Pietrain pig breed: description and characteristics, conditions of keeping and breeding

The European bacon pig breed Pietrain is popular all over the world. The quality of Pietrain meat is at a high level, bacon is considered dietary. Despite the fact that representatives of this breed are demanding on the conditions of detention, they are bred in private farms in our country, piglets are grown for breeding and improving the gene pool of the livestock. The European breed is also suitable for industrial meat production.

A bit of history

The progenitors of the valuable breed are Belgian pigs, which were crossed with large white, Berkshire and Yorkshire species.This event took place at the beginning of the 20th century. Pietrain achieved special respect in Germany. Here, these pigs are valued for their high quality bacon, with thin streaks of fat.

In Russia, the breed is not very popular due to the exactingness of the climate, care and conditions of detention, Pietrain, as a rule, is bred in order to improve the gene pool of the main livestock. The breed is not included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.

Description and characteristics of the Pietrain pig

Pietrain bacon pigs are not genetically predisposed to overweight. The average weight of European pigs is 240 kilograms, the skeleton and bones are quite light. Appearance:

• Small head with short snout.
• Cylindrical torso with well-developed muscles and a wide sacrum.
• Height at the withers - 80 centimeters.
• The color of the skin is white, gray and black spots on the back and head are acceptable.
• Ears are small, erect.
• The belly is underdeveloped, not saggy, the pig looks toned.
• Legs are short.
• Spring tail.

Productive characteristics of the breed:

• Well developed hams.
• Meat yield from carcass - 85%.
• Fecundity is average - 9-10 piglets.
• The average daily growth of young animals is 550 grams.
• The thickness of the subcutaneous fat is not more than 10 millimeters.

Note. Males are distinguished by a strongly pronounced sexual instinct, so boars are often used for inbreeding with pigs of a tallow and meat-and-tallow direction.

As for the temperament of Pietren, these pigs are considered peaceful, rarely show aggression, and are suitable for keeping together with other pets.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The main advantages of the European breed include:

• High quality meat, low fat content.
• Meat yield from the carcass is more than 80%, the average weight of the ham is 12 kilograms.
• Strong immunity, including in young animals.
• Pietrain boars are the best breeders.

Negative sides of the breed:

• Poor acclimatization and adaptation to new conditions and regions.
• Weak milk production, piglets need complementary foods from the first days after birth.
• Thin fat layer makes pigs susceptible to cold and drafts.
• Specific diet, vitamin supplements and high-calorie nutrition needed.

Pietrain should be kept in insulated and clean pigsties. The meat of European pigs is dietary, a good quality product can only be achieved with a properly selected diet for animals and compliance with the conditions of detention.

Containment conditions

Pietrain's genetic predisposition to minimal fat accumulation determines the characteristics of the maintenance and diet of these productive animals. Pig care features:

• Warm barn with good ventilation and lighting, no drafts allowed.
• Clean bedding.
• Permanent access to drinking water.
• Animal walking area in the warm season, it is necessary to create a rest area for pigs with a canopy from the sun.
• Regular deworming of livestock, vaccinations.
• Give the pigs enough space when feeding.

It is not recommended to change the conditions of detention and the place of walking for animals, Pietrains do not tolerate a change of scenery and the associated stress.

What to feed?

Meat pigs need a high-calorie diet and vitamin supplements. At the same time, it is not recommended to use stimulants, such agents worsen the taste and quality of bacon, the meat oxidizes and becomes loose. The basis of the diet of the European breed should be proteins and easily digestible carbohydrates, the Pietrain's metabolism is fast. The diet may include the following foods:

• Meat and dairy waste.
• Boiled potatoes and finely chopped vegetables.
• Beans and cereals, greens.

Piglets, born, immediately need complementary foods, from the second day of life, babies begin to feed yogurt, whole milk.

It is necessary to add vitamins and minerals to the diet of animals: chalk, phosphorus, s alt, fishmeal, fish oil.

If a lot of cereal feed gets into Pietrain's diet, then the average daily gain will drop sharply, corn, barley, oats fade into the background. Many farmers use aspirin as a growth promoter for young stock.

Breeding rules

Pietrain males reach puberty by eight months of age, females by six months. The best age for breeding is 11-12 months. Breeding Rules:

• It is recommended to cross Pietrain with representatives of his breed, as well as with Landrace, Duroc and Great White.
• Give animals a balanced diet and drinking water.
• After farrowing, the female with the cubs are kept in a separate pigsty.
• Provide piglets with complementary foods from the first days of life.

Most often in our country, sires of the Pietrain breed are purchased in order to improve the quality of the meat of the main breed, the boars of this breed have a pronounced sexual instinct.

Fight disease

By nature, representatives of the European Pietrain breed are endowed with strong immunity, in particular to cyclovirus infections. But this positive quality does not mean that vaccinations and planned deworming of the tribe can be abandoned. The main factors in the development of diseases include:

• Animal stress associated with moving, changing diet or housing conditions.
• Drafts, excess moisture in the pigsty.
• Dirty, damp bedding.
• Lack of ventilation in the room where animals are kept.
• Outbreak in the main population.
• Incorrect diet.

The livestock should be checked regularly for signs of disease. Decreased appetite, unmotivated aggression, loose stools, bloating, flow from the eyes and an increase in body temperature are the reasons for the examination of animals by a veterinarian.

Pig disease prevention measures:

• Planned vaccination.
• Immunization.
• Balanced diet.
• Regular disinfection of the premises.
• Establish a quarantine zone for animals showing signs of disease.

Pietrain pigs are prone to pneumonia and gastrointestinal disorders. The selection of products for animals must be taken carefully, pigs often suffer from poisoning, especially from unwashed dirty fruits and vegetables. When keeping Pietren pigs, it is not recommended to carry out a sharp change in conditions of detention, change the diet or transport animals to a new place, stress is the main factor in the development of diseases and poor he alth of animals.

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