There's been a lot of talk about heritage breeds, and the importance of preserving genetic diversity. It turns out that we've choosing some breeds of animals, and their popularity wiped out the older breed.This article says that recent work with DNA seems to say that Europe was colonized from the middle east, and that middle-eastern pigs were brought in as part of that migration. But when the local pigs got domesticated, within 500 years the original middle eastern pigs had been completely replaced by the European hogs, and that the European hogs even managed to go back into the middle east and completely replace the original hogs.
Something similar has happened with the American food chain. The Duroc breed of pig is the most efficient at turning feed into lean pork, and for the most part has completely replaced every other breed of pig in commercial pig farms, in the same way that Cornish cross chickens have replaced the majority of other breeds in commercial meat chicken farms.
It turns out that pigs weren't the only things that got replaced. Early European settlers got replaced by later Immigrants, too.
"The Duroc breed of pig is the most efficient at turning feed into lean pork,..."
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Landrace more efficient than the Duroc?
I don't really know the answer to that. I know that most of the large commercial herds have a substantial duroc component, but i really couldn't tell you which breed is the top. Landrace and duroc are both pretty close.
ReplyDeleteDurocs haven't replaced every other breed on commercial pig farms, and they aren't the most efficient at producing lean meat.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Durocs are very popular as terminal sires, the fact that they are called "terminal sires" means that there are other kinds of pigs in the breeding program. Therefore, Durocs haven't, as you explained "completely replaced every other breed of pig in commercial pig farms."
With respect to the original post, what I'm pointing out is that genetics and pig characteristics have resulted in breeds being phased out even thousands of years ago.
ReplyDelete"With respect to the original post, what I'm pointing out is that genetics and pig characteristics have resulted in breeds being phased out even thousands of years ago."
ReplyDeleteThen I suggest you do that without being so inaccurate. People who know or later learn the truth would tend to devalue your other statements, regardless of their veracity.
My postings here are riddled with inaccuracies and completely unreliable. They are for entertainment only -- if you base your life on my blog you are surely headed for certain doom. Ok?
ReplyDelete