We firmly believe in preserving heritage breeds native to the UK. When selecting which breeds we would like to have on our smallholding, we always consult the watchlist on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust website when making our choices.
Our 1st venture into pigs was the British Saddleback, they are currently in the 'At Risk' category.
Although now classed as a native breed, The British Saddleback was originally a cross between the Essex and Wessex breeds, retaining the best qualities from both breeds. Despite their previous popularity, both the Essex and Wessex breeds declined from the post-war competition from more efficient modern white breeds.
Thankfully, British Saddleback numbers have increased due to them being very friendly and easy to handle. They are known to be wonderful mothers and they are excellent hardy foragers.
British Saddlebacks are good for use as 'porkers' or kept to grow out longer for bacon pigs. Care needs to be taken with feeding as they can be prone to becoming a fatty/lard pig (as we found out in our first year).
This picture is of our little boy with 'Bacon', our favourite girl. She was such a friendly girl and would follow us around for attention. Bacon was guaranteed to roll over for a belly rub!
Having Saddlebacks was an amazing first introduction to keeping pigs. We will have them again one day.
Our 2nd and 3rd years of having pigs for the freezer on our smallholding were Oxford Sandy & Black's, also known as the 'Oxford Forest pig' or 'plum pudding pigs' due to the black patches said to resemble plums/raisins scattered throughout a traditional British plum pudding. They are now dubbed as 'Clarkson Pigs' due to them being a part of Clarkson's Farm.
OSB's are a traditional farmers and cottagers pig. The exact origin of the breed has been lost over time but it is believed to have been developed in Oxfordshire over three centuries ago.
This breed has been on the verge of extinction a couple of times but due to the hard work of the Oxford Sandy & Black Society and a few dedicated breeders, numbers have increased. OSB's are popular with smallholders due to their docile temperament, they are excellent mothers and are suitable to living outdoors as they are not prone to sunburn.
We loved our Oxford Sandy & Black's. We've only experienced boys so far and they were more lively and boisterous than our Saddleback girls, so we weren't comfortable allowing our children to go in with the boys on their own but we would happily have them again one day.
2026 will be our 4th year of raising pigs. This year we are going to try Gloucester Old Spot's.
As the name suggests, Gloucester Old Spots originated in Gloucester. The breed was frequently kept in the local cider and perry orchards and on dairy farms. Their predominantly grazed diet was largely supplemented with windfalls and waste products from the dairy farms.
Local folklore suggests that the breed's distinctive black spots were originally caused by the bruising effects of falling fruit, while alternative names used for it over the years have included ‘Gloucester Spot' and ‘Old Spot'. In addition, the breed is also known as the orchard pig and the cottager's pig.
The first records kept for pigs began in 1885, much later than cattle or sheep as they were classed as a peasant's animal. No other breed was recorded before 1913, so today's Gloucester Old Spot is considered the oldest breed in the world.
Over the years, numbers dwindled significantly but thankfully due to their docile nature, ease of handling and the succulent tasty meat, they have become a firm favourite with chefs. Apparently if you order a pork dish in a gastro pub, it's highly likely that it will be Gloucester Old Spot pork.
Numbers have increased significantly, they now have the highest numbers out of all our UK heritage breeds.
We're looking forward to seeing how we get on with them.
Our pigs live outdoors, giving them the freedom to move around, playing, wallowing in mud and rooting in the ground for tasty treats. There is nothing quite like the sight of pig zoomies, when they are running about with their ears flapping.
Their seems to be a common misconception that pork is dirty meat as pigs root in the ground. However, pigs are actually very clean, reserving a small select area in their pasture for 'going to the loo'.
They are social creatures and need company, we usually find them sleeping closely together, all in a row unless they make a nest and bury themselves in the straw in their shelter. During the warmer nights, we often find them sleeping al-fresco under the stars.
Pigs can't sweat, so on the warmer days, we make a wallow with the hose or sometimes we leave the sprinkler running while we're doing other farm chores. The pigs thoroughly enjoy this.
At the recommendation from our mentor, we feed our weaners sow nuts all the way up to finishing as it helps to keep them a little leaner, so they don't become too fatty. We are far from adverse to consuming animal fat but we now have a much better meat to fat ratio than our first year. We also supplement their diet with anything we can from the veg garden, along with apples and pears from the orchard and any hazelnuts we collect.
The Oxford Sandy & Black Society have worked closely to Harper's Feed on their Planet Range to develop a high quality SOY FREE feed at a reasonable price. 2026 will be our 3rd year of using Harper's Planet Range Sow Nuts, our pigs do well on it.
