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Lithuanian
Animal Genetic Resources |
Pigs:
Lithuanian
White |
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The improvement process of Lithuanian local pigs, initiated after
World War I, also marked the start of development of Lithuanian white
pig breed, even though the breed was only recognised in 1967.
The
process of improving Lithuanian white pigs with large and middle-sized
White, Edelsweine, Berkshire, and local Danish pigs formed an opinion
that the best crossing breeds are Large White ones and those related
to them. Year after year the number of used breeds was decreasing and
finally the process was limited to spreading just White Large
(Yorkshire) and partly German Edelsweine pigs. Financial support to
farmers helped to acquire Large White pigs for breeding, which led to
big numbers of large white pigs and their hybrids with local pigs
spreading throughout the country; they served as a basis for further
pig breeding and bacon pig raising as well as the Lithuanian White pig
breed. After World War II, further selection and development of the
breed’s genealogical structure and thoroughbred herds completed
bacon Lithuanian White pig breed that is used as mother breed in
industrial crossing combinations. In the market, with growing demand
for less fatty pork but without completed industrial crossing system
as well as falling demand for thoroughbred young pigs, Lithuanian
White pig breeding-farms, aiming to improve carcasses of meat for
sale, started wide application of crossbreeding and rejected
Lithuanian White boars. Due to shortage of boars and leaving hybrid
sows for herd substitutes, the number of thoroughbred Lithuanian White
pigs started rapidly decreasing. As the Lithuanian White pig breed was
created by using pigs of other breeds, it was decided to breed
Lithuanian White pigs following the principle of open population,
preserving only the breed name.
This
threatened the existence of the breed. In order to preserve the
Lithuanian thoroughbred type of White pigs, the Lithuanian Institute
of Animal Science developed a mini population of complete genealogical
structure. A program for selection of Lithuanian White pig breed for
the 2001-2005 period was worked out, which included measures for
preserving the thoroughbred type in at least a few of breeding-farms.
The State Pig Breeding Station, together with Lithuanian Pig Breeders
Association, should take care of the stockbreeding activity as well as
preservation of Lithuanian White pigs.
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