The Duroc is an American
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
of
domestic pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...
. It varies in color from golden to a dark reddish-brown; it is large-framed and muscular, of medium length, with partially-drooping ears.
Origins and history
The breed, one of several red pig strains which developed around 1800 in
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
, originated in Africa. One theory is that the pigs were imported from the Guinea coast of Africa at the time of the slave trade. Another suggestion is that the red color came from the
Berkshire pig
The Berkshire is a British breed of pig. It originated in the English county of Berkshire, for which it is named. It is normally black, with some white on the snout, on the lower legs, and on the tip of the tail.
It is a rare breed in the Un ...
from Britain, a breed that is now black, but at that time was rusty brown. Another influence on the breed may have been four shoats from Spain and Portugal that were imported around 1837, but it is unclear whether these formed part of the breed's ancestry.
The breed is said to have been named for a stallion belonging to Harry Kelsey in New York state (1820s) or that "the breed was named after a race horse and he in turn was named after Napoleon's Aide, Gen.
Christoph Duroc ...."
The modern Duroc originated circa 1850 from crosses of the Jersey Red and New York's older Duroc. The breed started being used in
shows around the 1950s. Durocs are predominantly kept for their meat, and are appreciated for their hardiness and quick but thorough muscle growth.
[
The first pig to have its genome sequenced was a Duroc sow named T.J. Tabasco.]
Characteristics
Originally, the Duroc was a very large pig, but not as large as was the Jersey Red. Today, it is a medium-sized breed with a moderately long body and a slightly dished face. The ears are drooping and not held erect. The color is often an orangish-brown, but ranges from a light-golden shade to a deep mahogany-red.[ The weight of a mature boar is about 882 pounds, and the sow is about 772 pounds.
]
References
External links
Duroc profile and eligibility requirements
for the National Swine Registry
{{Pig breeds of Canada and the United States
Pig breeds originating in the United States