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Czech Improved White
The Czech Improved White pig is a mix of local Czech swine, Large White, Edelschwein, and German Landrace pigs. The breed was developed after World War 2 as other countries like Denmark, the Netherlands started to breed their own Landrace pigs. Interestingly, however, there is no Czech White pig. The Large White Pig that can be considered its foundation stock is also called the English Large White, or Yorkshire pig. The Czech Improved White pig has a pink and beige body, though some are white. They have a pronounced snout, with erect ears that tend to point forwards, and a dished face. Their ancestors had low levels of intramuscular fat, which affects the taste of their meat, which is why the breed was improved.
The Czech Improved White swine have moderate size and growth, but do grow faster than some other breeds, and though their lean/fat ratio is average, they have an above-average fattening rate. They have short bodies and compact frame, and are a well muscled breed. These pigs have curly tails and short legs, and do not have potbellies.
They have intermediate fertility, with sows producing very large amounts of milk during the farrowing process. A Czech Improved White sow averages 6 to 10 baby piglets in a litter and will have two to three litters per year, nursing each for three to five weeks. Piglets at birth weigh about 2.5lbs (1.1 kg), and on average will double their weight in one week.
The Czech Improved White has a strong constitution, with good stress tolerance, a necessity in factory farming. Which has lead to them becoming a prolific breed in the Czech Republic. The endangered Bohemian Red pig, also from the Czech Republic, is nowhere near as well suited to the factory farming which the Czech Improved White is able to thrive in. This has made the Czech Improved White pig is the most common pig breed in that nation.
There are ongoing efforts to improve the breed, with new breeds being developed from it; the Slovakian Improved White pig and Slovakian White Meat pig have been developed from the Czech Improved White pig. The breed itself is being developed for better feed/weight gain ratios, without changing the breed itself.
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