Meishan pig explained

Meishan
Image Alt:	Meishan pigs in a US research center
Country:	China

The Meishan is a breed of domestic pig named for Meishan, Jiangsu Province.^[1] It is a sub-group of the Taihu pig and is a small to medium-sized (275-400 lbs) breed with large drooping ears, and wrinkled black skin. Meishan Pigs are extremely docile and renowned for their tender and flavorful red meat pork.^{[2] [3]}

Native to Southern China, the breed is best known for its large litters of 15-22 piglets. Due to its fecundity, it was imported to the United States in 1989 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.^{[4] [5]} All US research on the Meishan pigs was terminated in 2016 and the remaining pigs were dispersed to US farmers.^[6] In 2018 the Meishan Pig was declared critically endangered^[7] worldwide by the Livestock Conservancy.

Today the Meishan Pig is the focus of a major conservation effort involving the Livestock Conservancy and the American Meishan Breeders Association.^[8] The number of breeders in the US is rising primarily due to the Meishan Pigs adaptability to small holder farms.

See also

• List of domestic pig breeds
• Okja

Notes and References

1. Web site: 梅山豬種 .
2. Web site: Breed Description. Silvera. Rico. American Meishan Breeders Association. en-US. 2018-12-31.
3. Book: Ekarius, Carol . Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs . 2008 . . 978-1-60342-036-5 .
4. Web site: Meishan Swine . ansi.okstate.edu . Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science .
5. News: Chinese Pigs Provide Insight to U.S. Swine Reproduction . Agricultural Research . USDA ARS .
6. Web site: The Livestock Conservancy. livestockconservancy.org. 2018-12-31.
7. Web site: The Livestock Conservancy. livestockconservancy.org. 2018-12-31.
8. Web site: The Livestock Conservancy. livestockconservancy.org. 2018-12-31.