Our Rare Breeds
Large Black Pigs
Key Characteristics
The Large Black is a hardy breed able to cope with most conditions. The black skin makes the breed very good at coping with sunburn and a popular choice in hotter climates. Average Litter Size is around 8.56 piglets- (2009 data) and the breed has good maternal instincts. The Large Black is a very docile breed that can be enclosed using a two strand electric fencing system. Despite the breed’s size handling is not a problem. The breed kills out white and there is no black rind on bacon joints.
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The Large Black is a large breed. Sows weigh around 300kg and boars 350kg.
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It is a long, deep bodied pig.
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They are completely black in colour with distinctive lop ears.
History
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The Large Black is Britain’s only all black breed of pig.
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The origin of the breed is reputed to be that in the 18th century two boatloads of all black pigs from China docked in Cornwall and East Anglia and were used to breed with the local pigs.
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The breed also has its origins in the Old English Hog of the 16th and 17th centuries.
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The Large Black Breed Society was formed in 1889 and the breed became popular and was widely exported.
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A focus on the Large White, the Landrace and the Welsh breeds for commercial production affected the Large Black population and when the RBST was founded in 1973 the breed was on the Critical list.
Uses
The Large Black is known for producing succulent, tasty meat and is an efficient convertor of low quality feed. A more specialist role is “Parma ham” type production. The breed is dual purpose meaning it can be killed at a lower weight for pork production or taken to a higher weight for bacon production.
Conservation Targets
Improve the numbers and distribution of the Princess, Queen & Warbler lines
Select a final boar for the genebank unrelated to both the tank and the general population
GOALS
Here at the farm we strive to ensure that every stage of what we do is the very best it can be to produce the best quality FREE RANGE PORK - from start to finish from our own herd of free range pigs that have been ETHICALLY bred and reared on farm, giving our pork genuine PROVENANCE:-
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WE FARM IT! WE PRODUCE IT! WE SELL IT!
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Our animals are allowed to live in the most natural, stress-free way.
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For pigs in particular it's vitally important to ANIMAL WELFARE that consumers choose to buy genuine FREE RANGE pork.
Long Horned Herefords
Key Characteristics
The modern Hereford cattle are medium to large animals. The are usually dark red to red-yellow in colour with a white face. Their crest, underline and dewlap are also white.
They have white flanks and white markings below the knees and hocks also. There are both horned and polled version of this breed available. The horned version has short and thick horns. Their horns are usually curved down at the sides of the head.
History
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Until the 18th century, the cattle of Herefordshire resembled other cattle of southern England, being wholly red with a white switch, similar to the modern North Devon and Sussex breeds. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, other cattle (mainly Shorthorns) were used to create a new type of draught and beef cattle which at first varied in colour, with herds ranging from yellow to grey and light brown, and with varying amounts of white. By the end of the 18th century the white face characteristic of the modern breed was well established, as was the modern colour during the 19th century.
The Hereford is still seen in the Herefordshire countryside today and featured strongly at agricultural shows. The first imports of Herefords to the United States were made about 1817 by the politician Henry Clay, with larger importation beginning in the 1840s.
Uses
Hereford cattle are primarily a meat cattle breed. They are mainly used for meat production. But they are also pretty good for milk production and produce enough milk for their calves.
Why Hereford Beef?
Hereford Beef is recognised around the world for being a cut above the rest and can be enjoyed either as a mid-week staple, or as the centre stage piece when catering for a special occasion or celebration.
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Hereford cattle are responsible for this superb beef and are one of the oldest and greatest beef breeds in Britain. They love grazing green pastures in the Great British countryside and it is their appetite for the green stuff which makes Hereford Beef taste even better, while also unlocking environmental and health benefits, such as a higher omega-3 content in your beef.