Schwäbisch-Hällisches Pig

The traditional, local breed Schwäbisch-Hällisches Schwein is originally located in the region of Hohenlohe in Baden-Württemberg, which still is the main breeding area. The breed was developed since nearly 200 years ago by the local farmers and is well adapted to the regional conditions. Next to the genetic value of the old breed in terms of biodiversity, it is the basement for a sustainable local pork chain. In terms of scientific substantiation, their performances and products are mainly untapped. Thus the aim of the present chapter is to present history and current status of Schwäbisch-Hällisches pig breed, its exterior phenotypic characteristics, geographical location, production system and main products from this German autochthonous breed of pigs, one of the local pig breeds investigated in the project TREASURE. Moreover, a collection and review of available literature data, available until August 2017, on reproductive and productive traits of Schwäbisch-Hällisches pig breed were carried out. Meat quality of longissimus muscle completed the conventional productive traits as it is of great interest in autochthonous breeds. Although studies on Schwäbisch-Hällisches pig are scarce, current review gives the first insight into this local pig breed.