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Bulgarian White
The Bulgarian White was originally created through a grading up breeding process that involved breeding Large Whites and Edelschwein lines with native Bulgarian pigs in the early twentieth century. The Bulgarian White Pig retains the long legs and body of the Large White breed, though they do tend to have a higher fat/lean ratio than is preferred by most modern pork producers. Bulgarian White pigs have white bodies and pronounced snouts without any spots or markings on their coats, their ears are erect and they have medium-length bodies.
In the early 1960s, the Bulgarian government wanted to improve the meat yield of the country's Bulgarian White stock. They did so by importing roughly 3000 pedigree breeding stock of the Landras and Large White varieties from the USSR, Sweden, and Poland. These imported pigs were distributed to the pig farmers in the country, along with ten state farms, in order to crossbreed them with local Bulgarian White stock. There are ongoing efforts to improve the feed conversion ratios and fat storage of the Bulgarian White Pig breed by crossing it with other white pig breeds, but the Bulgarian White doesn't have any issues to speak of with temperament or fertility.
The Bulgarian White Pig were developed as an active and outdoor breed, and can be raised on green forage or on more modern, intensive farming practises. The large white swine breeds like the Bulgarian white can withstand a rugged climate, though obviously they are grateful for shelter in the winter months. Bulgarian White pigs daily weight gain is 27.5oz (780g) for the first three months of life. They have an efficient feed conversion ratio, gaining 2.2 pounds (1kg) of weight per 7.2lbs (3.3kg) of feed.
The native Bulgarian White pig was subject to breeding programs to increase quality of the meat and adaptation to family farms through crossbreeding with other strains of swine. Bulgarian White pigs crossed with Large White pigs and Danish Landrace pigs have a higher fertility rate than Bulgarian Whites alone. The Bulgarian Danube White pig is fertile, producing ten to twelve piglets per litter and can have 2 to 3 litters a year. In 2007, an economic report stated that the pig breeding sector in Bulgaria was consolidating, with the number of farms declining, though the number of animals remained somewhat stable.
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