Chato Murciano

The Chato Murciano is a Spanish pig breed from the Region of Murcia, in the dry southeast of Spain. Chato means snub-nosed or flat-faced, a nod to its short, broad muzzle and compact head. The breed descends from local Murcian pigs improved in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with selected foreign blood, then declined sharply as lean commercial hybrids replaced regional stock. Today it is known as a medium-sized, dark-coated pig used for quality pork, sausages and cured products, with interest centered on preserving a local Mediterranean genetic resource.

Chato Murciano herds are generally managed on small farms, conservation units and specialty pork operations rather than as high-volume commodity pigs. The breed can handle warm, dry conditions when given shade, water and wallows, but young pigs and lactating sows still need close feeding and health oversight. Breeding programs pay attention to avoiding inbreeding because the population passed through a severe bottleneck. Prospective keepers should look for animals from recognized regional lines and should not assume that any black pig from Spain is a Chato Murciano.