Long-Eared White Swine

a breed developed for meat production in the 19th century in Germany, by crossing local long-eared swine first with large white, but chiefly with German short-eared white swine. The breed was imported to the USSR in 1931 and quickly became acclimated.

The long-eared white swine raised in the Soviet Union are large (height at the withers of boars reaches 90-100 cm), of strong constitution, well adapted to pasturing and to feeds with high content of fresh and coarse fodder. Mature boars weigh 250-300 kg, sows 200-250 kg. They produce 10-11 piglets in a litter, and have lactescence of 70-80 kg. On a fattening diet a six-month old pig usually weighs 100 kg, with an average daily increase of 700-760 g and feed use of 3.9-4 food units per kilogram of weight gain. Long-eared white swine are used chiefly for commercial crossing with large white and other breeds. The chief areas for the breed are in the RSFSR (in the Volga Region), in the Ukraine, and in the Byelorussian SSR.

Long-eared white swine are found in many parts of the German Democratic Republic (as the German lop-eared swine), where they account for 75 percent of all swine; they are in high demand internationally and are exported to many countries.