Unusual and exotic breed of pigs Hungarian Mangalitsa
One of the rarest pig breeds today is the Hungarian Mangalica. It is beneficial to keep these cloven-hoofed animals primarily from an economic point of view. Also, Hungarian Mangalitsa, due to their unusual appearance, become an adornment of any barnyard. Consider the characteristics of this breed, its advantages and disadvantages, conditions of detention.
Hungarian Mangalitsa
Characteristics of the breed
The homeland of this breed of pigs is Hungary. Here to this day they are engaged in breeding downy pigs. Let's start the description with the appearance. The Mangalitsa pig breed is unlike any other. A distinctive feature of this breed is wavy coat. If you look at the photo without looking at it, or if you see animals from afar, you can confuse them with sheep.
A pig of the Mangalitsa Hungarian breed grows to medium size. The height of these animals is 85 and 75 cm for wild boars and pigs, respectively. The representatives of the breed have a powerful skeleton, on a small-sized head there are large ears, which, like the entire body, are covered with thick wool. They hang over the eyes and tend to be darker in color than the rest of the body. The rounded body is carried on short but strong legs, the back is powerful, and the back part is sloping.
Hungarian Mangalitsa has guard hair and underfur. In the summer, piglets of this breed molt, completely throwing off the underpads from themselves. The guard hair during this period becomes softer to the touch and curly. By winter, artiodactyls acquire a down-padding, the guard hair becomes coarser and less wavy.
With proper care and feeding, pigs of the Hungarian Mangalitsa breed gain about 300 kg of weight. Monthly piglets weigh about 150 kg. Pigs reach sexual maturity by one year. Slaughter is possible at this age.
For the first time, pigs of this breed give birth to no more than 7 piglets. In subsequent farrowings, up to 12 strong and viable piglets are born.
Color
Hungarian downy Mangalitsa can be painted white, black or red (brownish brown). Also there are representatives of the breed of mixed color, which is called "swallow". Most often, you can see white piglets (out of 10 individuals, 8 will be white). But white is called somewhat conditionally. If you look closely at the photo or video of Hungarian piglets, you can see that it is a milky color or white, ivory. Regardless of the color, the skin around the patch and eyes is almost black.
Today Hungarian Mangalitsa of red and black color are on the verge of extinction. Breed restoration specialists try to avoid the disappearance of dark piglets. It is almost impossible to buy purebred pigs of similar colors.
An interesting fact is that immediately after birth, piglets have stripes on their backs. This is typical for wild pigs, which indicates a kinship with wild breeds.
Depending on the conditions of keeping and feeding habits, the color of the coat can change several times during life.
Breed value
There are breeds of different directions. Some are valued for juicy and tender meat, others for lard, and still others are universal. As for the piglets of the Hungarian Mangalitsa, they are kept not so much for the meat, which has excellent taste, as for the lard. Both the meat and lard of Mangalitsa are considered a delicacy all over the world.
The cost of a kilogram of jamon made from Hungarian Mangalitsa meat is about US $ 70. And if we talk about the price of a whole ham, then it is several hundred dollars. Accordingly, breeding representatives of this exotic breed can be considered a small and very profitable business. It is also worth noting that the meat of these pigs is considered almost dietary, since they mainly feed on green food.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Hungarian Mangalitsa pig breed has many advantages. We will cover the main ones.
- Endurance. These pigs are able to overwinter even in a stack of straw or a burrow. The latter they are quite capable of doing on their own.
- Good health. The Hungarian Mangalitsa breed is resistant to many diseases. These are perhaps the only pigs not vaccinated. Also, you do not need to water the young with antibiotics. The only problem is parasites. In addition to helminths, animals are susceptible to attack by lice, so it is worth systematically examining the pig's fur coat.
- Profitability. The Hungarian Mangalitsa is one of the largest breeds, but not the largest. In addition, some breeds grow much faster. However, the meat of Hungarian pigs is valued much higher due to its structure and taste. Due to the presence of veins of bacon, the structure of the product resembles marbled meat, therefore its price is higher than the price of ordinary pork.
It is also worth noting that the piglets of the Hungarian Mangalitsa are unpretentious in keeping. They do not need a heated room in winter, and during the rest of the year they can live in the open air.
As for the disadvantages, the first of them is the scarcity of the population. Accordingly, piglets of the Hungarian downy mangalica cannot be cheap. But, given that it will not take a lot of money to feed them, and the meat of the Hungarian Mangalitsa is expensive, it is still profitable to keep the breed. Another drawback associated with the rarity of the breed is that it is very difficult to buy purebred representatives of the breed in Russia and Ukraine.
It is also worth taking into account the fact that piglets of this breed need to be grazed. If there are no spacious pastures nearby, then you will have to find another breed, or go daily to harvest green fodder.
Well, the last drawback is the rather late ripening. Many piglets reach puberty as early as 6-8 months of age.
Features of the content
Keeping downy artiodactyls is not difficult. Warm wool allows them to withstand severe frosts. In regions with warm winters, the herd can generally be kept outdoors, but there should be a shed above the aviary to protect the pigs from rain and snowfall. If the temperature in winter drops below -10 ° C, you will have to build a barn, but you do not need to equip it with a heating system. It will be enough to insulate the walls, roof and floor during the construction of the building.
In addition to the barn, you will have to build an aviary where artiodactyls can stretch their legs. It makes no sense to build a huge aviary, since the animals will graze on pastures. And it is imperative to graze these pigs.Pastures intended for this purpose must be fenced off: domestic pigs cannot resist wild animals, and it is not always possible to graze the herd on their own. In addition, the Hungarian Mangalitsa pig grazes well on its own and is able to find its way home.
On fenced pastures, sheds are made, under which animals can hide not only from bad weather, but also from the scorching sun. It is also advisable to put containers with clean water on pastures.
Care features
There is an opinion among farmers that the Mangalitsa breed was created for lazy people. This is not entirely true. Indeed, these artiodactyls do not require the same care as other pig breeds, but they do need daily grazing.
To prevent the appearance of various diseases, you need to change the litter in a timely manner, clean the pens and wash the feeders with drinkers. Despite the fact that Hungarian Mangalitsa pigs are resistant to almost all diseases that occur among pigs, they are not protected from helminths and other parasites (including lice), so the animals should be given drugs for the prevention of helminths in accordance with the instructions. Typically, medications are given 6 months apart. If the hogs do not take part in breeding work, then they need to be castrated in time.
After the pigs are born, experts recommend breaking off their fangs, otherwise they can cause microtrauma to the sow during feeding.
Feeding features
The Mangalitsa pig is almost omnivorous, which greatly simplifies its care. Both plant and animal feed are suitable. In the summer, keeping animals is simplified by the availability of green fodder. While grazing, in addition to grass, pigs can eat root vegetables and acorns. Also in the summer they include in the diet young shoots of various trees, bark, corn cobs, duckweed fruits that have fallen from a tree, vegetables. From vegetables, preference should be given to beets, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and zucchini. In the summer, pigs must have access to pasture at all times. They can even be given frogs, fish and snails. Potatoes can be given in any form.
In winter, Mangalets will not give up chestnuts, bran and bones, offal and wheat mash, corn stalks. The latter give, having previously been chopped up.
When breeding pigs, it is very important not to overfeed them. The daily feed rate depends on the age of the animals and the purpose of their keeping. Boars, which are bred for meat and lard, are given more food than boars, which are used for breeding. Piglets, for example, need no more than 1 kg of compound feed per day, and adults - up to 3-4 kg. In addition to compound feed, they provide livestock with green feed and root crops in summer, and hay in winter. Green forage in the diet should be about 70%. About 20% should be chestnuts and acorns. And only 10% of the ration is made up of compound feed.
DIY compound feed
You can't do with green fodder and root crops alone. There are many compound feeds sold on the market. When buying them, you must carefully read the description. The composition of the feed should contain not only the main components, but also mineral additives (chalk, meat and bone meal). Also on the food packaging it is indicated for what age of animals this product is recommended and what the daily rate should be.
For the preparation of compound feed at home, green fodder, cake, corn, bran, wheat, barley and chalk are used. The basis is made up of green fodder. In winter they are replaced with hay. If the compound feed is being prepared for piglets, then it is advisable to add a premix to it, designed specifically for this age. But experts recommend using ready-made mixtures. Factory feeds are good because they contain all the trace elements and vitamins necessary for the growth of the pig.
Choosing piglets
Prices for Hungarian Mangalits piglets range from US $ 300-500.But only purebred representatives of the breed stand like this. You can buy a cross a little cheaper. Currently, these exotic pigs are sold in online stores, markets and farms. Experts recommend shopping only on farms. Before you go to the farm, you should read reviews about it. If there are many dissatisfied customers, then it is better to look for another farm with a much better reputation.
Only purebred pigs have all of the above benefits. Any cross will not be so hardy and unpretentious in content. It is also not worth counting on the fact that the taste qualities of meat and lard in non-purebred representatives of the breed will be the same as in purebreds. You will have to prepare yourself for the fact that you will have to visit more than one farm. No wonder this breed is exotic.
Even on the farm they can offer non-purebred pigs under the guise of purebred pigs. In order not to fall into the trap, you need to know that purebred pigs have a velman spot on the ear. This spot is nothing more than a pigmented patch of skin. It is usually located at the bottom of the ear and has a diameter of 4-5 cm.
Fluffy and soft to the touch, the coat can be dyed white, red or black. The color "swallow" is also allowed. Be sure to have stripes on the back of newly born Hungarian pigs. Their absence indicates a cross, no matter what the breeders say about this. And around the eyes and on the small stigma, the skin should be black. Also black skin should be on the inside of the tail and hooves.
Defining a half-breed
In addition to the exterior, it is worth paying attention to the behavior of the pigs. Purebred pigs originally from Hungary have a friendly character. In addition, half-breeds are not as omnivorous as representatives of a pure breed, so it makes sense to visit the farm while feeding and watch the behavior of the piglets.
Also, during feeding, you should pay attention to how actively the pigs eat. Those that are passive during feeding may have health problems.
Before making a purchase, it will be useful to consider the piglets you like. They should not show signs of illness (sour eyes, stigma discharge, dirty ears). The tail of the pigs should be twisted into a donut. It is necessary to choose young animals with straight legs and a wide chest, an even back. Also, attention should be paid to the condition of the hooves: they should have a slight sheen. When buying, any farm must issue a document confirming the purity of the breed.
If you stop the choice on crossbreds, then the hybrid of the Hungarian and Vietnamese Hanging Pig has shown itself to be quite good. Both breeds gain good weight at the time of slaughter and have a similar diet. The basis of the diet of the Vietnamese Vizlobryukha, like the Hungarian, is made up of green feed, and the pigs obtained from such a union look very cute in photos and videos.
You cannot buy well-fed piglets. Most likely, they were prepared for sale by drinking sweet milk. Such a drink does not harm health, however, the piglets get used to the delicacy and quickly lose weight on pasture. And it is quite difficult to transfer pigs spoiled with sweet milk to ordinary food.
Breeding piglets
Growing and breeding pigs of the Hungarian Mangalitsa breed can be considered a good business that pays off quickly enough. But even if you buy pigs exclusively for yourself and do not plan to trade in meat or lard, then it is better to buy a couple at once. According to the reviews of people who have been breeding the breed for several years, the pigs eat much better in a pair, which contributes to rapid weight gain. In addition, animals are much more fun together.
Upon reaching puberty, the pig and boar are bred. During the gestation period, the piglets prepare a room for the young family in the pigsty.After farrowing, the sow and newborn pigs are placed there. In the first 1.5 months, the basis of the pig's diet is mother's milk. Accordingly, you need to provide the sow with quality nutrition. You can buy compound feed intended for sows, or you can make it yourself. Premix for piglets must be added to homemade compound feed.
After the first week of life, they begin to give the newborn pigs complementary foods. This can be runny or pre-roasted barley. Experts recommend staying at the second option. You should also add bone meal or crushed chalk to the feed. A good mineral supplement for young animals is red clay. Make sure that the young do not eat from the sow feeder. This can cause both gastrointestinal problems and the death of young animals.
At the age of 1 month, young animals are given starter feed. You can add chopped root vegetables, grass or hay to it in small quantities. Also, during this period, it is worth starting to take the young for walks. Piglets' nutrition consists of green feeds and mixtures made from barley, wheat, corn, cake, bran and premix.
Conclusion
Breeding downy pigs from Hungary is easy and profitable. But if we consider breeding as a business, the investment will pay off no earlier than in 1.5-2 years. This is due to the fact that the young matures late.
Despite the fact that pigs of the Mangalitsa breed are unpretentious in care, hardy and tolerate frost well, you need to create comfortable conditions for them. It will be much more comfortable for them to spend the winter in a warm and spacious shed than in a small temporary hut. And not only weight gain, but also the taste of meat depends on how comfortable the animals feel.