Country of origin USA Higher classification Domestic pig | Scientific name Sus scrofa domesticus Rank Breed | |
 | ||
Similar Hampshire pig, Berkshire pig, Duroc pig, American Landrace pig, Piétrain | ||
Poland china pigs
The Poland China is a breed of domestic pig, first bred in the Ohio, United States, in 1816, deriving from many breeds including the Berkshire and Hampshire. It is the oldest American breed of swine. Poland China hogs are typically white, sometimes with black spots, and are known for their large size. Big Bill, the largest hog ever recorded at 2,552 lb (1,157 kg), was a Poland China. Poland Chinas rank highest in U.S. pork production in pounds of hog per sow per year.
The Poland China hog was first bred on the Hankinson Farm in Blue Ball, Warren County, Ohio. A monument to this accomplishment still stands near the place where the hog was originally bred. The monument was moved slightly when the farm was sold for development of the Towne Mall, Middletown, Ohio in the early 1970s, and now stands across the street from the mall property on Cincinnati Dayton Road.
Competing claims are made that the first Poland China breeder was David M. Magie, who lived at the Austin-Magie Farm near Oxford, Ohio.
In the 1920s and 1930s, agricultural reformers introduced the Poland China pig into China, with mixed success. The pigs were not adapted to the climate, and Chinese farmers were more interested in a pig's ability to produce fertilizer than its meat capacity.
