Category:Meishan Pig

The Meishan breed was introduced into the United States under a cooperative effort of the USDA, the University of Illinois, and Iowa State University. This effort also imported Fengjing and Minzhu pigs from China. A total of 144 pigs from these breeds were shipped to the United States on July 27, 1989. Iowa State University received 22 Meishan females and 10 Meishan boars from this shipment.

Meishan pigs come from the region of lakes and valleys in China. They are considered Taihu pigs, deriving their name from the Taihu Lake in their region of origin. This region lies in the Mid Subtropic Belt, a narrow region between North and Central China, in the Lower Changjiang River Basin and Southeast Coast. This area has a mild climate.

The breeds imported from China are slow growing and fat, but have a very good taste. They are considered to be resistant to some diseases and are able to consume large amounts of roughage. Meishan pigs should be well fed and managed, being fed farm by-products and water plants, as well as concentrates.

The Meishan breed is known for its wrinkled face and skin. Sows grow to be about 57.8 cm high, 100 cm around the chest, and with a 61.6 kg live-weight. They have a backfat thickness of 2.5 cm and a dressing percentage of 66.8%.

Meishan pigs are perhaps one of the most prolific breeds of pig in the world. They reach maturity at 2.5-3 months of age, achieve high birth rates, and a large litter size of 15-16 piglets. It is quite common to have two litters per year. Third and later parities of this breed had 17.0 pigs born, with 12.9 being weaned. Their 240 day weight was 170.5 lbs., with an average daily gain of 0.75 lbs.