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Home > Iberian Ham > The Iberian Pig > Breeding Iberian Pigs
BREEDING IBERIAN PIGS
 The piglets weigh between 1 and 1.4 kg at birth. Once born, the animals pass through the following stages:
 Lactation: The definitive weaning period for sucking piglets is from 35 to 45 days following birth and during this time their weight usually increases to between 12 and 15 kg.
- Fodder: Following weaning, a 30 to 50 day-old piglet will begin consuming fodder. Their weight will increase to between 23 and 25 kg.
Then they enter the "fattening" phase. This period is of vital importance as the food that the piglets consume during this phase determines the kind of pig it will become.
The animals must reach a certain weight in order to be able to live on the mountains for the final fattening process and for this they need other complementary foods such as herbs and grass.
When the pig reaches 50 kg. it is given special care in order to facilitate the tenderness of the meat and encourage the perfect development of its frame. During this phase, the pig develops an instinct to search for food in the fields, which in turn benefits the development of its muscles.
During this phase the pigs reach a weight of between 79 and 95 kg.
- The fattening process: This is done in three different ways and each way has its own distinct qualities:
1) In a mountain setting, consuming acorns and natural grasses.
This feeding period begins at the end of October and lasts until February. The acorn is in season over the winter period and the pigs forage through the pasture in search of them. The animals start by looking in the less accessible areas while they are still strong and agile. The flatter areas that are in easy reach are saved for the last stage of the fattening process when the animal is larger and consequently less mobile.
The products derived from pigs which are fattened in this way are known as the "bellota" (acorn) variety, well-known for their outstanding quality.
2) If the weather conditions are unfavourable (prolonged drought, heavy snowfalls and winds) the acorns may not develop as they should. If this is the case, the animals begin their pasture in the mountains but do not complete the cycle. Instead they are fed compound and balanced grasses to complete the fattening process but this unfortunately reduces the quality of the final product.
3) They are fed exclusively on grasses. In this case, the products lose some of their more delicate nuances and are therefore considered inferior in quality.
In this final phase, the pig can reach a weight of between 160 and 170 kg.
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