Three-months-old Large Black Pigs weighing about 30 kilos each.

A Tarlac raiser of the Large Black Pig, an heirloom breed from the United Kingdom, is excited about the breed’s potentials. The grower who would rather remain anonymous at this time has observed the many good qualities of the Large Black Pig which he has been growing the past couple of years.

He said that the breed is really fast-growing. Three months old weanlings already weigh about 30 kilos which could be as heavy as or heavier than six-months-old native black pig. The imported breed is very docile and can be raised as a free-range animal. It is also very prolific. Usually one sow will give birth to 10 to 14 piglets in one farrowing. And the sow is known for its excellent mothering characteristics.

The Tarlac raiser is excited in using the Large Black Pig to upgrade his native pigs of which he has more than 30 head. He could upgrade the native animals through artificial insemination.

One more observation is that the Large Black Pig also loves to eat the improved silage which is now being produced for goats and other ruminants. The improved silage which is also called TMR or Total Mix Ration is corn silage that is improved with the addition of other sources of protein like soya and copra, plus probiotics consisting of beneficial microorganisms and enzymes.

A mixture of the commercial hog feed with TMR in equal parts reduces the cost of feeds significantly. The TMR costs about P17 per kilo whereas the commercial feed costs about P30 per kilo.

The animals can also be fed with green forage, including madre de agua, super napier and others.

By the way, some junior boars will be disposed shortly. These are about five months old that weigh 50 to 60 kilos each. Price range will be P35,000 to P45,000 per head.

The Large Black Pig is very prolific, giving birth to 10 to 14 piglets per farrowing.