China and the USA have raised the largest pigs in the world; these countries also lead in the number of pigs. As of 2017, there were 73,414,900 of them in the United States of America, and 451,125,000 in the PRC. Humanity has been engaged in pig farming since the times of the primitive communal system. With the advent of large cities, the need for pork meat increased. Thanks to breeding work, productive breeds have appeared that are distinguished by their enormous size and weight.
The biggest pigs
To raise record-breakingly heavy boars, purebred piglets of a good breed are taken.Thanks to index selection, they are distinguished by early maturity and productivity. Already by the age of one year, purebred pigs amaze with their impressive dimensions and impressive weight. The size and weight of the body are influenced by the genetic characteristics of the breed, the conditions in which the animals are kept, and the quality of the feed.
Landrace
Huge boars grow up to 2 m in length and weigh 300-350 kg. The chest circumference of an adult animal is 1.5 m. This meat breed was bred in Denmark. It was obtained by crossing breeding individuals of the English White breed with local pigs. The largest population of Landraces is recorded in Australia, Canada, Norway, and Finland.
English white
A one-year-old piglet weighs 180-300 kg, a 2-3 year old English White sow weighs 220-360 kg, a 3-5 year old boar weighs 270-350 kg. Outstanding specimens of this breed gain 550-600 kg of live weight. The English white pig has a strong, large bone structure and a long body:
- boar - 190 cm;
- sow - 170 cm.
Representatives of this breed have tender meat with thin layers of tender fat.
Large white
This variety is especially popular in Russia. The first breeding pigs were brought from England in the 19th century. The weight of the largest boars of the Large White breed exceeds half a ton. Ordinary pigs raised on private farms weigh about 400 kg.
Duroc
American early ripening red meat breed. The weight of piglets at birth is 1.1-1.6 kg, at the time of weaning from the sow about 20 kg, by 6 months they weigh about a hundredweight.
| Characteristic | Boar | Sow |
| Body length (cm) | 185 | 175 |
| Weight, kg) | 320 | 240 |
The meat of this breed is valued for its good taste and dietary qualities.
Latvian white
The dimensions of boars and sows of the Latvian white breed are impressive. The weight of an adult animal exceeds 300 kg.
| Gender of the animal | Body length (cm) | Chest (cm) |
| Boar | 170-180 | 165 |
| Sow | 155-160 | 147 |
A meat breed, popular in Latvia and the northwestern regions of the Russian Federation. It was bred by crossing Latvian pig breeds with English large white, German long-eared white, and short-eared white.
Pigs from the Guinness Book of Records
The fattest pigs were raised in America and China. The first record holder of the Guinness Book of Records weighed 1157 kg with a body length of 2.7 m. The boar's name was Big Bill. It reached its size thanks to Elias Buford Butler, a farmer from Tennessee. The belly of a well-fed boar hung to the floor, touching it when walking.
The record holder's life ended on the way to the Chicago exhibition in 1933. The boar broke his leg due to the sudden stop of the truck, and the owner did not calculate the dose of medicine. The story of Big Bill's life is still retold today. The owner made sure that his pet would be remembered longer; he made a stuffed animal out of the deceased giant. Now, unfortunately, it is lost.
The second famous giant boar was raised by Chinese farmer Chun Chun. The years of life of the giant boar are 1999-2004. He weighed a little less than a ton with a body length of 2.5 m. In the yard, the owner made a sandy bed for the huge pig, washed it every day and took it out for a walk.
Curious people came to look at the giant pig with huge fangs, they were about 15 cm long. Chun Chun claimed that his pet ate for ten. The pet reached its large size only thanks to its owner. At first the pig grew frail, but Chun Chun's love and work did their job.
Another record-breaking pig, raised in America, weighed 1.2 tons with a body length of 2.5 m. Her name was Big Norma. In 2007, the giant animal died of a heart attack and was buried by its owner, Carrie Dart.
The length of the body of a huge live pig, recently listed in the Guinness Book, is 7 m. Her name is Rumba, she weighs 5 tons, lives in the United States of America on a farm in Florida. The largest of the boars recorded was a boar with the nickname Old Slot of the Gloucester breed (XIX century, England, Cheshire), its weight exceeded 6 tons, its height reached one and a half meters, the carcass length was at least 3 m. In 2017, at the exhibition “King of Pigs” “, which is held annually in China, the victory was won by a boar weighing 750 kg with a body length of 2 m. The height of the giant’s withers is impressive, it is no less than 1 m.
Giant wild boars
Wild forest pigs, living in East Africa, are the fattest. The average weight of a boar is 270 kg. So says Rafael Reina-Hurtado. While exploring the nature of the continent, he managed to film the pigs. Their impressive dimensions amazed the naturalist.
Large wild pigs live in Turkey. Their development is favored by the mild Mediterranean climate and the fact that Muslims have a taboo on pork. The nickname of the largest Turkish boar was Attila, he weighed 350 kg. Facts of encounters with huge boars living in the wild were recorded by residents of America.
The first case occurred in 2004. While hunting in the state of Georgia, an animal weighing 3 centners and 3 m long was shot. The carcass of the boar was carefully studied and it was found out that it was a mixture of domestic and wild pig. The second case also happened in the USA while hunting. The interesting thing is that the lucky shooter was an 11-year-old boy. During the hunt, he shot a huge pig weighing about 5 centners, at least 3.5 m long. The hunters were impressed by the length of the animal’s fangs - 13 cm.
Unusual animals always arouse interest. Farmers are interested in giant pigs for professional reasons. They are attracted by information about purebred record holders.People who are naturally curious are simply interested in knowing facts, figures, and watching photos and videos of wild and domestic animals of unusually large size and weight.
