by Dr. Tim Safranski, University of Missouri

Domestic farm animals descend from wild animals. Pigs were the third animal to be domesticated, following sheep and goats. This occurred in two locations, beginning with hunting pigs for food, transitioning to management and selective breeding for gentler animals adapted to local needs and resources, ultimately leading to distinct breeds.

Neither of the domestication events happened in the Americas.  Columbus brought pigs on his voyages in the late 1400s at the Queen’s insistence. It is unlikely these pigs reached the mainland. By the early 1500s, subsequent explorers brought pigs to various coastal islands and the southeastern mainland, sometimes leaving breeding stock behind to ensure future food resources.

Click for a timeline of pigs in America.

As the United States formed and through the early 1800s, the importation of breeding stock became more systematic. Farmers began “breeding up” local animals, selecting types suited to their specific environments. These became the breeds developed in the U.S. As farming techniques advanced, farmers had excess grain. Feeding it to pigs became a significant source of income. Fertile lands for growing feed grains were distant from population centers, so farmers drove their fattened pigs to growing cities where stockyards and packing plants profoundly impacted urban development, paving the way for efficient distribution networks via rail and river, further enhancing pork distribution.

The introduction of refrigerated rail cars in the late 1800s solidified the production model of corn, pigs and packing houses in the Midwest, allowing large farms to grow and ship pork to the rest of the country more economically than local farmers could. This shift led to the decline or extinction of several once-popular local breeds.

Today, most pigs raised in the U.S. are housed indoors in uniform environments, with similar feed, decreasing the need for historic genetic traits and diversity. The majority of U.S. pork is now produced from just four breeds. However, less common breeds still hold value for farms aiming for traditional production practices. They provide animals better suited for foraging and more resilient to environmental changes. Consumers also notice that meat quality differs, affecting flavor, juiciness, texture, and tenderness, offering producers ways to differentiate their heritage products from mainstream commodity pork.

Less common breeds not only serve immediate production needs but are also vital for preserving genetic diversity. Pigs are highly adaptable animals, crucial for past and future agricultural innovations. The diverse genetic makeup found in heritage breeds will be essential for meeting future demands as society continues to evolve and change its relationship with farming practices.

Let me introduce you to the history of America’s endangered heritage hog breeds.

Choctaw

Choctaw hogs are believed to have descended from pigs brought to North America in the 1500s. These small, dark pigs with neck wattles and mule-type feet were loosely managed by the Choctaw and other tribes in the southeastern United States until the 1830s. They walked the Trail of Tears alongside the Choctaw during their forced migration west and are now critically endangered.

Mulefoot hogs also exhibit uncloven hooves. Dark gray or black, they originated from Spanish pigs in the 1500s. By 1900, they became the only standardized mule-footed pig breed. Farmers raised them semi-ferally on islands in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, earning them the nickname “Ozark pigs.” By the mid-1900s, only one registered herd existed. Conservation efforts by Mark Fields helped revitalize this rare breed.

Ossabaw

Ossabaw Island hogs come from a population that was left on an island off Georgia’s coast in the 1500s, adapting to their environment over four centuries. They developed rapid fat-storing capacity and can thrive on high-salt diets. From the late 1980s until 2002, breeding animals were removed for meat production and research purposes. Now, removal is prohibited, but these pigs can be seen at Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon because they resemble early American hogs.

Guinea hogs, known as “yard pigs,” are small lard-type pigs that were popular in the Southeast due to their size and ability to thrive on household scraps. Cultural shifts led to their numbers dwindling to fewer than 100 by the 1990s. The American Guinea Hog Association was formed in 2006 to support the breed’s pedigree initiatives. Although numbers have increased, they remain vulnerable.

Red Wattle

Red Wattle hogs were known in the South Pacific over 3,500 years ago. Their descendants were likely brought to New Orleans by French settlers in the early-mid 1800s. Known for their high-quality meat, they became popular among Creole and Cajun chefs, spreading across the South and into East Texas. Numbers dropped to 272 purebreds in 1990 and 42 in 1999, but with dedicated breeders, the breed is rebounding while still on the threatened list.

Tamworth hogs descend from now extinct Irish Grazers imported into England and crossbred with dark red Midland pigs. Thomas Bennett brought them to the U.S. in 1882. Known as a bacon breed, they are athletic, foraging well in woodlands with long snouts, strong legs and wiry red hair. They do not like confinement.

Large Black Pigs originated in two regions in England. By 1899, their populations were unified under the Large Black Pig Society. They became one of England’s most popular breeds by the 1920s, but post-WWII farming practices led to their near extinction by the 1960s. This pasture-efficient breed is slowly recovering thanks to its appeal in niche markets.

Meishan

Meishan hogs are among the oldest breeds, originating in China over 5,000 years ago. Renowned for their docile nature and ability to digest forage, they were imported to the U.S. for research in 1989. After dispersal of research herds in 2016, the American Meishan Breeders Association now promotes the breed and tracks pedigrees.

Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS), one of the oldest documented breeds, were historically referred to as Orchard pigs due to their diet of whey, scrap, and windfall fruit. They became dominant bacon pigs in Britain but faced decline post-WWII. Conservation efforts have helped restore their numbers, and the reintroduction of purebreds to the U.S. in 1995 has led to the formation of the Gloucestershire Old Spots of America.

These heritage hog breeds have played significant roles in U.S. history over the last 250 years. Through the efforts of diligent breeders and the Livestock Conservancy, they will also play essential roles in our future.