Duroc
Extrieur
When you look at the Duroc, you see beautiful pig with an elongated body and a reddish-brown coat. It is known as a strong meat breed, which is well reflected in its conformation. The animals are broadly built, of medium length, are very muscular and the ears are small and partially pendulous. According to the breed standard, the coat should be entirely red, although small black spots are condoned. However, a white Duroc should never be seen and if a white Duroc is born, it is immediately excluded from breeding. The red coat color is allowed to have various shades, ranging from light golden yellow to yellow with a red glow over it, and from plain red to a very dark mahogany color. This pig is known as the most aggressive breed of pig in the world.
Sows of this breed reach an average height of 82 centimeters and a weight of 320 kilograms. Boars do get a little bigger with a height of 90 centimeters and a weight of around 400 kilograms.
The Duroc originated around 1830 in New England in the United States. The Duroc was created by crossing Red Durocs with Jersey Reds. The Red Duroc, from which today's Duroc is (partially) descended, is the original Duroc. However, the Americans wanted to develop a pig that provided a higher meat yield, which is why they chose to cross with the Jersey Red; the modern-day Duroc was created.
It is unclear how the ancestor of the Duroc, the Red Duroc, ended up in America. Scientists and connoisseurs of breeds and their history still disagree on who is right. Nevertheless, there are some theories about the origin of the Red Duroc, namely:
The Red Durocs would have come to America from Africa when Americans brought African slaves back to the U.S. by ship. Columbus is said to have brought the breed by ship to Nova Scotia, an American port. Because the origin of the Red Duroc is so unclear, and thus that of the modern Duroc, scientists are very interested in its DNA profile.
In fact, the Duroc is very different from other American breeds. DNA research has shown that the Duroc is a hodgepodge and seems to come from everywhere: the breed is part Chinese, European and North American.
The morderne Duroc has been known for its good meat quality with distinctive and unique flavor since the breed's inception in 1830. Already during the World Exhibition of 1893, a special was dedicated to the Duroc. Visitors responded with great enthusiasm, and a record number of Duroc piglets were shown at the show. Immediately after this World's Fair, the Duroc became very popular and the breed became even more successful than before.
History
Meat
Meat lovers will enjoy a delicious piece of pork from the Duroc pig. This breed produces a beautiful piece of meat with a powerful and intense flavor. The color of the meat is also darker (redder) than one would expect from normal pork. The meat has more intramuscular fat, which causes the distinctive flavor. The intramuscular fat also makes the meat much more tender and succulent than other pork.