The Duroc Pig

The Duroc breed of pig originated in the corn growing regions of the USA, and today is commonly found as a terminal sire in modern crossbreeding production systems. It is a muscular breed with a distinctive red coat, which may vary from honey to mahogany, and drooped ears. In many countries Duroc boars are bred with Large White X Landrace sows to produce pigs for bacon. This pattern of crossbreeding takes advantage of the maternal abilities of the Large White and Landrace, as well as the meat characteristics of the Duroc and increase in productivity cause by crossbreeding.

Duroc boars are often called 'terminal sires' in the crossbreeding operations. This means that all the offspring of that boar are going into the food chain and will be eaten.

Durocs have poorer maternal characteristics compared to other breeds. Duroc sows produce smaller litters, and some bloodlines have significant weaknesses in their hips and shoulders. On average, the breed tends to be more aggressive compared to other breeds. For these reasons they are rarely produced for commercial food production as purebreds.

Although the purebred sows have lower fertility compared to other commercial breeds, their crossbred offspring have adequate fertility, and because of their coloured skin they have been used in organic and free range enterprises, as they are less prone to sunburn. In Winter they produce a thick coat, which is shed in Summer, so they are capable of withstanding a range of temperatures. Sows of this breed have reputations of being particularly defensive of their piglets, so extra care should be used when raising them in a free range situation as the sow is unrestrained.

Small land holders and individuals intending to raise pigs for their own meat occasionally chose purebred Durocs because of their excellent reputation as 'bacon type' pigs. They remain fairly lean as they grow, not putting down excess fat outside the muscles until they have finished growing and are overfed. The result is succulent meat with a nice level of fat within it.

The 'White Duroc' is the result of crossing Durocs with white skinned breeds such as the Landrace and Large White. The Duroc is also believed to be related to the Tamworth and Berkshire.