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Stuffed 890 lb Boar Pig
It's hard to overlook "King," an 890 lb. stuffed Large White boar who's become a popular, eye-catching celebrity at fairs, trade shows and other events.
Billed at the "World's Largest Mounted Domesticated Boar," King weighed 890 lbs. at his peak at 5 years of age. After going through the taxidermy process, he is solid styrofoam with his tanned hide sewn and glued to a mold. Weighing a mere 180 lbs. stuffed (plywood base and cover included), he is easily transported from place to place to help promote Lieske Genetics, a family owned and operated seedstock company headquartered at Henderson, Minn. Lieske Genetics uses "tools" such as King to attract other similar family operations to their product line. That product line is the Large White and Landrace breeds they sell and service to hog producers across the United States and foreign countries.
"Not only is King eye-catching and entertaining, but he also serves as a real educational prop," says Ron Lieske, an innovative promoter who invested $2,000 to have King stuffed and preserved. "Many people have never seen a mature Large White boar. Having King in our booth at trade shows helps us explain to people why these imported bloodlines are shaped and designed to be so extra productive."
Dale Selby, a well-known Nicolett, Minnesota taxidermist, had to use 40 photographs and more than 60 measurements to ensure that the King's "stuffed" configuration resembled the real thing. "I've mounted a life-size Alaskan moose, a bugling elk and a Kodiak bear, but this pig was the ultimate challenge and one of the toughest projects I've ever done," notes Dale. It took him 164 hrs. to finish the project. Typical projects take only about 10 hrs. to complete, using pre-made molds. But no such mold was available for King. Selby fashioned one from a hand-carved styrofoam mold, and used "live" photos and measurements for reference.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lieske Genetics, Rt. 1, Henderson, Minn. 56044 (ph 612 248-3218).


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1987 - Volume #11, Issue #3