Landrace Pigs

The Landrace breed was developed in Denmark by crossing the native pig with the Large White.

This cross was then improved on during years of testing and breeding under strict government control. The Danes refused to export live pigs until World War II, when the best specimens of the breed were exported to Sweden. The progeny from these pigs eventually reached England and Ireland.

Landrace have white skin and are free from black hair. They are a lop-eared pig with a long middle, light forequarters, and excellent ham development. The major faults with the original Landrace were leg weakness, splay legs and nervous disorders such as porcine stress syndrome (PSS). PSS still occurs in some strains.