Pig Breeds
We knew we wanted to keep rare breed pigs, not only to help protect whichever breed we chose from the potential of extinction, but also because of the superior quality pork they would produce. Pigs that produce supermarket pork are bred for lean, consistent meat, fast growth and docile behaviour, and almost never for flavour. Rare breeds on the other hand take longer to grow to killing weight, have more fat, produce tastier meat and, depending on the breed, can be very active.
There are eight British rare breeds:
- Berkshire
- British Lop
- British Saddleback
- Gloucestershire Old Spot
- Large Black
- Middle White
- Tamworth
- Welsh
All are listed on the RBST website, with more information and details of breed societies.
We chose the Tamworth for its rooting abilities, because it's dual purpose i.e. suitable for both pork and bacon production and because it came top in a taste test run by (I think) Bristol University. They also look great - most, if not all, of the people who come to see them for the first time say "Oh, they're not pink". However, we might try other breeds in future, since rooting ability will not be so important. We're not convinced that the meat of one rare breed is tastier than another - it's probably more to do with the general tendancies of the traditional breeds i.e. slower growing and fattier and the method of rearing.
Decide which breed best suits your purpose and environment, and which you can easily buy in your locale. Given the nature of rare breeds you may have to travel some distance to your nearest breeder.