

Iberian pigs are also susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. Such diseases often accompany animals affected by parasites, penetrating into wounds inflicted by helminths. A change in the behavior of the pig towards lethargy and despondency shows that it is time to call the veterinarian and isolate the animal as soon as possible.

Value of meat products

The hams of Iberian pigs are used to produce many types of jamón, the most famous imported Spanish product. They differ in the way of fattening the animal from whose meat they are made, the quality of a separate carcass. Most famous species:

• Iberico de Beyota, for which the fattening of pigs ends with an acorn-grass diet;
• Iberico Cebo de Campo is made from meat grown on grain and acorns.

Jamón - dried meat of Iberian pigs with streaks of fat in the muscle. Several months in preparation. Cut into transparent slices.

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