Rare Spotted Hog Breed Making A Comeback

Rare Spotted Hog Breed Making A Comeback LIVESTOCK Hogs (33) 27-5-43 Gloucester Old Spot hogs are one of the oldest recognized swine breeds. Thanks to the efforts of a number of small producers in North America and Great Britain, the breed is coming back from the brink of extinction. Gloucesters are large white pigs with black spots. British breeders have selected toward less black over the years and in Great Britain, at least, the breed is predominantly white with only a spot or two. The breed also has heavy drooped ears that almost cover the face of mature animals. The breed was traditionally kept in orchards where the pigs lived by foraging for windfall apples and pears. Folklore says that the breed's spots were caused by bruises from fallen apples. By some reports, a loosely organized Gloucester Old Spot breed society was formed in 1855. The Gloucester Old Spots Breed Society, the official breed organization today, was formed in 1913 and the first pigs were registered right away. The Gloucester breed became rare after World War II, as producers began moving swine indoors. The breed nearly became extinct in the l960's. Kelmscott Farm, a rare breed conservancy group at Lincolnville, Maine, has taken a lead role in increasing Gloucester numbers in the U.S. In l995, Kelmscott imported 20 Gloucester piglets to reestablish the purebred population in America. Since that time, they've continued to produce and sell breeding stock, mostly to small producers with a similar interest in preserving the breed. Producers describe the breed as docile and extremely hardy, able to withstand harsh weather and adverse conditions. Some say it's the ideal pig for pasture production on low input or organic farms because of its ability to graze and forage. Sows are prolific milk producers and known for producing large litters of fast growing piglets. The breed has a higher than average body fat ratio, which may be one of the reasons it can thrive outdoors. It also explains the reputation for producing more flavorful meats. And why it's seen as undesirable by modern hog producers striving to produce the leanest pork possible. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kelmscott Farm, 12 Van Cycle Road, Lincolnville, Maine 04849 (ph 207 763-4088; fax 207 763-4298; website: www. kelmscott.org).

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