Optimus pig breed characteristics

The Optimus breed is especially popular among farmers raising pigs for meat. It appeared for the first time in England. Some breeders attribute it to Yorkshire dogs, but this is a mistaken opinion, even though they are very similar in appearance. The breed has excellent characteristics, thanks to which it is chosen by both novice breeders and professionals in the field of pig breeding. Piglets have a strong immune system and are hardy in different conditions. They adapt well. If you take sows, they produce healthy, homogeneous offspring, and boars are the best inseminators.

General characteristics of the breed

Experts speak very positively about pigs of the Optimus breed. This breed is distinguished by excellent immunity, remarkable endurance and a unique balance between the amount of meat and growth. Optimus sows produce homogeneous offspring and demonstrate impeccable maternal instinct. Optimus boars are ideal as inseminators for both natural and artificial insemination. The offspring obtained from representatives of this breed are distinguished by excellent vitality, even when the piglets are separated from their mother early.

General external characteristics and photos of Optimus breed pigs

Optimus pigs are light in color and have excellent health. Studying the appearance of the animal, it can be noted that it has:

Wide and strong body;
A long and deep body without the “interceptions” in the area of the shoulder blades that are characteristic of many breeds;
Superbly developed hams;
Short and elastic pasterns;
Relatively small limbs;
Strong hooves;
Thick, but at the same time elastic skin with a complete absence of folds;
Smooth and thick bristles covering the entire body of the pig.

Optimus pigs

Breeding areas for Optimus pigs

The Optimus breed is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of the Russian Federation. The excellent reputation of breeding individuals gives them the opportunity to settle on farms and serve as an improver for local pigs that do not have such outstanding meat qualities.

Productivity

Optimus pigs are deservedly one of the most productive meat breeds. They demonstrate excellent performance in terms of clean meat yield per carcass. Due to the fact that Optimus have well-developed muscles (especially in the ham area), thin bones, and a small head, the slaughter meat yield often reaches 80%.

Fertility

Sows of the Optimus breed are classified as having multiple births. During one farrowing, up to 11 piglets are born. At the same time, the pig has excellent milk production, which allows babies to gain weight quite quickly. A six-month-old piglet often weighs about 100 kg.

Optimuses are completely unsuitable for producing high-quality lard. The thickness of the back fat of an adult individual can reach 15 mm, which indicates that the lard productivity indicator is quite low.

Features of breeding Optimus pigs

Optimus pigs cannot be called capricious in terms of maintenance. They have sufficient endurance, strong immunity, resistance to many diseases, unpretentiousness to a selected diet, as well as a friendly and flexible character. The only serious whim of Optimus can be called vulnerability to drafts. This is due to the fact that the fat layer of pigs is very thin and cannot be an ideal protection against drafts. If we exclude this factor, then keeping Optimus pigs will bring extremely positive results.

In addition, as already mentioned, it is reasonable to use the Optimus boar as an improver of the meat qualities of local pig breeds.

First, let's look at a little general information, and only then we'll get to breeding Optimus pigs and look at their photos. In many countries of the former CIS they like to breed pigs of two categories. The first category includes meat animals, for example, the large white breed or the equally well-known Landrace and others. The second category includes this universal breed, or as they are called meat-fat pigs, breeds of such pigs: large black, Duroc and others.

Naturally, each breed has its own differences, pros and cons, as well as different body types. It is by the type of body and its composition that the directions of a particular pig are distinguished. The direction usually speaks for itself. Accordingly, if the breed is meat, then the animal produces more meat than lard and vice versa.

Meat pigs are characterized by a long body with a lightweight front part, usually not too heavy hams, as well as a shallow chest depth. The greasy breed is distinguished by a wide body, a rather weighty front part, large hams and a noticeably deeper chest. Universal animals are something between the greasy category and the meat category.

Hungarian Mangalica

Almost ideal meat breed Hungarian Mangalitsa. Covered with thick, curly hair, the pig is adapted to the harshest living conditions. Once released for walking, she will find food anywhere. The only inconvenience is that the walking area will be plowed. A pig will even eat the roots of a bush. Mangal meat is highly valued. Real gourmets are willing to pay double the price for it compared to other breeds.

General characteristics of the animal

The Optimus breed comes from England and was bred by English breeders. Optimus are often confused with the Yorkshire pig, because they are very similar in visual characteristics. Many who have at least once encountered this animal leave positive reviews about this subspecies. This is not surprising; pigs in this category have an excellent immune system and very good endurance. But these are not all the positive features of pigs; they also have an exceptional balance, which no other subspecies has, between weight gain and meat.

The Optimus pig has exceptional maternal instincts, and breeds homogeneous offspring. Boars, in turn, are excellent inseminators. Moreover, this applies to both natural and artificial insemination. Animals have very good adaptability to life. This even applies to small piglets that are taken away from their mother's nipple very early.

The external characteristics of the animal can be seen in the photos presented in the article. The skin color of the subspecies is usually light in color, the body of pigs is quite strong and wide, the body of the category is long and deep, without the so-called “interceptions” that most other pigs have in the area of the shoulder blades. The hams are very well developed, the limbs are placed correctly, but relatively small, the hooves are powerful and strong. The skin is thick, but surprisingly does not have folds. Although the skin is thick, it is also quite elastic. Pig's bristles are small and also light in color.

Hybrid pockets

Lately, our farmsteads have been conquered by an unusual pig, or rather a hybrid of the Mangalza or Vietnamese and Korean herbivorous pig. Vietnamese piglets brought curly hair and disease resistance, while Korean piglets brought a love of grass.

Important! Animals need free range. The area of the enclosure should be calculated based on the norm of at least 5 m2 per piglet.

The resulting Karmala hybrid has a number of remarkable qualities:

standard weight of a six-month-old pig is 150-200 kg;
thick hair;
white soft skin;
pronounced meat orientation;
the ability to eat exclusively green food;
good health;
not fussy about temperatures;
multiple pregnancy;
calm disposition;
accelerated growth.

Interesting! In the first month of life, the Karmaly pig is able to gain 20 kg of weight.

Areas where breeding is practiced

Breeding of the breed covers almost the entire territory of Russia. Since the reputation of pigs is very good, this allows them to increasingly fill production and farms. In addition, the breed serves as an improvement for other types of pigs, whose productivity and meat indicators in general are not as luxurious as those of this tribe.

As for productivity, we can safely say that the breed is the most productive of all types of pigs with meat characteristics. These representatives have truly excellent performance in terms of pure meat productivity per carcass. All thanks to the physique of the subspecies. Since pigs have well-developed muscles, especially in the ham area, the subspecies has thin bones, and the size of the head is not very large, the meat yield from one carcass reaches and sometimes exceeds 80%. Photos of pig bodies are proof of this:

If we talk about the fertility of sows, then they and the breed as a whole are classified as prolific pigs. During one pregnancy, the uterus gives up to 11 babies. But also with all this, the pig has excellent milk production, this allows small piglets to gain body weight without problems and quite quickly. So, by the age of 6 months, piglets often grow to one hundredweight.

The disadvantage of the breed is that they are not at all suitable for lard production. But this is not strange, because the pig is aimed at meat. The thickness of the fat in the Optimus breed is approximately 15mm. Such indicators in pig farming are considered quite low and are not suitable for fat productivity.

Chinese pig

One of the most numerous in the world, but almost unknown in Russia, the Chinese Meishan pig has been pleasing pig farmers for more than 400 years. Refers to a pronounced sebaceous direction. With a squat height of no more than 70 cm, it weighs up to 200 kg.

Exterior features are:

massive body;
saggy belly;
legs are short;
the head is small;
the skin is rough, with large folds;
large ears.

In addition to China, the breed is common in England and North America. Found in some European countries.

There are a large number of breeds that are little known or almost never found in Russia. Recently, mini-pigs have become widespread, which are capable of living like dogs at home. An adult individual barely gains weight of 70 kg.

Optimus breeding

The breed is quite calm and not capricious in terms of maintenance. Great endurance, strong health, a powerful immune system, the animal’s body is resistant to many diseases, there are no special dietary restrictions, the character is calm and friendly. The only disadvantage when breeding the breed is its weakness to drafts. This is all due to the small fat layer; it is quite thin and therefore does not provide sufficient protection from drafts. But if you do not take this factor into account, then breeding the Optimus breed will only be enough and will bring positive emotions and results.

As previously mentioned, boars of this breed are very good for crossing with other species in order to improve the meat performance of animals.

Pig farming is considered one of the largest industries in our country. Pork meat always finds its buyers. The most popular breeds of pigs for meat . These are the breeds of piglets that breeders keep on their farms. And it is these best breeds of pigs that end up in our stores for use in cooking.

Types of classification of pigs

The classification is divided according to characteristics

By origin.
Body shape.
Productivity direction.

By origin they are divided into groups

The first group takes its origin from wild boars living in the European part of the earth.
The second group begins its origins from the wild boars of Asia.
The third group is characterized as a mixture of breeds of the first and second groups.
The fourth group is artificially bred piglets, specially crossed to breed especially large individuals.

Division into types based on body shape

Piglets with a dense structure.
Individuals with a loose body structure.
Piglets with a delicate, dense structure.
Individuals with a delicate, dense structure.

Productivity can also be divided into several types:

Universal, they differ from others in their high productivity, as well as high-level meat qualities.
Meat and bacon can be called average in performance.
Sebaceous pigs have a thick layer of fatty deposits under the skin of piglets, and are also distinguished by the early greasiness of the carcass.

Landrace pigs

Landrace was obtained at the end of the 19th century by pig breeders in Denmark and is the record holder for the rate of weight gain. The best bacon breed. The boar gains weight up to 360 kg, the female is 80 kg less. But when growing it requires a special approach. Very picky about her diet. It can truly show its qualities only on an industrial farm, where all recommendations for its maintenance are followed.

Varieties of pigs

This list of pig breed varieties can include more than 100 species. Here are some of the most common ones and their characteristics:

Large white Russian breed. This breed can be called one of the very first to appear in Russia. It can be called a meat breed of pigs, or a meat-fat breed. This difference in breeds is due to the technology of pig fattening. The ancestor of this breed of piglets is considered to be the English white pig. During fattening, you can get 170–200 kg of meat in one year. A sow gives birth to about 12 piglets per farrow. According to the characteristics of pigs, one can note such features as a wide chest structure, a fairly wide dorsal part, and the back of the pig is powerful and quite hard. Also, pigs of this breed have short legs and large hooves, the skin hair is not particularly thick, more like stubble. The pig's wide head is supported by a fairly long and meaty neck. The ears are large, half drooping. The skin is quite thick, but soft.
The largest breed of meat pig is widely known. In appearance, the piglet of a precocious pig is very similar to a large white one. A good rate of development of these meat piglets occurs on the 165–170th day of fattening. After the fattening period has expired, the largest piglet can reach a weight of about 100 kg.
Optimus pig breed. This is a meat breed. The subcutaneous layer of fat deposits is too small to be sold as lard.
One of the best bacon breeds of pigs can rightfully be called the Duroc piglet. These are quite large individuals, sometimes reaching a height of up to 200 cm. If you feed such individuals properly, you can get up to 80% of the meat from one piglet carcass. It is worth noting that a pig-ox can reach a weight category of up to 250 kg, and sows weigh around 200–230 kg. The breed of such pigs is considered American. The main focus in the selection process of such individuals was growing for lard, but during the breeding process, the preference changed in favor of the meat variety. The characteristics of individuals include the highest quality of meat products, remarkable precocity in the growth process. Also a distinctive feature can be called good endurance and unpretentiousness to living conditions. This breed is very often used by breeders to develop new breeds. With proper nutritious nutrition, with a predominance of protein, individuals can develop a powerful physique.
Hampshire beef pigs. This variety has some differences from other varieties. Typically, such piglets are born black in color, the piglet's snout is straight, its ears are small and erect, and its legs are short. The largest piglets can reach a weight category of up to 280–300 kg. Sows generally do not gain weight above 240 kg.
The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig breed. It is rightfully considered one of the best. Such piglets cannot be called large, but they are in demand precisely because of their meat yield of 85% per carcass. This is also one of the fastest breeds, and the sows of these pigs farrow very large. The largest male of this breed can weigh no more than 140–150 cm. During farrowing, the sow brings about 20 piglets.
Pietrain. Piglets of this breed are also not particularly large, but what is also important are extremely picky about feed. Fattening such piglets is not particularly profitable for beginners, because you can make a lot of mistakes that will not lead to big profits. More experienced pig breeders can easily cope with breeding piglets of this breed. The body of the piglet is wide, such part of the carcass as the ham is very large, the ears are small and erect. Surveying a sow does not produce a large litter; as a rule, 6–8 piglets are born. The breed is also considered precocious.
Landrace. This variety originates in Denmark. This variety was obtained by crossing English breeds and Danish animals. The diet of these breeds of pigs includes a high protein intake. The characteristics of such piglets include indicators such as a small amount of fat deposits, a rather elongated body of the pig, and a light-colored bristly cover. The skin throughout the body is very thin, as is the fat layer. The shape of the ears is quite long and folded.
Breed of pigs Mangal. This type of pig stands out for its unusual appearance. This animal is often called woolly. The hair tearing of the skin of pigs is more characteristic of sheep. But strangely enough, nature decided differently in this case. The color of this breed of pigs comes in various shades. Thanks to their wool, they are very resistant to bad weather conditions. The taste qualities of meat products are assessed at the highest level. The main disadvantage is the very small number of piglets brought by the sow during farrowing. The number of cubs does not exceed 6 pcs. at once.
Estonian bacon breed. This is a type of meat-bacon pig. Most often the color is white, but there are cases that piglets are born pinkish. The pig's body is quite large and massive. Has an elongated design. The legs are quite strong with massive hooves. The dorsal part is wide and round in shape. This type of piglet is very large and reaches an average weight of 300–330 kg. Female individuals are less weighty, gaining weight no more than 240 kg. High number of piglets delivered during farrowing. Also widely used for crossing breeds. It grazes well on pastures; the feed should not contain any special additives. Bacon has high product quality indicators for this type of pig breed.

Cantor

Another noteworthy breed of pig is the Kantor, also the result of the work of breeders. The basis was taken from two purebred breeds - Duroc and Pietrain. Duroc is a stable animal that adapts well to its conditions. The Petren breed of pigs, whose characteristics are also given above, also has a number of important advantages. The result of this crossing was a breed that is distinguished by good health, strong legs, protruding ears and a complete absence of fat accumulation. The approximate weight of such a pig is 260 kg (males).