The Large White derives from the old Large Yorkshire breed, a long-legged and heavy-boned pig from the county of Yorkshire, in northern England. In the nineteenth century this was crossed with pigs imported from China, giving rise to three distinct types or breeds: the Small White showed the greatest Asian influence, small and fat with a markedly foreshortened snout; the Middle White also showed some foreshortening of the face; the Large White was the least obviously influenced by the Chinese admixture.[1]: 649 It may also have been influenced by the Cumberland and Leicestershire breeds.[2]
A pair of pigs of Large White type were shown at the Royal Agricultural ShowinWindsor in 1851.[3] The breed was recognised in 1868, and a herd-book was started in 1884.
The Large White has been exported to many countries of the world.[2] The American Yorkshire of North America derives from it.[4]
The Large White is one of the most numerous of all pig breeds, widely used in crossbreeding for intensive pig farming around the world.[6] It was originally developed as an outdoor breed, but today it is one of those favoured by commercial pig breeders.[2]
^ abcThe Large White. British Pig Association. Archived 14 December 2017.
^ abGraeme Taylor, Greg Roese (November 2005). Breeds of pigs—Large White. Primefact 62. Orange NSW: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. Accessed January 2024.
^McDonald-Brown, Linda (2009). Choosing and Keeping Pigs. Firefly Books. ISBN978-1-55407-469-3.
