Learn meishan pig facts, its critical conservation status and how this ancient heritage breed is making a comeback in the United States.
With their adorable faces, docile behavior, and delicious meat, Meishan pigs make an excellent choice for the aspiring swine farmer. Meishan pigs originated from China, and they’re one of the oldest domesticated pig breeds. However, the conservation status of this breed is currently critical, according to The Livestock Conservancy.
Laura Jensen, president of the American Meishan Breeders Association (AMBA), is preparing to change that. Here’s what this expert has to say about this versatile heritage breed.
Meishan Pig Facts
Behavior. The Meishan pig has a lot to offer in terms of personality. “If you’re looking for something that’s not going to destroy your land, your fences, your kids, or your customers, the Meishan pig is a great choice,” Jensen says. She describes it as “a pig that you don’t have to manhandle and carry a gun with.” Their rooting also has a significantly lower impact on their environment, as compared with other pig breeds, which is one of the reasons The Farm at Okefenokee decided to start raising them.
While The Farm at Okefenokee partners its pigs with geese, Jensen has heard of farmers who partner their pigs with cows and horses. “I’d worry that the horses would bully the pigs more than the pigs would bully the other animals,” she says. “It’s more about managing feed time.” And though most farmers are raising them for meat, Jensen adds, Meishan pigs also make good pets.
Housing. In Jensen’s experience, Meishan pigs don’t tend to test fences. Many Meishan pig farmers use a single strand of electric wire, and Jensen employs hog panels. For their space requirements, an 80-by-80-foot area would be good for two or three individuals as long as they have shelter from the rain and other weather.
Regarding climate, Meishan pigs are like other pig breeds. If you put your other hogs in the barn for winter, Jensen recommends keeping your Meishan pigs in the barn for winter as well. They’ll need a dry, draft-free winter shelter. “On the other end, down here in Georgia and Florida where it’s hotter than the hinges of Hell, as they say, they just need shade and a wallow,” she notes.
Feeding. As a lard hog, the Meishan pig doesn’t need much help making fat. While Meishan pigs and piglets can be put on pasture, Jensen feeds hers grain every day to supplement their nutrition. This shortens their grow-out time and can help prevent future farrowing problems.
Jonathan Kemmerer, the head of research for AMBA, says studies show the Meishan pig has a good gut health compared with other pigs, and that the piglets can eat grains and other feed sooner than other breeds.
Reproduction. Jensen notes that the Meishan pig’s relatively quick sexual maturation at 12 weeks can be challenging for inexperienced breeders. “We actually have a documented case of 10-1/2 weeks as the earliest breeding,” she says. Breeding gilts too early, though, may stunt their growth, affect their overall health, and lead to a low number of piglets.
Meishan Piglets
Speaking of piglets, Meishan pigs are prolific. The largest litter recorded was over 20 piglets! Jensen finds that litter sizes are typically between 9 and 19.
While Meishan piglets in university studies were weaned at 3 weeks, Jensen notes that the general AMBA membership says that’s too early. “I personally wean at 5 weeks but can go longer if I need to,” she says.
Unlike for other pig breeds, you’ll need to source a boar to get piglets. According to Jensen, artificial insemination isn’t allowed when registering the Meishan pig breed. The reason for this is twofold: first, to not devalue the boars early on, and second, to avoid spreading the genes of a particular boar across the country, which could lead to a diminished gene pool.
Meat. Balancing the number of heritage animals and the demand for meat can be tricky. First, get a head count of your piglets in all your litters: Record how many males and females you have. Then, look at their genetics. Ask yourself how many breeding pairs you want and how many pairs you can sell.
Jensen recommends castrating boars early on to prevent aggression. “In my experience, around 16 weeks, they figure out what their purpose is, and they’re kind of little jerks,” she says. “Generally, you’re selling what you can for breeding stock, and as the pigs continue to grow, those that don’t sell as breeding stock can be run through the meat program.”
Jensen’s Meishan pigs have a grow-out time of 13 to 15 months, and their hanging weight tends to be 300 to 330 pounds.
Meishan Pig Meat
A distinguishing feature of the Meishan pig breed is the taste of its meat. “The tenderness and the micro marbling that you can pick up is unique to the Meishan,” she says. “We have customers all the time tell us that they think it’s beef or they’ve actually had fights at their house about if they were eating beef or pork!”
It was this unique flavor profile that inspired Jensen and Rico Silvera, the founder of AMBA. “That was when we knew we had something special and unique, and I pushed him in building the association to buy a service mark so that we could brand this pork in the same vein as Angus beef,” Jensen says. The service mark through the association will be the stamp of approval to declare the product is AMBA-certified Meishan pork.
Jensen is currently applying for a federal U.S. Department of Agriculture charcuterie license to cure pork and sell it wholesale nationwide. Once approved, she’ll have something she can franchise with other AMBA members. She’ll be able to take an entire Meishan-pig carcass and fill the demand with this unique flavor profile.
Looking Toward the Future
Currently, the ABMA is working with a leading Meishan-pig geneticist who was part of the 1989 Meishan-pig import from China. They’ll be using a private company, which will be logging the genetics of nearly 100 hogs pulled from the membership. “We have to look at what markers are specific to Meishan and what markers would we want to rule in or rule out, and then develop that baseline,” Jensen explains. “We have everything in place as far as what we know we need to do. It’s a matter of implementing those steps.”
In case the status of this breed ever plunges to endangered, the ABMA, with the help of The Livestock Conservancy, has worked with a company in Iowa to set up cloning. Jensen provides the genetic material of deceased foundational Meishan pigs in the form of a small portion of the pig’s ear and 20 pieces of its hair with the follicle attached. From the ear tissue, the company would be able to produce male and female pigs. This way, the company and the AMBA may be able to reinstate genetic lines through cloning if necessary.
There are multiple ways to support this heritage breed. Those who want to add it to their homestead can contact a breeder from the AMBA or The Livestock Conservancy. There are nearly 900 pigs registered currently. For those who don’t have the space, consider purchasing Meishan pork or charcuterie. Additionally, the AMBA’s website is being remodeled, and it’ll soon have merchandise and a donation button. Jensen also suggests supporting conservation groups, such as The Livestock Conservatory, “because without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today with the hog.”
Humane, Healthful Techniques for Raising a Pig for Food
If you’re interested in learning to raise a pig for meat in your backyard or on a small farm, Sue Weaver’s Homegrown Pork explains exactly how to do it in a humane and safe manner. Weaver covers everything from selecting a breed with great flavor and bringing your shoat home to feeding, housing, fencing, health care, and humane processing. Raising a pig doesn’t have to be hard – with Weaver’s guidance, you’ll confidently be able to turn a 250-pound hog into 100 pounds of pork deliciousness.
Learn More
American Meishan Breeders Association
Jensen Reserve (Meishan Pork Sales)
The Pig Nerd (Consulting)
Kenny Coogan earned a master’s degree in global sustainability and has published over 400 articles on pets, livestock, and gardening. He lives with a flock of Pekin ducks on a 1-acre homestead, where he manages a permaculture-style landscape. Coogan also runs a successful carnivorous plant nursery in Tampa, Florida. Listen to Coogan co-host podcasts by visiting the “Mother Earth News and Friends” Podcast.
