Other Rare Pig Breeds
Tamworth
The Tamworth breed is believed to be descended from the wild boar that once roamed the British Isles. It is an orange coloured, prick eared pig with a long snout ideal for rooting and, due to their foraging ability, makes a perfect 'plough' for the clearing of weeds such as bracken, blackberry etc. They are a hardy active breed with good mothering ability and are an ideal free-range pig noted for the excellent bacon they produce. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia rates them 'critical'.
Wessex Saddleback
The Wessex Saddleback was first brought to Australia from England in 1931 and quickly became popular as an outdoor pig due to their ability to graze and forage. They have excellent milking capacity with the ability to rear large litters. They are black with a white band extending from one foot, across the shoulders and down to the other foot with ears that droop down across the face. They should not be confused with the modern Hampshire breed which carries the same markings and has pricked ears. The Australian population is extremely important due to the amalgamation of the Wessex and Essex breeds in England in 1967 to form the British Saddleback. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia rates them 'critical'.
Berkshire
The Berkshire breed is the first British breed to have a herd book of recorded pedigrees. In 1909, the Berkshire and Yorkshire Society of Australasia was formed in Melbourne. They are a prick eared breed, all black except for white feet, a white blaze on the face and a white brush on the end of the tail. They have played a major part in the Australian pig industry producing high quality ham and bacon and often used in cross breeding programs. They have undergone a recent resurgence due to the popularity of Berkshire pork in Japan. Even so, their numbers are still critically low.