# best cross for my Yorkshire gilt?



## preparing (Aug 4, 2011)

This is all new to me

My gilt will be ready in Dec/Jan for AI.

What would be a good cross for a Yorkshire and I don't necessarily want skinny low fat piggies.

Also, could anyone recommend a good supplier of semen? We are in Central Pennsylvania.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Berkshire for marbling. This is what I intend to mix more of into our herds at some point.

Large Black for additional mothering. We are mixing some into our herds now and very pleased.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa


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## Hooba39 (Feb 16, 2010)

I've been very happy with 1/2 Berk 1/2 York crosses. Still going to be a white pig but the meat is alot better quality.

For some good meat quality Berk semen I suggest Swine Genetics International on-line. Master of Eden or Baxter throw some marbled little piggies. Their are some Berk breeders in Penn if I remember right, the listing is at the American Berkshire website.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I think it would be fair to say that you would be safe with Lge Black, Berkshire or Duroc.

When I was breeding pigs for the weaner market I mucked around a bit and eventually settled for the Duroc and some of my best sows were Lge White (Yorkshire)/Duroc crosses. But the first cross produces a good piglet, grows well, has a good temperament, finishes quickly at a good weight and does well outdoors.

Many commercial piggeries here use Duroc as a terminal sire.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## HardBall (Dec 23, 2010)

Huge success cross breeding Berks onto Yorks and hamps! I would suggest Master of Eden at SGI; great boar and not a huge expense.


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## RW kansas hogs (Nov 19, 2010)

We bred our large black/hamp cross with our berk boar and the piglets are stout lil buggers, Good hams and wide front shoulders with thick necks. After seeing these piglets we have decided to keep our 2 LB/H cross gilts instead of selling them like we thought of and repalcing them with berk gilts
Our big blue butt sow is bred to our berk boar and we are waiting to see how those piglets will look to. 
There are alot of A.I stores out there, best thing i can tell ya is to do alot of window shopping


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## preparing (Aug 4, 2011)

How many girls do you have? How many boars?

I am gonna try to AI but I wish I could find a boar to do right.


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## RW kansas hogs (Nov 19, 2010)

We just sold six cross bred gilts last sat and we are down to a blue butt sow,berk sow, large black/hamp sow, And 1 large black/hamp cross gilt. Plus we have 6 full blood berks gilts for future breeders, The lb/h gilt should be bred, we find out on the 12th if she took the last time.
We have 3 boars, 2 full blood registered berk boars & a large white boar that came from a small confinement operation. 
We got the large white boar to do some cross breeding, He is from a maternal line and he is suppose to ad one piglet to a liter, Have to wait and see how he works.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

My husband use to cross them with landrace for the bigger loins. Plus the landrace is such a long pig they tended to have more piglets per litter. Yorkies are the cutest pigs though with that little button nose and petite ears. For cuteness alone you would want to stick with pure yorks.


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

Yorkshires are some of the few pigs where I prefer Large Black to cross on them. With most other breeds, I prefer Mulefoot crosses, but, there is just somthing about a York X LB.

http://www.dostersheritagefarm.com


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