Braziers - a breed of pigs, which belongs to the elite. Due to the unpretentiousness of these animals and the high quality of meat, which is an ideal raw material for the manufacture of various delicacies, they are highly appreciated all over the world.
Historical reference
It is believed that barbecues are a breed of pigs bred at the beginning of the 19th century in Hungary by crossing traditional Hungarian bakoni with Serbian samadia and wild boar. The peak of its popularity came in the postwar years, when demand for salami and bacon increased in Europe. However, in the late 1970s, when foods containing a lot of animal fats were found to be harmful, the number of barbecues in many countries of the Old World was sharply reduced, and these pigs were on the verge of extinction. The situation was saved by the Hamones Segovia company, which tracked down 90 females of this breed for reproduction. She managed to achieve great success in the revival of barbecues. In particular, today Hamones Segovia is the only company that owns all three species of such pigs and has large herds of these animals.
Description
Braziers are a breed of pigs, adults of which have medium-sized ears and a dense hairline resembling astrakhan, and their mass can reach three hundred kilograms, depending on the conditions of detention. They do not have a particularly strong skeleton structure, thin legs on small hooves and an average chest circumference. The presence of wool allows pigs of the brazier breed to easily tolerate frosts and not suffer from insect bites. By color, these animals are divided into 3 groups: red, white and mixed. There is also a black variety of barbecue pigs, whose representatives are extremely rare and are on the verge of extinction.
Diet
Obviously, the best option for breeding and keeping, from the point of view of unpretentiousness, are herbivore pigs. The barbecue breed quickly gains weight without the use of any additives. At the same time, they eat little, and in the winter, 70% of their diet is made up of hay, corncobs and stems, root crops, beets, pumpkin, and 30% - grain waste, chestnuts and acorns. As for the nutrition of barbecues in the summer, they mainly consume young branches of trees and shrubs, fruit trees, zucchini, pumpkin, beets and duckweed. In addition, it is recommended to feed them (about 20% of the diet) with chopped feed, such as flour, bran and other waste, and a month before slaughter, pigs should be fed with grain - 300 g per day for each animal.
Breeders note that these pigs are extremely careful about feed and when kept indoors they clean up to the last grain, which compares favorably with many other types of domestic animals.
Barbecue pigs: breeding and maintenance
Animals of this undersized breed become sexually mature at around the age of five to seven months. Their gestation lasts about 4 months, and when breeding (starting from the second farrow, the average offspring is from 12 to 16 piglets) sows do not need human help.
From the 5th day after the birth of the young, you need to feed him with liquid mash and barley, and also give them mineral feeds, for example, chalk, bone meal and red clay. The need for such a diet disappears when the pigs are 3 weeks old, as the grown piggy barbecue can eat on an equal basis with adults, gnawing pumpkin, apples, beets and eating grass. Interestingly, before the age of 1 month, the piglets are striped, and after their stripedness gradually disappears. Around the same time, veterinarians recommend weaning babies, and on the fifth day after weaning, the sow is mated again.
Even for newborn braziers, frosty weather (but not severe frosts) is not dangerous, and they can be kept in easily knocked down wooden sheds, where piglets will be protected from wind and rainfall. In this case, it is necessary to pour hay there, from which the sow will make a nest, where the newly born offspring will lay down.
Care Features
Breeding pigs of the brazier breed is also beneficial because they do not need any vaccinations, since these animals have extremely strong immunity inherited from their ancestor - wild West European boar. In order for boars to quickly gain weight, it is recommended to castrate them. In this case, all their energy goes to increase weight. At the same time, the meat is extremely tasty, as it is riddled with veins of fat. During heat treatment, salsa is melted, making dishes more juicy.
Where is better to buy
As already mentioned, barbecues are a breed of pigs that is very profitable to grow, especially in Russia, as they are frost-resistant animals, and they can be released into pastures even at low temperatures (-1 ...- 2 degrees Celsius). Unfortunately, in our country at the moment it is rather difficult to acquire them. The fact is that pigs really belonging to the brazier breed are quite rare, and some unscrupulous sellers with the aim of quick profit under their guise can offer piglets of completely different species. For example, most often such scammers try to sell Vietnamese or Korean pigs instead of braziers. These animals are also unpretentious and eat quite a bit, but adults do not look at all like “Hungarians”. In addition, the vast majority of individuals barely reach a mass of 80 kg.
To avoid cheating, you need to contact the farm, where the breed of barbecue is really bred, and ask to show the parents of the piglets intended for sale. In this case, firstly, the risk will be minimal, and secondly, if the crumbs do not grow as promised, then you will know who to file a complaint with.
Price for young animals
Until recent notorious events, piglet breeds were brought from Ukraine, where they have been breeding for more than 150 years. In this case, I had to spend money on the road and paperwork necessary for moving livestock across the border. Now, most likely, it will be necessary to look for other ways of delivering these animals to the territory of the Russian Federation.
How much do pigs of the brazier breed cost? The price fluctuates around 10-15 thousand rubles per 1 individual. A little expensive, of course. But you can be 100% sure that such an investment will bring significant profit in just a few months.
A few tips from experienced breeders
If you keep braziers indoors in the fall and do not send them for a walk, then they will not grow wool, and outwardly these animals will resemble ordinary pigs. In addition, the pasture for piglets should be fenced in order to protect them from dogs and predators, and you should make sure that such poisonous plants do not grow on it, such as St. John's wort perforated, common bleached, cauliflower and others. Under the condition of weaning piglets from a sow at the age of one month, two farrows can be obtained in one year.
It is recommended to use barbecues only after they reach a weight of 100 kg, since otherwise it is possible to obtain non-viable offspring. Although pigs of this breed are able to cope with farrowing on their own, owners are advised to be present during this process, in case children or sows need help.
Now you know what elite barbecue pigs look like, how much pigs cost on average, and what are the features of their breeding.