Pig breed Landrace: description and characteristics, breeding and keeping conditions

Denmark is a leader in the introduction of new technologies in pig breeding. The profitability of farms depends on the quality of breeding material; there are more than 250 breeding centers in the country. Work to improve the elite breed of Landrace pigs does not stop.

History of Appearance

Pig breeders of other countries learned about the promising meat breed bred in Denmark at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Landraces owe their genetics to European lop-eared pigs and Berkshire boars and sows imported from England. Years of selection work has yielded remarkable results.From crossing local and English breeds in Denmark, bacon pigs appeared, quickly building muscle mass, accumulating a small proportion of fat.

Pedigree animals were brought to Russia in 1948. Two domestic enterprises were engaged in acclimatization and breeding of a new meat breed:

• Kaluga region - breeding farm named after Tsvetkov;
• Novgorod region - breeding farm "Krasny Bor".

It took more than 40 years to adapt to local breeding conditions. In 1993, the Landrace breed was entered into the State Register. Landrace pigs are grown by farmers, owners of private farms in all regions of Russia. There are Danish purebred pigs in New Zealand, Australia, they are bred in Ukraine.

Characteristics and description of the Landrace pig

Piglets of the Landrace breed cost 4-6.5 thousand rubles and are in stable demand. From the table, which shows the weight of pigs by months, it can be seen that already at the age of 9-10 months, the live weight exceeds 100 kg.

15-253250-300 25-354400-50035-45 545-606500-55060-75 775-90890-105 9105-120 10

Pig age in months	Daily weight gain (g)	Body weight (kg)
2	200-250
120-130

Such results are achieved if concentrated vitamin and mineral supplements are included in the menu. It takes 250 kg of feed per year to feed one Landrace piglet. Below is a table of the daily feed requirement of pigs. External characteristics of the breed:

• stubble is whitish, not thick;
• skin is white-pink, sometimes with black spots;
• body elongated, torpedo-shaped, 2 m long for boars, 1.6 m for sows;
• boar's chest volume is 1.9 m, sows - 1.5 m;
• meaty neck;
• legs pronounced, wide;
• medium head;
• ears are large, wide, hanging over the eyes.

Pigs are not prone to aggression, mobile. Animals, despite their large weight, easily move on short, straight legs. The average weight of an adult boar is 300 kg, sows - 250 kg.

Pros and cons

Choosing piglets for personal subsidiary plots, farms, livestock breeders evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the breed.

There are a lot of piglets in the litterWeak hind legsQuickly adapt to weather changesDemanding to conditions of detentionActiveFicky eatersPrecocious High productivity

Dignity of Landrace pigs	Disadvantages of Landrace pigs
Get weight quickly	Prone to stress

Features of care

Growing Landrace pigs is beneficial if the diet is formulated correctly. In this case, the food goes to build up meat, not fat. A good effect is achieved when using succulent feed (pumpkin, potatoes, rutabaga, carrots) and protein sources (alfalfa, clover).

Containment conditions

Pigs of the Landrace breed are adapted to the Russian climate, so pigsties are not insulated for the winter. In the cold season, Canadian technology is used. Animals are kept on a deep non-removable bedding (straw, sawdust).

The heat that is released during the overheating of the lower layers warms the animals. The temperature in the depth of the litter reaches 40 °C, in the pigsty it does not fall below 5 °C. The organic matter of the litter is treated with biological products. They activate the activity of bacteria, destroy the smell of ammonia, process pig excrement.

Age, sex	Producer boar	Sow	Weaner	Fattening piglet
Area per 1 pig	10 m²	7 m²	0.8 m²	1, 5 m²

How mating is done

The inseminator boar is selected in advance, kept in comfortable conditions, and provides regular, long walking. Adult studs are mated no more than 30 times a year, young ones 2 times less often. Frequent use of a boar degrades the quality of seed material.

The body of the female is ready for fertilization within 2-3 days, she is also prepared in advance, given food containing vitamins, minerals, protein. During the sexual hunt, the male is launched to her twice with an interval of 12 hours. The breeder controls the entire mating process in order to stop possible manifestations of aggression in time.

After successful fertilization, the female behaves calmly, does not go on a spree, 115 days after mating, farrowing occurs. Landrace pigs are bred on an industrial scale, crossing with other breeds, and in private farms.

How to care for piglets

The weight of newborn piglets of the Landrace breed is 1.5-2 kg. It's not easy to get them out. Pedigree offspring make high demands on the quality of the diet and the conditions of detention. Immediately after birth, the piglets are wiped dry with a rag, the umbilical cord is removed, the wound is treated with iodine, and placed on a clean bedding. An hour later, the piglets are brought to the mother's nipples, weakened - to the front, those that are larger - to the back. Colostrum strengthens the immunity of newborn piglets.

Landrace sows often show aggression towards offspring, so they are kept in a separate paddock or separated from newborns by a partition.

The first 7 days in the stall the air temperature is maintained at 30-32 °C, then it begins to gradually decrease. Every 5th day decrease by 2 °C. At the time of weaning the piglets, the temperature in the pigsty does not exceed 18 °C. For the first week, sucklings are fed with mother's milk, then they are fed with warm (37 ° C) cow's milk 4 times a day. A single dose of 10-15 g. Starting from the 3rd day of life, sucklings are given a 0.25% solution of iron sulfate. This serves to prevent anemia. Water is introduced into the diet on the 4th day, roasted grain - on the 10th day.

Diet for fattening Landrace piglets:

• compound feed;
• porridge on the back, milk;
• summer grass;
• winter carrots;
• fish oil;
• milk.

Suckers are weaned from the sow at the age of 30-45 days. Piglets are fed 4 times a day, gradually introduced into the diet are reverse, meal, cake, fish, meat waste.

Feeding at home

At home, bacon pigs are fed compound feed, greens, vegetables, and mineral supplements are added to the diet. During the first fattening period (it lasts 4.5-5 months), the average daily weight gain of 450 g is considered the norm. In the second fattening period, the average daily weight gain is 600 g. , fish waste, soybeans, oats). To improve the quality of the bacon, the pig is fed a mixture.

Barley70Pulses 20Wheat bran10

Mix ingredient	%

946 g of this mixture is equal to 1 feed unit. In the second fattening period, the walking time of pigs is reduced. In winter, 3 meals a day are organized with 8-hour breaks; during the warm period, animals are fed 2 times a day.

2.83.33.53.7 Daily Gain400g400g500g500g600g700g700g700g

Live weight	20kg	30 kg	40 kg	50 kg	60 kg	70 kg	80 kg	90 kg
Number of feed units	1.5	1.8	2.3	2.6

Possible diseases and their prevention

In pigsties, disinfection is carried out 2-4 times a year. One procedure lasts from 3 to 5 days. Destroy spore-forming microorganisms with solutions of active chlorine (5%) or formaldehyde (4%). For an area of 1 m², 3 liters of disinfectant liquid are consumed.

Common diseases of Landrace pigs:

• scabies;
• mug;
• ringworm;
• plague;
• cysticercosis;
• dysentery.

Sick animals are isolated, treatment is carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian. The infection is carried by rats, mice, insects. Contagion vectors are de alt with in two ways:

• from rodents, deratization is carried out, mice and rats are poisoned with poisons (monophorin, bactocumarin, zinc phosphide);
• flies, ticks, lice, fleas, pigs are saved with the help of pest control, the pigsty is sprayed with chlorophos.

For the prevention of diseases, piglets are vaccinated. The first vaccinations against colibacillosis, salmonellosis are given on the 3rd day. At the age of 1.5 months, they are vaccinated against leptosporiasis. From this disease, piglets are vaccinated twice with an interval of a week. Piglets are vaccinated against erysipelas at 2 months of age, against plague - at 3 months. Pigs are given vitamins in the first week of life.

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