Yorkshire Pig Pros and Cons, Origin, Characteristics

Yorkshire pigs are dual-purpose domestic pigs. They originated from the United States, America. They are a version of large white pigs. They are popular all over the U.S for the purposes they serve. They are well known to produce bacon of high quality and lean meat. As they are large-sized, so small or congested space is not suitable for them. They are strong and sturdy. They are active and excellent farm animals. They also produce large-sized litters and the mother pigs have excellent mothering properties. Their lean meat and back bacon is highly demanded in the market.

Yorkshire Pig Origin


Yorkshire pigs are named after the region they were originated. They were first found in 1761, Yorkshire, England. In 1830, they were first welcomed to the United States. Ohio first has them but their slow growth rate made their popularity delayed to the 1940s.  During their growth time and popularity, large-sized Yorkshires for ruggedness and favored carcasses were imported from Canada and England. After that, selective breeding was performed to improve the breed of Yorkshire pig. Today, Yorkshire pig breed is found in almost every state of America. Some of the regions called popular for them are Nebraska, Illinois, Lowa, Ohio, and Indiana.

Yorkshire Pig Pros and Cons, Origin, Characteristics

Yorkshire Pig pros


Yorkshire pigs are intelligent and pick things fast. They are easy to train. They are known for the production of bacon and lean meat. Their erect ears make them adorable. They produce large number of litters and have extraordinary mothering properties. They are affectionate with people. They do not get angry. They always like to learn new things. Their curiosity makes them pretty and innocent. They like to remain clean. The number of piglets they produce is 12 to 15 per litter. This makes them valuable for pig producers. Their bacon and meat are sold in the market at higher prices.

Yorkshire Pig Cons


Yorkshire pigs have a lot of advantages but there are some disadvantages too. They are large-sized animals, so they require larger fences and space to remain. They are active and intelligent but can be easily manipulated. They are potentially destructive. They can make destruction if they get angry. When they are in the mood, they mess around the space. Any negative activity around them can make them stressed. Even improper food supply makes them stressed. They require large or extensive management systems but can survive in congested places too. Only pig producers find an advantage in buying and selling their meat in the market.

Yorkshire Pig Characteristics


The characteristics of Yorkshire pigs resemble large-sized white pigs. Their size and weight make them different from other pig strains. Talking about weight, male Yorkshire pig may weigh around 550 lbs to 750 lbs whereas a female Yorkshire pig may weigh around 450 lbs to 650 lbs. Their color is light pink and people thinking of these pigs may call them “babe”. They may look white if seen from a distance, but closely they look pinkish white. They can survive in hardy climatic conditions. Extreme environmental changes cannot affect them. They like to make friends and get friendly with strangers.

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