Pigs
British Saddleback
Bella, who is 4 years old, has been at the farm since she was a piglet, having been born at an open prison. She is a British Saddleback pig.
British Saddlebacks are hardy and noted for their mothering ability. The breed continues to be used mainly to provide coloured dams for the production of first-cross porkers, baconers and heavy pigs. The breed is known for its grazing ability and is very hardy. It has secured a niche in outdoor and organic production.
Originally known as the Wessex Saddleback from the New Forest area of England and the Essex of East Anglia. The two breeds combined in the 1960s because numbers were dropping so fast. The two breeds were different with the Essex having the broader white saddle and four white feet as well as having a finer skin and a lighter coat. The ears of the Wessex tended to pitch forward more and it was overall a broader pig that was stronger in the bone.
Vietnamese (Pot-bellied) pig
Katy is a Vietnamese Middle White X born at Mudchute City Farm in 2000.
She is a mix between a Vietnamese and a Middle White pig. Middle White swine originated in the Yorkshire area at about the same time and from the same general stock as the Large White and Small White breeds. Mainly, it was a selection for the intermediate size that caused it to be classified as a separate breed.
The Middle White has many of the same general characteristics as the Large White except for size and a much more dished face. It is more early maturing than its large relative and hence, more valued when the object is to produce lightweight marketable pork in a relatively short time. At the Royal Smithfield Show, average weights were 61.8kg at an average of 17 weeks.
The white-colored swine are well balanced and meaty. They are usually bred straight in England and have not captured much of a share of the commercial market. The breed is found scattered over England today, but has been generally declining in popularity. When crossed with the Large White, they have been successfully incorporated into commercial operations.
Despite their smaller size, the sows have been found to rear an average of 8 pigs per litter. They are good mothers and are known for their quiet nature.
The Vietnamese (Pot-bellied) Pig are a dwarf swine breed which were developed in the 1960s. They were originally brought into Sweden and Canada and have since moved into a number of countries. Full grown potbellied pigs weigh an average of 70–150lb with some reaching 200lb or more; they average 3ft long and 15” tall. Full growth is not reached until about 5 years of age.
Duroc pig
Henrietta is our only Duroc pig, she doesn’t get on so well with the other pigs and often hangs out in her own shelter on the left hand side of the pig pen.
Duroc pigs are very hardy. Their thick auburn winter coat and hard skin allows them to survive the cold and wet of the British winter. This coat moults out in summer to leave the pig looking almost bald, but as a consequence it can cope with hot dry summers equally well.
All purebred Durocs are red in colour and the development of a so-called White Duroc has only been achieved by crossbreeding with a white breed. Its tenacity in looking after its young combined with its docility between times makes it an ideal candidate for an outdoor pig, either as a dam or sire line, and its succulence and heavy muscling makes it very suitable for anything from light pork to heavy hog production.