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Far away, far away in the meadow ... no, not a sheep. Pig Hungarian Mangalitsa is a unique and very interesting breed with curly bristles. From afar, Mangalitsa can really be mistaken for a sheep. Especially if only the back is visible from the grass. Because of the winter fluff, which pigs grow over the winter, they are often called the Hungarian Downy Mangalica, but this is the same breed.
Origin story
Only the fact that pig breed The Hungarian mangalica was bred by Archduke Joseph in 1833. Further, the data diverge somewhat. According to the main version, domestic Hungarian pigs were crossed with wild boars, and today at least 50% of Hungarian mangalits carry wild boar genes. It is easy to believe in such a version, looking at the photo of this boar of the Hungarian mangalitsa.
The genes of wild ancestors clearly leaped in it, rewarding the domestic pig with a long snout and erect ears of a wild boar.
The second version of the origin of the Hungarian Mangalitsa breed is somewhat more complicated, although the Archduke also appears there. According to this version, Josef received from somewhere as a gift a dozen semi-wild Serbian pigs, of which there were 2 boars. History is silent about what was meant by the word "semi-wild". Either a cross with a wild boar, or these pigs simply lived year-round in the forest on pasture and shied away from people.
The resulting semi-wild pigs were crossed with Mediterranean and Carpathian livestock, adding reed pigs from the southeast of Hungary. According to this version, the Hungarian mangalitsa pig breed was bred only in 1860.
The first version of the origin of the pig breed Hungarian downy mangalitsa refers to the Mangal, which was bred by crossing the Carpathian (Hungarian) mangalitsa just with a wild boar.
The parental pig breeds from which Mangalitsa was bred had tough, fibrous meat and low fat content. This is quite natural for wild pigs, even if they are nominally domesticated. Hungarian mangalits were not allowed out for free year-round pasture, although in the summer they were regularly grazed like any other domestic pig.
Due to the relaxed lifestyle and the presence of movement when walking to the pasture and back, the Hungarian mangalitsa fattened up the classic marbled meat, where muscle fibers were interspersed with layers of fat. Such meat had an excellent taste and was highly appreciated by gourmets of that time.
In the 50s of the last century, a healthy lifestyle and a slender figure began to come into fashion. And the belief that fat is gained from the use of lard led to an increase in the consumption of lean meat, and meat breeds of pigs began to supplant meat-greasy ones.
As a result, the number of pigs of the Mangalitsa breed has decreased so much that the breed has already been practically included in the extinct. And then jamon and lomo became fashionable not only in Spain, but all over the world. And in the 90s of the last century, it turned out that for the production of these delicacies there was a sorely lack of pigs capable of producing marbled meat.
The Spaniards had to take up the revival of the Hungarian mangalica, applying specific care and feeding to obtain quality products.Today Mangalitsa is no longer an endangered breed of pigs, although it is still quite rare.
In Hungary in the 2000s, the Hungarian mangalitsa was declared a national treasure and they began to popularize the breed. In addition to the productive characteristics, the unusual appearance of the breed was used for advertising, advertising it not only as the Hungarian downy mangalitsa, but also as curly pigs, which are nowhere else. Mangalitsa is quite popular in Ukraine and Great Britain. In Russia, the breed population of the Hungarian mangalitsa is still very small, which is why these pigs are often crossed with other breeds. Crossbred piglets are sold under the guise of purebred pigs, since the prices for the Hungarian mangalitsa are very high.
Description
Since the Hungarian mangalitsa breed of pigs belongs to the meat-greasy, its exterior also corresponds to this direction. These are pigs with light but strong bones. The format is medium, the body is not as long as that of meat pigs. The head is medium in size, with a curved and relatively short snout. Ears are oriented forward. The back is straight. Sometimes it can be with a slight deflection, but ideally the back should be round, from a distance it really is very similar to a sheep's. The chest is voluminous. The belly should be large.
In the description of the Hungarian Mangalitsa breed, it is indicated that these pigs must have curly bristles. And from this moment the confusion begins. In some sources, in the description of the Hungarian mangalitsa, it is indicated that its bristles curl only in winter. After the summer moult, the long bristles and underparts fall out, and the shorter bristles grow straight. According to the owners of the Hungarian downy mangalitsa, who bought their Hungarian pigs in a breeding garden or from a trusted supplier, the Mangalitsa bristles should be curly even in summer.
If we compare the photo and description of the Hungarian Mangalitsa breed with the description and photo of the Mangal pig breed, then there are thoughts that under the guise of the Hungarian Mangalitsa they often write about Mangal. Well, think about it, three letters make all the difference. In fact, these two breeds of pigs are not the same, although they are related.
The upper photo of the Hungarian downy mangalica, the lower one - the Mangal pigs.
When comparing summer photos of Mangalitsa and Brazier pigs, it is easy to notice that the brazier, although "woolen", but the pig's bristles are straight. At Mangalitsa, even in summer, the bristles curl into rings. Mangal's ears are often erect rather than directed forward. You can distinguish stripes in Hungarian Mangalitsa piglets in the photo, but you have to look closely, Mangal piglets have a characteristic "wild" color clearly expressed.
Colors and characteristics
Mangalits have 4 color options:
- white;
- red;
- the black;
- bicolor (swallow).
The most common among them is white. Pigs of this color are most often found on farms and private yards. White color in pigs is more convenient because, after slaughtering and cutting the carcass of a white pig Hungarian mangalitsa, dark residues of bristles in pork skin will not confuse buyers. For yourself, if you want colors, you can purchase one of the other three options.
The second most popular color is "swallow". The decorative appearance of a piglet with this color attracts many private owners. Often these pigs are not bred for meat, but as pets. True, because of the size, they are still kept in the pigsty. In the photo there is a pig of the Hungarian mangalitsa breed of two-color "swallow" color.
If you believe the early evidence, "swallows" used to be larger than Mangalits of a different color. Now they differ from individuals of other stripes only in shorter and coarser bristles.
Red and black colors were at one time very rare and there is information that it is impossible to buy piglets of this color in private hands. In fact, this is not the case. Perhaps, once really piglets of these stripes were not sold to private owners. Today all four colors can be found in the farmsteads.
In a professional photo, the red pig Hungarian mangalitsa looks very impressive. Especially if the pig has a rich color.
And here is the black Hungarian mangalica for a fan of black colors.
Since Mangal is a hybrid of Western European wild boar and Mangalitsa, wild boar features in this breed often appear.
Signs of purebred
Regardless of the type of color, the skin near the eyes, on the patch, nipples, near the anus and on the inside of the tail should be black. Eyelashes and eyebrows also have black color. The bristles at the tip of the tail and near the patch are black. The skin of the legs is black. There should be no pink spots on the patch.
This spot is called Velman's spot and is considered the main sign that the pig is truly pedigree. But for some reason no one makes a photo of Velman's spot at the Hungarian Mangalitsa. Either the pigs are not purebred at all, or it is not such a constant sign.
Productivity
The productive characteristics of the Mangalitsa pig breed are low. An adult sow weighs 160-200 kg, a boar 200-300 kg. The breed is late maturing. Piglets become sexually mature at the age of one year. In the first farrowings there are 4-6 piglets. In a more mature uterus, the number of piglets may increase. But farrowing of 10 or more pups for purebred pigs is considered undesirable and atypical.
By six months, the piglets reach a weight of 70 kg. The layer of fat to the age of slaughter reaches 5.5-6.5 cm. To clarify the weight of a pig without weights, there are specially compiled tables of the ratio of the length of the pig's body to the girth of its chest. But due to the rarity of Hungarian mangalica pigs, there is no separate size table for them. But Mangalitsa has a physique similar to other meat-greasy breeds, so you can use the general table.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to the owners of the Hungarian mangalitsa, its advantages include the ability to winter without a warm pigsty, only under a canopy.
Reviews about the quality of the Hungarian mangalitsa meat are usually enthusiastic, but when it comes to the timing of raising pigs of this breed and the amount of products obtained, the enthusiasm subsides: other breeds are much more productive.
You can often find negative reviews from the owners of the Hungarian mangalica. But this is not due to the shortcomings of the breed, but to the fact that it is difficult to find a purebred pig. The offspring of a hybrid pig is inferior in quality to the producers. Therefore, when a cross is sold under the guise of a purebred Mangalitsa, the emergence of discontent when trying to reproduce these crossbreeds is natural.
Maintenance and care
The feeding and maintenance of the Hungarian mangalica is generally no different from other breeds of pigs. Initially, the breed was bred as "semi-nomadic", with constant grazing in the open air. Therefore, if necessary, Mangalitsa can also overwinter under the open sky, hiding in a haystack like wild relatives. But if winter gains are needed, it is better not to place Mangalitsa in extreme conditions. Today this breed can be kept in three ways:
- in room;
- in paddock;
- mixed.
Indoors is the standard way of raising pigs. Because of the thick and warm bristles, it does not fit well for Mangalians.
To maintain the heat balance, Mangalitsa sheds excess stubble indoors, becoming an "ordinary" pig.At the same time, the quality of the meat also deteriorates, since in order to obtain the necessary "marble" it is necessary to select a special diet. In the absence of a sufficient amount of movement, Mangalitsa are prone to obesity. As a result, the maintenance of Hungarian mangalica becomes significantly more expensive, and the cost of meat drops to the usual price for lean pork.
Keeping in a pen for this breed is much better suited. Caring for the Hungarian mangalica with this method of keeping is not difficult. To protect them from the cold, pigs only need to build a shelter that mimics a haystack. That is, provide a thick straw mat on the floor, and a warm roof on top. If you make a small manhole, closed on top and on the sides with bales of hay, as in the video above, these conditions will be enough for the pigs to winter safely.
But only to overwinter, and not to gain weight in the winter. In order for pigs to grow in winter, you need to carefully select what to feed the Hungarian mangalitsa in the cold season. To do this, in winter, they are necessarily given warm food. As a hot meal for pigs, they boil porridge from cereals or make swill from bran. Food should be warm, but not scalding.
When kept in a pen, all pigs are kept together, including newborn piglets. In fact, this is analogous to keeping rabbits in a pit, but for larger animals.
The mixed type is convenient for keeping sows. Since the offspring from pigs are obtained twice a year, one time inevitably falls out during the cold season. Therefore, in cold weather, pigs are kept in a stable, and after the onset of heat and the appearance of pasture, they are transferred to corrals, grazing on pastures.
It should be borne in mind that with a large number of pigs and a small grazing area, all vegetation in the pasture will be very quickly eaten or trampled. Artificial grazing must be sown with forage grasses annually and the ratio of pigs / grazing area must be observed: no more than 14 fattening pigs, 6 sows or 74 piglet heads are grazed on one hectare from weaning to slaughter at 6 months.
To avoid illness, all prescribed veterinary procedures and vaccinations must be followed.
Feeding
Usually, the characteristics of the Mangalitsa indicate that it is a herbivorous breed and can be fattened on pasture when grazing in a meadow.
All pigs, without exception, including wild boars, are omnivores. This means that they can eat both plant and animal food. But, not being predators, pigs only kill those who cannot escape from them. Or they eat carrion. The main percentage of their diet really comes from plant foods that do not have legs. But the grass and roots are only suitable for maintaining life, these pigs are fattened on grain feed.
In the old days, such situations were very common. Therefore, you should not hope that the pigs are herbivores, and leave those who cannot protect themselves next to them.
When keeping pigs for fattening, they must be provided with green fresh grass. Hungarian herders still collect these pigs from all over the village every day to graze in the meadows. In addition to grass, pigs are given cooked kitchen waste and porridge. In winter, instead of grass, pigs are provided with hay.
If possible, acorns, root vegetables, fresh corn cobs, pumpkin, legumes (the whole plant can be used), silage, waste from beer and flour milling are added to the diet. Raw potatoes can be given, but undesirable due to possible solanine poisoning. To destroy solanine, it is better to boil potatoes. Also for pigs, brooms are knitted from the branches of deciduous trees and shrubs. But in this case, you need to know the wild flora well. Some shrubs can be poisonous.
"Herbivorous" Mangalitsa will not refuse from fish, frogs, snails, insects, worms. You have to be doubly careful here. The most dangerous type of worms for humans is pork tapeworm; it uses not only pigs as an intermediate host. It gets into pigs just from snails eaten by animals. The final owner of the pork tapeworm is a man.
In addition to regular food, chalk, meat and bone meal and red clay are added to the diet. It is better to put the latter separately and provide the pigs with free access to the bait.
Also, you should not be zealous with table salt. Pigs are very prone to salt poisoning.
It is recommended to add grain feed to the Mangalits diet 30 days before slaughter and only 300 g per day. But according to the reviews of the owners of pigs of the Mangalitsa breed, this is not enough. Piglets up to six months need 0.5 kg of grain, adults up to 1 kg.
Breeding
The average gestation period in pigs is calculated using the formula 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. In total, this is 114 days. But farrowing times can range from 98 to 124 days. Before farrowing, the sow is transferred to a dry and clean room with a thick layer of straw bedding.
A week before farrowing, the pig's udder swells and colostrum begins to excrete. But not every uterus will allow itself to be felt, so it is easier to navigate by the "daily" signs: 24 hours before farrowing or even later, the pig begins to "build a nest" from the litter. If the pigs live together, the uterus, ready for interrogation, will aggressively drive out the neighbors. With a relatively small number of livestock indoors, she even manages to drive away the rest of the pigs.
Piglets are born very quickly and immediately go to the teats. In the descriptions of the breed, piglets of the Hungarian mangalitsa are advised to cut the umbilical cords and disinfect the cut with iodine to avoid umbilical infection.
It's a good idea, but only if the pig does not have very strong wild genes that force the sows to protect their offspring. Aggressive pigs are as good as queens, but do not allow you to catch piglets and can tear a person. However, Mangalits has a strong enough immunity to independently deal with the umbilical cords and do without human intervention.
After farrowing, the litter is completely cleaned from the pig. This is believed to be done to prevent the sow from eating the piglets. In fact, a pig eating piglets is immediately sent to meat. And the litter must be cleaned so that the blood and amniotic fluid remaining on the straw does not decompose and does not infect the pig with piglets.
Piglets are pierced with iron-containing preparations on the 5th day to avoid anemia. On the 4th day, with special pliers, they break off the canines from above and below so that they do not injure the pig. But the latter can only be done if the sow allows it.
But with a live pig, the piglets will drink milk for more than a month, although they will start trying to eat "adult" food from about two weeks.
In the description of the Hungarian mangalitsa, it is indicated that piglets are born striped.
But the stripes in Mangalits are less pronounced than in Mangalovs. In addition, piglets do not have curly bristles at birth. Hungarian mangalitsa piglets become curly at the age of more than a month.
But pigs feed piglets for up to 2 months. If there is no need for intensive use of the sow, piglets can be kept under the pig until this age.
Feeding piglets
In the very first days of life, piglets eat only pig milk. From 3-5 days, you can enter bait. At this time, piglets should not be given green grass and vegetables yet.Yes, and piglets still do not eat solid feed at this age, so what can be fed to Hungarian mangalitsa piglets at this age will have to be finely ground and made a liquid mash, which the piglets can suck through the teat (if the pig does not mind). The mash contains:
- peas;
- fried barley (pearl barley);
- corn;
- wheat.
From two weeks old, piglets begin to taste the food of adult pigs, and by one month they compete with the sow. The piglets of the Hungarian mangalitsa are taken away after a month, so the question of how to feed the weaning pigs of the Hungarian mangalitsa is not even worth it: the same thing that adult pigs are fed, but in smaller quantities.
Some nuances of breeding
With intensive use of pigs for breeding for meat, they happen in the first heat after giving birth. But sometimes the pig is not eager to meet the boar again. There may be two reasons why Hungarian mangalitsa is not covered:
- mating time has not come;
- disease.
Usually pets come to hunt on average 10 days after hatching. But pigs are neat in this regard. The pig comes to the next hunt only 2 months after farrowing.
If you try to mate ahead of time, the pig will refuse to accept the boar. A sign that the pig has come to hunt is that the pig is getting up, that is, it does not lie as usual, but stands waiting for the male.
The second reason is much less pleasant. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian. If the pig allows the boar, but is bachelor, the reason is most likely hormonal imbalance. The disorders can be caused by an ovarian cyst or other problems. Some infectious diseases also cause infertility. Therefore, if a pig is bachelor for no apparent reason, contacting a veterinarian is necessary.
Testimonials
Conclusion
A pig of the Hungarian mangalitsa breed is able to gain its position in Russia, thanks to the high-quality meat obtained from Mangalitsa piglets. Given the interest in this breed of pigs of owners of private farms, Mangalitsa can spread throughout the Russian Federation. But this takes time.
