Need advice regarding boar choice

[MikahMom]

I have just purchased two Yorkshire gilts and was thinking of breeding them with a Duroc boar (as yet to be purchased) as I hear from many sources that the meat with this cross is very good. However, after reading some posts on here it seems that Durocs are very aggressive -- should I stick with my plan or go with a different breed? Big Daddy will have his own pen next to the girls and there will NOT be another boar for him to compete with so should I still be concerned?



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Proud owner of 2 Shire Horses, 3 Nigerian Dwarf Goats, 24 Australorps, 1 Irish Wolfhound, 2 Australian Shepherds and as of tomorrow 2 Yorkshire Gilts!!

 

[chunkydunk]

While yes Duroc boars are aggressive. I havent found them to be more aggressive than any other boar. usually they stay calmer til they get fairly older. Every boar Ive have gets more aggressive as htye get older. Ive had Duroc,mule-foot, large black,yorkshire, and hereford.They all seemed the same to me. But I also handle and play with mine alot.Now when your girls go into heat yeah hes gonna get mean if he cant get to them.Thats why I let mine run together.

 

[MikahMom]

We plan on putting one girl in at a time with Big Daddy as we want to stagger the litters. As it will be late in the year before they are old enough to go into heat we don't have to worry too much as yet. Would it be a good idea to let them run together while they are still young? I have 2 Shire horses and it took separating them for a few months before our mare looked to our two year old colt as more than a "brother" as they had been together since he was 8 months old.



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Proud owner of 2 Shire Horses, 3 Nigerian Dwarf Goats, 24 Australorps, 1 Irish Wolfhound, 2 Australian Shepherds and now 2 Yorkshire gilts!

 

[jhm47]

A Duroc boar opened up my right leg and it took me many months to get it to heal. Got a very nasty infection (pig mouths are not very clean), and took antibiotics for a long time.

Any boar can slash open a person in the blink of an eye. In my opinion, Durocs are definitely more aggressive, but if handled properly they are fine.