Mangalitsa Pigs - The "Sheep-Pigs"
- bioworld090
- Apr 14, 2023
- 4 min read
If there's any animal in existence that comes close to being a hybrid of a pig and a sheep, it is the mangalitsa pig. The mangalitsa pig, also known as the mangalitza or Mangalica pig, is a breed of pig found in Hungary, Serbia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Romania, and Switzerland. It is also introduced in some other countries of the world such as the US and the UK.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The mangalitsa pig is a medium-sized pig with a small head and long ears that hang in front of its eyes and face. The average length from the snout to the tail is 120-140 cm. At the end of its body is present a tail with a black thick base. The weight of the mangalitsa pig depends upon its age. A fully grown individual can weigh just a little less than 400 kilograms.
BREEDS AND THEIR ORIGIN
There is a total of four breeds of the mangalitsa pig out of which three are extant and one is extinct. These four breeds are:
BLONDE
The blonde mangalitsa is pale yellow to creamy white in color. This is the most common color for mangalitsa.
SWALLOW-BELLIED
The swallow-bellied mangalitsa is white on the belly and black on the back and sides. This breed is a result of crossbreeding between the blonde and black mangalitsa.
RED
The red mangalitsa, as the name implies, is red or ginger colored. It is a result of the crossbreeding between the blonde mangalitsa and Szalonta breed of pig.
BLACK
The black mangalitsa had a black-colored body. It is now extinct
MANGALITSA: A PIG LIKE NO OTHER
The mangalitsa pig is not like any average breed of pig. It is unique and the only of its kind. The two characteristics that make mangalitsa unlike any other breed of pigs are:
A THICK COAT OF HAIR
The body of the mangalitsa pig is covered by a thick coat of hair giving it somewhat a sheep-like appearance. This is also the reason why it is also known as the “pig-sheep”.
The hairs are long, thick, and curly in the winter. They become stiff and shiny in the spring. In summer, the hairs become thinner and smoother.
The apparent function of this coat of hair is believed to provide warmth to the animal during the winter. Apart from that, there is no other known function of these hairs.
MEAT WITH HIGH-FAT CONTENT
The red meat of the mangalitsa is marbled with pearly white fat and is well known for its deliciousness. It has a high-fat content of around 60-65 percent. The high-fat content of the meat means that the time taken to cure the meat is longer than normal. This allows the cured meat to retain its properties longer and results in more flavorful meat.
Because of the quality and flavor, the meat of the mangalitsa pig is compared to one of the world's most expensive meat, the Kobe beef.
DECREASED DEMAND AND NEAR EXTINCTION
The fame and popularity that mangalitsa gained soon started to decline in the 1950s. The meat that made mangalitsa the most sought-after pig soon became the reason for its decreased demand. In the 1950s, with advancements in science, the meat of mangalitsa started to gain a bad reputation due to it containing saturated fat and its perceived negative health effects.
While people in the 1950s saw the fatty meat of the mangalitsa as unhealthy, what they didn’t know then was that the meat contained less saturated and more unsaturated fats when compared to an equal amount of butter. Also, the meat was free of any trans-fat.
The bad reputation that the meat of mangalitsa gained resulted in its decreased demand and ultimately the cause of its near extinction.
REPOPULATION
The number of mangalitsa pigs kept on decreasing since the 1950s and a time came when there were less than 200 individuals left in Hungary. The extinction of mangalitsa was just a matter of time but then came two men, Juan Vicente Olmos (a Spanish businessman) and Péter Tóth (an agricultural engineer), who together made efforts in the form of Olmos és Tóth Kft., a Hungarian company that raises mangalitsa pigs and sells their meat, in an effort to breed and save them from extinction. Due to the consistent efforts of Olmos és Tóth Kft. for years, at a certain time, the mangalitsa pigs exceeded the number of 7000.
THE COST OF BUYING AND RAISING A MANGALITSA
The cost of buying a mangalitsa pig depends on several factors. It can cost as low as $200 to buy a mangalitsa but a purebred piglet from a reputable source can cost $2000 or more.
The life of the mangalitsa pig is pretty simple. It requires no special arrangements to be raised. However, some simple measures need to be taken to raise a mangalitsa. An electric fence, a wide outdoor space, and a simple shelter are required to provide basic cover during the rainy and winter seasons.
The mangalitsa is a slow-growing breed and produces a smaller number of young ones as compared to other breeds of pig. It gives birth 1-2 times a year with around 4-8 piglets. The mangalitsa takes longer to mature but is also a more durable breed of pig that requires no super-specific arrangements to be raised.
The mangalitsa pig is not only bred and raised for its meat but sometimes also to keep as a pet because of its nature and behavior.
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