AA Gloucestershire Old Spot Sow.
Rare Pig Breeds
Pigs are descended from the European wild boar and from the wild boar of South-East Asia. There are many native breeds of pig in the UK. Pigs are normally reared in intensive conditions in order to quickly fatten with a heavy reliance on cereals and antibiotics. There is now a growing trend in the commercial market where the valuable qualities of disease resistance of several endangered breeds of pig are being more fully appreciated and are reared under free range conditions.
Gloucestershire Old Spot Pigs
The Gloucestershire Old Spot is a hardy breed able to cope with most weather conditions. They are excellent foragers and have good maternal instincts and a gentle nature. They originated around the Berkeley Vale and were mostly kept in orchards. The breed became quite low in numbers but is now becoming increasingly popular due to its high quality meat both for pork and bacon. The Gloucestershire Old Spots was the first breed of any species in the world to be accorded Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status by the EU Commission in recognition of the special qualities of its meat. They are on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust minority watchlist.