# Questions for Duroc/Old Spot owners



## Fineswine (Aug 25, 2011)

I had just came across a artical in a hog raising book that quoted somthing I had never heard of thought of.It said the Durok/Old Sopt cross was a great cross for winter growing pigs and great also in terms of quality meat animals.Then it said if you take a pure Durok boar wich I have and breed him to a pure Old Spot gilt/sow,wich Ive been wanting to add,you will end up with what they called in the old days "feild hogs" and they would all be red with black spots.Has anyone ever tryed or seen this happen.I have been wanting to raise both bloodlines pure and wich I already have the Duroc side,then do the cross anyway for feeders but I had never even concidered the color pattern.....Let me know!


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

Fineswine said:


> I had just came across a artical in a hog raising book that quoted somthing I had never heard of thought of.It said the Durok/Old Sopt cross was a great cross for winter growing pigs and great also in terms of quality meat animals.Then it said if you take a pure Durok boar wich I have and breed him to a pure Old Spot gilt/sow,wich Ive been wanting to add,you will end up with what they called in the old days "feild hogs" and they would all be red with black spots.Has anyone ever tryed or seen this happen.I have been wanting to raise both bloodlines pure and wich I already have the Duroc side,then do the cross anyway for feeders but I had never even concidered the color pattern.....Let me know!


The Gloucester is just a little bigger than the Duroc. Gloucester meat has more fat content. The cross with the leaner Duroc will produce the best bacon and sausage say some chiefs.


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## Brooks WV (Jul 24, 2010)

I think is pasture/forage setups the Old Spots do just as Gerold said. My Old Spots are pastured, and while I wouldnt say they're fat, the did have a nice bit of fat on the hams, bacon and shoulders. If you're pasturing, I think it's a nice cross to keep a bit of fat on your animals, although our pure Old Spots looked pretty good to us!


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## Fineswine (Aug 25, 2011)

Well today I found a lady who breeds Old Spots out of registered parents but sells the offspring very reasonable I think at $75.She even picked me out 2 of what she refers to as "breeders" so it looks like I will be doing the cross in say 8-10 months! I am very excited and after speeking with her she said that the Duroc/Old Spot cross does produce a wonderful meat animal.She also confrimed alot of the hogs from the cross will come out Red/Black speckled/spotted.I bet that is a nice looking hog just to the eye!


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

Berkshire is also a good breed to cross with Duroc. Produces an excellent carcass, and you'll get a lot of red pigs with black spots from that cross as well.


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## Conrad Fryar (Feb 28, 2011)

Duroc x Berkshire


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## Conrad Fryar (Feb 28, 2011)

Duroc x Berkshire sow.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Duroc and poland china produce the same color. Used to be a popular cross.


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## RW kansas hogs (Nov 19, 2010)

I have a buyer that deals in custom pork meat products and he wants us to raise the berkshire/duroc cross just for him. Tryin to find durocs in NW Ks is like tryin to find gold in our yard.


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## Hooba39 (Feb 16, 2010)

I don't have their number right off hand but I've been very happy with Shaffer's Gold Rush for Duroc genetics. I don't buy off their "show pig" line, they have a seperate commercial division that breeds for meat quality, their "Tucker Line". I saved a male Duroc/Berk cross from my last litter for breeding, but I will still continue to AI my Berk sows to Shaffer's Duroc. Very happy with the results.


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