It is a very primitive race, lively and friendly, with strong maternal instincts.
Throughout the year the females live in large meadows, in huts of large groups under conditions in which their welfare is taken into account. They have ample space for nesting, in which special care is taken with newborn pigs. They have separate areas for food, drink, heating and resting. In addition, each Mangalica pig is assigned a unique number that will accompany them throughout their lives, thus ensuring their traceability and subsequently that of their products.
In Hungary there is a National Association of Producers of Mangalica whose certification body (M.O.E.) is in charge of ensuring and certifying breeding and specimens of the Mangalica race.
It is estimated that Olmos és Tóth Kft. invests between 200 and 400 thousand euros per year to develop the Mangalica breed and satisfy the growing demands of the market, both quantitatively and qualitatively, with a natural diet and maximum animal welfare.
Each female reproduces 1 to 2 times a year and each litter has between 4 and 8 piglets.
The lactation of the Mangalica females takes place during the first 4 weeks in the breeding program, later returning to pasture. The pigs are relocated in breeding rooms with the most up-to-date monitoring technologies. From here, two months later, they move to the fattening facilities, with lots of straw, where they will reach their final weight of 140-160 kg within a year. In spring and summer, feeding is complemented with grazing, and in winter with a mixture of cereals in which corn stands out, and you frequently see unique pictures of the Mangalica eating in the snow.
The end of the Mangalica lifecycle occurs at between 18 and 24 months of age, which is when it weighs around 150 kg. When the time comes to put an end to its life, in the period of transferring the pigs, they are given sufficient resting time and are cared for before arriving at the slaughterhouse in order to avoid stress. In addition, an animal that is stressed during slaughter would produce meat with open cells, which would mean that the meat would turn pale, soft and exudative.