The Meishan (Chinese: 梅山猪) is a Chinese breed of domestic pig. It is named for Meishan County in Jiangsu Province.[1][2] It is a sub-group of the Taihu and is a small- to medium-sized pig with large drooping ears and wrinkled black skin.
Native to Southern China, the breed is best known for its large litters of 15-22 piglets. Due to its fecundity, it was imported to the United States in 1989 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.[3][4] All US research on the Meishan pigs was terminated in 2016 and the remaining pigs were dispersed to US farmers.[5] In 2018 the Meishan Pig was declared critically endangered worldwide by the Livestock Conservancy.[5]
The Meishan Pig is the focus of a major conservation effort involving the Livestock Conservancy and the American Meishan Breeders Association.[5] The number of breeders in the US is rising primarily due to the Meishan Pigs adaptability to small holder farms.
References
- ^ Ekarius, Carol (2008). Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs. Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60342-036-5.
- ^ "梅山豬種".
- ^ "Meishan Swine". ansi.okstate.edu. Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science.
- ^ "Chinese Pigs Provide Insight to U.S. Swine Reproduction". Agricultural Research. USDA ARS.
- ^ a b c "The Livestock Conservancy". livestockconservancy.org. Retrieved 31 December 2018.