Dutch Landrace pig

Last updated
Dutch Landrace
Other namesNetherlands Landrace, Nederlands Landras
Country of originNetherlands
DistributionNetherlands, Spain, Japan
UseMeat
Traits
Skin colorWhite
Notes
It is a crossbreed with other Landrace-named breeds of Europe.
  • Pig
  • Sus scrofa domesticus

The Dutch Landrace pig (Dutch : Nederlands Landras) is a standardized breed of domestic pig originating in the Netherlands. [1] The breed was developed from the native landrace of pigs of the area, crossbred with strains from neighboring counties. [1] The Dutch Landrace is considered "a meaty and efficient breed". [1] The breed is unusually responsive to the halothane test, which can be used to weed out individuals with low projected survivability and meat production. [2]

Contents

Populations

The Dutch Landrace is found mostly in the south, east and north of the Netherlands. [1] The Centraal Bureau Voor de Varkensfokkerij ('Central Bureau for Pig-breeding'), in Nijmegen, serves as the breed registry. [1] The breed is exported, especially to Spain and Japan. [1]

Traits

Dutch Landrace pigs are similar to those of the other "Landrace"-named breeds of Europe. They are white, and have large, drooping ears. [1] However, they are wider-backed and have heavier hams than some other Landrace strains. [1] These latter two traits are stronger in individuals that are heterozygous for the halothane-responsive gene [3] (see ). The breed has high fertitility and strong maternal abilities. [1] At four test stations throughout the Netherlands, the Centraal Bureau tests over 1,000 Dutch Landrace litters per year, for conformation ("desirable carcass characteristics"), and for the rate and meat-to-fat ratio (economy) of their weight gain. [1]

Breeding and crossbreeding

Whether a boar can be used as a stud for artificial insemination is controlled by the Centraal Bureau, through testing of progeny, boar sire performance, and conformation. [1]

The Dutch strain of the "Landrace" pig breeds originated, as its name suggests, from the native landrace of pigs in the Netherlands, plus controlled crossbreeding with German Landrace and Danish Landrace pigs. [1]

Dutch Yorkshire pig

Dutch Landrace sows are the bulk of the female stock for a standardized three-way cross, the Dutch Yorkshire pig, a 3/4 Large White (a.k.a. Yorkshire) and 1/4 Dutch Landrace mix, developed with "great stress on production detail", by the following breeding formula: Large White boar × (Large White boar × Dutch Landrace) sow. [1]

Responsiveness to the halothane test

A 1978 study showed that Dutch Landrace pigs are especially responsive – compared, for example, to the Dutch Yorkshire crossbreed – to the halothane-induced malignant hyperthermia test (halothane test, for short), which can be used to weed out specimens with high susceptibility to stress and likely abnormal meat quality. [2] Dutch Landraces are responsive 22% of the time (vs. 3% for Dutch Yorkshires), and those responsive to the test are almost ten times likelier to die during the fattening period than responsive Dutch Yorkshires. [2] Two 1980 follow-up studies by the same team of researchers found that the Dutch Landrace's susceptibility is inherited as "a single recessive autosomal trait", and "[t]he gene for this trait affects production traits", including carcass and meat quality. [4] Three genotypes (genetic strains) have been identified in the breed: Heterozygous for (carrying but not expressing) the gene, and homozygous either for (expressing) the gene, or not possessing it at all. The heterozygous has an intermediate carcass and meat quality and a selection advantage. The homozygous for reactivity to halothane had lowest meat quality, though highest meat production of the three genotypes, [4] and as noted in the first study, its high reactivity level can be used for screening. [2] It also has the lowest percentage loss at slaughter. [4] Halothene-reactive castrated males, as opposed to un-modified boars, differed from non-reactive in "all carcass and meat quality traits", and had "significantly lower feed conversion ratios". [3] Halothene reactivity seems to be more heritable from the sire than the dam; in a population with an average 24.9% of individuals being reactive, 40.7% of those with reacting sires were themselves reactive, vs. 21.3% without. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Malignant hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a type of severe reaction that occurs in response to particular medications used during general anesthesia, among those who are susceptible. Symptoms include muscle rigidity, high fever, and a fast heart rate. Complications can include muscle breakdown and high blood potassium. Most people who are susceptible are generally otherwise unaffected when not exposed.

Landrace Infraspecific name

A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation from other populations of the species. Landraces are generally distinguished from cultivars, and from breeds in the standardized sense, although the term landrace breed is sometimes used as distinguished from the term standardized breed when referring to cattle.

Polled livestock Hornless livestock

Polled livestock are livestock without horns in species which are normally horned. The term refers to both breeds and strains that are naturally polled through selective breeding and also to naturally horned animals that have been disbudded. Natural polling occurs in cattle, yaks, water buffalo, and goats, and in these animals it affects both sexes equally; in sheep, by contrast, both sexes may be horned, both polled, or only the females polled. The history of breeding polled livestock starts about 6000 years BC.

The Aksai Black Pied is a distinctively black and white spotted pig breed from Kazakhstan.

Boar taint is the offensive odor or taste that can be evident during the cooking or eating of pork or pork products derived from non-castrated male pigs once they reach puberty. Boar taint is found in around 20% of entire male finishing pigs. Skatole may also be detected in gilts, but this is linked with faecal contamination of the skin. Studies show that about 75% of consumers are sensitive to boar taint so it is necessary for pork producers to control it.

Large Black pig British breed of domestic pig

The Large Black pig is a British breed of domestic pig. It is the only British pig that is entirely black. It was created in the last years of the nineteenth century by merging the black pig populations of Devon and Cornwall in the south-west with those of Essex, Suffolk and Kent in the south-east. It is hardy, docile and prolific; it forages well and is suitable for extensive farming, but not well suited to intensive management.

Pale, Soft, Exudative meat, or PSE meat, describes a carcass quality condition known to occur in pork, beef, and poultry. It is characterized by an abnormal color, consistency, and water holding capacity, making the meat dry and unattractive to consumers. The condition is believed to be caused by abnormal muscle metabolism following slaughter, due to an altered rate of glycolysis and a low pH within the muscle fibers. A mutation point in the ryanodine receptor gene (RYR1) in pork, associated to stress levels prior to slaughter are known to increase the incidence of PSE meat. Although the term "soft" may look positive, it refers to raw meat. When cooked, there is higher cook loss and the final product is hard, not juicy.

Naked Neck Breed of chicken

The Naked Neck is a breed of chicken that is naturally devoid of feathers on its neck and vent. The breed is also called the Transylvanian Naked Neck, as well as the Turken. Originally from Transylvania - Romania, and was largely developed in Germany. The name "Turken" arose from the mistaken idea that the bird was a hybrid of a chicken and the domestic turkey. Naked Necks are fairly common in Europe today, but are rare in North America and very common in South America. The trait for a naked neck is a dominant one controlled by one gene and is fairly easy to introduce into other breeds, however these are hybrids rather than true Naked Necks, which is a breed recognized by the American Poultry Association since 1965, it was introduced in Britain in the 1920s. There are other breeds of naked necked chicken, such as the French naked neck, which is often confused with the Transylvanian, and the naked necked gamefowl.

Rare breed (agriculture)

In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation status, and they may be protected under regional laws. Many countries have organizations devoted to the protection and promotion of rare breeds, for which they each have their own definition. In botany and horticulture, the parallel to rare animal breeds are heirloom plants, which are rare cultivars.

In Sri Lanka many farmers depend on animal husbandry for their livelihood, but not a large proportion. Therefore, many livestock products have to be imported. The main livestock products in Sri Lanka are milk, meat and eggs. Hides, wools and other products are still not produced within the country. Animal power formerly used in the cultivation of rice and vegetables has been replaced by modern technology to farm lands. However animal husbandry plays an important role in the rural economy for improving the living conditions of farmers in the country.

Welsh pig Breed of pig

The Welsh is a breed of domestic pig native to Wales. It is a large white breed known for its hardiness in outdoor (extensive) farming, its long, pear-shaped body and its lop-ears. The breed was first mentioned in the 1870s, and after the Howitt committee report in 1955, became the third most common sire in the United Kingdom after the Large White pig and British Landrace pig. The Welsh pig experienced a decline in numbers in the late twentieth century because consumer demands had changed and the carcase was considered too fatty. In 2005 the breed was considered endangered and later came under the auspices of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Since then numbers have expanded somewhat, and by 2012, the registered breeding herd had increased to over 1000 animals.

The Italian Landrace is an Italian breed of domestic pig. It derives from the Danish Landrace breed developed in Denmark at the end of the nineteenth century. Stock was imported into Italy after the Second World War. The breed has been selected principally for suitability for the production of prosciutto crudo. It is, after the Large White Italiana, the second-most numerous pig breed in Italy. The breed standard is issued by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, the Italian ministry of agriculture and forestry; the herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Suini, the national pig-breeders' association.

Lincolnshire Curly Coat Extinct breed of pig

The Lincolnshire Curly Coat or Lincolnshire Curly-coated, also known as the Baston Pig, is an extinct British breed of domestic pig. It originated in, and was named for, the county of Lincolnshire, in the East Midlands. Like many other traditional pig breeds, it became rare after the Second World War. By 1970, it had disappeared. An older, still existing breed of similar looking pigs is the Hungarian Mangalica.

The Cumberland was a breed of domestic pig that originated in the North of England; it was used to produce local delicacies like the Cumberland sausage and Cumberland ham. The breed became extinct in 1960, after changes in farming methods and a demand for less fatty meat led to it falling out of favour.

British Landrace pig Breed of pig

The British Landrace is a British domestic breed of pig and one of the most popular in the United Kingdom. It is white with heavy drooping ears that cover most of the face and is bred for pork and bacon. The breed originated in the 1949 importation of 12 landrace pigs from Scandinavia — four boars and eight gilts. In 1950, the British Landrace Pig Society was formed and it opened a herd book for the first offspring born from the imported 12. They created the first pig testing scheme with a testing station at the village of Stockton-on-the-Forest in North Yorkshire.

The Lacombe is a breed of domestic pig native to Canada. Named for the Lacombe Research and Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta, the breed was the first strain of livestock developed in the country.

Porcine stress syndrome

Porcine stress syndrome, also known as malignant hyperthermia or PSS, is a condition in pigs. It is characterised by hyperthermia triggered by stress, anaesthesia with halothane or intense exercise. PSS may appear as sudden death in pigs, often after transport. It is an inherited, autosomal recessive disorder due to a defective ryanodine receptor leading to huge calcium influx, muscle contracture and increase in metabolism.

The Belgian Landrace, also known as the Improved Belgian, Belgian Improved Landrace, and the Belgian Lop-eared, is a breed of domestic pig from northern Belgium. It was created from importing English breeds and improving them until they were "graded up" to the German Improved Landrace from 1930 to 1945 and then breeding them with the Dutch Landrace in 1945. Other breeds were also incorporated into the bloodline to strengthen it, such as with ones from Luxembourg in 1955, Germany in 1971, and the Czech Republic in 1974. Used in many different countries, the Belgian Landrace is also one of the "four major commercial breeds" in France.

Danish hen Breed of chicken

The Danish hen is a chicken landrace native to Denmark. It is the only true native chicken landrace in the country and perhaps in all of Europe.

The Large White Ulster, or Ulster White, was a breed of domestic pig. Primarily bred for bacon production, it was the favoured breed of farmers in the north of Ireland up until the mid 20th century.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Dutch Landrace". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University. 24 May 1996. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Eikelenboom, G.; Minkema, D.; Van Eldik, P.; Sybesma, W. (July 1978). "Production Characteristics of Dutch Landrace and Dutch Yorkshire Pigs as Related to Their Susceptibility for the Halothane-induced Malignant Hyperthermia Syndrome". Livestock Production Science. Elsevier. 5 (3): 277–284. doi:10.1016/0301-6226(78)90055-6. PMC   2757357 .
  3. 1 2 3 Eikelenboom, G.; Minkema, D.; Van Eldik, P.; Sybesma, W. (May 1980). "Results of Halothane Testing in Offspring of Dutch Landrace A.I. Boars of Different Halothane Phenotypes". Livestock Production Science. Elsevier. 7 (3): 283–289. doi:10.1016/0301-6226(80)90115-3.
  4. 1 2 3 Eikelenboom, G.; Minkema, D.; Van Eldik, P.; Sybesma, W. (July 1980). "Performance of Dutch Landrace Pigs with Different Genotypes for the Halothane-induced Malignant Hyperthermia Syndrome". Livestock Production Science. Elsevier. 7 (4): 317–324. doi:10.1016/0301-6226(80)90060-3.