Pietrain

a breed of meat-type swine that was introduced in the early 20th century in the Pietrain region of Belgium by crossing local swine with Berkshire, English Large White, and other breeds. Pietrain swine are large. The body is short and wide, with well-developed muscles (particularly in the hindquarters) and large and fleshy hams. The boars weigh 240–260 kg, and the sows 220–240 kg. There are seven or eight pigs per farrow; milk production is approximately 60 kg. When fattened for slaughter, the hogs reach a weight of 100 kg by 250 days of age, with average daily gains of 500–520 g and food expenditures of 5.5–6 feed units. The carcass yields up to 62 percent meat and up to 28 percent fat; the hams weigh 8–9 kg.

Pietrain swine are used in many countries, including the USSR, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain, for commercial crossbreeding with local pigs to increase the meat yield of crossbreds. The swine are also used to improve the meat quality of several breeds. The creation of specialized meat breeds of swine from the Pietrain breed looks promising.