Which of the following is a commercially productive US pig breed?

• A. Merino
• B. Angus
• C. Yorkshire
• D. Angora

Answer: (C)

Yorkshire pigs are the breed most widely used in U.S. commercial pork production because they excel in maternal traits that drive productivity: large litter sizes, good teat count, and strong mothering ability. These traits help ensure high piglet survival and efficient weaning, which are critical for a profitable operation. Yorkshires also cross well with terminal sires to produce lean, efficient market pigs, supporting faster growth and desirable carcass characteristics. The other options aren’t pig breeds—Merino is a sheep breed, Angus is cattle, and Angora refers to fiber-producing rabbits or goats—so they don’t represent pigs used in commercial pork production.