Meishan pig
{{Short description|Chinese breed of pig}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox pig breed
| name = Meishan
| image = Meishan pig.JPG
| image_size =
| image_alt = a small pinkish-grey pig with thin black hair
| image_caption = Boar
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| country = China
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File:Görlitz - Tierpark - Meishan pig 03 ies.jpg]]
The Meishan ({{zh|s=梅山猪}}) is a Chinese breed of domestic pig. It is named for Meishan County in Jiangsu Province.{{cite book |title=Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs |last=Ekarius |first=Carol |year=2008 |publisher=Storey Publishing |isbn=978-1-60342-036-5 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.angrin.tlri.gov.tw/pig/meishan.htm | title=梅山豬種 }} It is a sub-group of the Taihu and is a small- to medium-sized pig with large drooping ears and wrinkled black skin.
Native to Southern China, the breed is best known for its large litters of 15-22 piglets. Due to its fecundity, it was imported to the United States in 1989 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.{{cite web|url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/swine/meishan/ |title=Meishan Swine |work=ansi.okstate.edu |publisher=Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science }}{{cite news |url=http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov02/pigs1102.htm |title=Chinese Pigs Provide Insight to U.S. Swine Reproduction |work=Agricultural Research |publisher=USDA ARS }} All US research on the Meishan pigs was terminated in 2016 and the remaining pigs were dispersed to US farmers.{{r|tlc}} In 2018 the Meishan Pig was declared critically endangered worldwide by the Livestock Conservancy.{{r|tlc}}
The Meishan Pig is the focus of a major conservation effort involving the Livestock Conservancy and the American Meishan Breeders Association.{{r|tlc}} The number of breeders in the US is rising primarily due to the Meishan Pigs adaptability to small holder farms.