The Hereford Hog or Hereford is an American breed of

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

. It is named for its color and pattern, which is similar to that of the Hereford breed of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

: red with a white face. It is of medium size, with a curly tail and lop ears.

History

The first person to breed for the Hereford color pattern in pigs – and the first to describe it – was R.U. Weber of LaPlata, Missouri. From about 1902 until 1925 a number of farmers in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

and

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, among them John Schulte of

Norway, Iowa Norway is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 466 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is approximately southwest of downtown Cedar Rapids. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. Norway is ...

, collaborated in the

selection Selection may refer to: Science * Selection (biology), also called natural selection, selection in evolution ** Sex selection, in genetics ** Mate selection, in mating ** Sexual selection in humans, in human sexuality ** Human mating strateg ...

of pigs with this coloration. The principal breeds used were the Duroc and the

Poland China The Poland China is an American breed of domestic pig. It was first bred in Warren County in Ohio, in the American Midwest. Its origins lie in a small number of pigs of Chinese type bought in 1816, which were cross-bred with a variety of breeds ...

; there may also have been some

Chester White The Chester White is a breed of domestic pig which originated in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was formerly known as the Chester County White. History The Chester White was first developed around 1815–1818, using strains of large, white pi ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

influence. They bred not only for color, but also conformation and performance. In 1934 a selection of the hundred best animals from five herds was made, and became the

foundation stock Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock refers to animals that are the progenitors, or foundation, of a breed or of a given bloodline within such. Many modern breeds can be traced to specific, named foundation animals, but a group of animals ma ...

for the breed. A

breed society Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of ...

, the National Hereford Hog Registry Association, was formed in that year under the sponsorship of the Polled Hereford Cattle Registry Association, and a

herd-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders ...

was opened. The breed grew in numbers into the mid-twentieth century, particularly in Iowa,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

and

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, but from the 1960s, with the move of commercial pork operations to the modern system of three-way cross-breeding using American Yorkshire, Duroc and Hampshire, population numbers fell sharply. In 2013 the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (now the

Livestock Conservancy The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "h ...

) estimated that fewer than breeding animals remained, and listed the

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservatio ...

of the breed as 'watch'; in 2022 its estimate of breed numbers was unchanged, but the conservation status of the breed had changed to 'recovering'. The population reported to

DAD-IS DAD-IS is the acronym of the worldwide Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, within the FAO's management of animal genetic resources programme.Domestic Animal Diversity Infor ...

for 1970 is 317, while that for 2011, the most recent year listed, is ; in 2022 the conservation status of the breed was shown as 'unknown'.

Characteristics

It is a pig of medium size: mature sows weigh about and boars about . The only allowable coat coloration is a deep red-brown covering at least two thirds of the body, with a pale face, ears, underbelly, and socks. The ears hang forwards over the face. It is hardy and docile, prolific and maternal, and suitable to either extensive or intensive management.

Use

Hogs for market reach a slaughter weight of about in five or six months.

References

{{Pig breeds of Canada and the United States Pig breeds originating in the United States