Meishans - Registered Heritage Breed

     Plum is our newest pig and is a registered Meishan.  She is so amazingly sweet and is always ready for her scratches.  Plums piglets are offered as both pets and meat since Meishan is a heritage meat breed but are also very well known as super docile and friendly pigs.  Check out our piglets page to see if we have any of her little ones available or contact us to be put on the waiting list for her next Litter.  

     We also welcomed Popcorn into our herd and he is also a registered Meishan Pig who is Plums new partner and we are very excited for the little ones they will create.

Meishan Pigs

     Meishan pigs are a sedentary breed and sleep much of the day. They often have to be awakened when it is feeding time! They are a quiet breed except when they are in heat. Unlike most pig breeds, Meishans thrive on a diet higher in fiber and roughage; they are a true grazing hog and can thrive on pasture. They are also thought to have a lower environmental impact on pastures compared to other heritage and commercial swine breeds. They can be easily kept confined as they do not test fences, and they can also get along well with other types of livestock. Their lard (banyou) is of high quality and said to be finer and of lighter taste than the lard of commercial hogs. Meishan pork a delicacy in East Asia and is to pork what Kobe Beef is to beef. 

     The Chinese have been selectively breeding domestic swine for over 5,000 years. The Meishan is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, domesticated pig breed in the world.

Taihu pigs are prized in China and Japan for their succulent marbled meat and superior lard and fat quality. The Meishan is considered a medium-sized lard-carcass hog. There were originally three sub-types known as the “small,” “middle,” and “large.” Of the three types, only the small and middle remain today. The two types are managed as separate breeds on conservation farms in China. In the US, only the middle type exists. Meishans were bred for hyper-productivity and prolificacy, and to thrive in smaller areas and on rougher diets than other pig breeds. In conjunction with these traits, Meishans have been bred to be extremely quiet, docile, and sedentary, making them easier to manage than larger or more active breeds.