[waterbuffalofarmer]

Hey guys I was reading the pig magazines I get from the BPA, for being a member, and I noticed that there is another extremely rare breed in the UK, its numbers are lower than the large black. It is the Hampshire. I have no idea why it is so rare because it has an excellent carcass and is a butchers favorite choice. Surely we cannot, as pig keepers, let this breed die out?  I know that we have, sort of, saved the large black and must not divert attention away from it either, but we cannot afford to let the Hampshire die out. Could you all please tell me your thoughts on the subject? 

[Mr Pig]

The Hampshire is a thriving American breed and in no danger of dying out.

[Ideation]

I thought the Lop was the rarest in the U.K.

[SallyintNorth]

I'm not up-to-date with it all, but the American breed used to be called the New Hampshire.  (I'm going back to the late 70s.)

[Tamsaddle]

At one point in my pig life, I was considering mating my Saddleback sow with a Hampshire boar and had no problem finding quite a few contenders nearby, though there are more in the north and Scotland, way too far for me on the south coast.  Think they are relatively rare as they are not really a British breed at all - they were all imported from the USA, but they do have a society here and do shows and that sort of thing.  Apparently they produce a leaner carcass than a Saddleback, but perhaps the Brits just prefer our traditional, lop eared Saddlebacks instead, and which you can make lean with a well controlled diet.

[hughesy]

I don't know why the Hampshire is even listed as a rare breed given that it's not one of our native breeds. Said to be a great pig in all respects though.

[Dan]

Large Black, British Lop, Middle White:

https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist-2014.pdf

[shygirl]

rare breeds usually mean "rare and british born and bred"  but can mean rare as imported and rare in availability, such as mangalitza a few years ago. they may or may be prolific in their home country.
hampshires are american, but there are breeders in uk.

middle whites, large blacks and british lops are the rarest.

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

We have Hampshires, I love them  . Pain in the backside most of the time though!! The pedigree ones are low in numbers but there will always be a place for them on commercial pig units I would think. I love the Hampshires but find them harder work than the Tamworths. Our Pietrain is harder work than the rest put together though!!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

We have Hampshires, I love them  . Pain in the backside most of the time though!! The pedigree ones are low in numbers but there will always be a place for them on commercial pig units I would think. I love the Hampshires but find them harder work than the Tamworths. Our Pietrain is harder work than the rest put together though!!

I have heard that they can have a sudden death syndrome, when under a huge amount of stress they commit suicide, have your pigs ever died suddenly, pietrain I mean. ?

[kja]

We have Hampshires, I love them  . Pain in the backside most of the time though!! The pedigree ones are low in numbers but there will always be a place for them on commercial pig units I would think. I love the Hampshires but find them harder work than the Tamworths. Our Pietrain is harder work than the rest put together though!!

I have heard that they can have a sudden death syndrome, when under a huge amount of stress they commit suicide, have your pigs ever died suddenly, pietrain I mean. ?

i think the stress gene has pretty much been breed out of the pietrain's over the years and is not the problem it was.

[Berkshire Boy]

How on earth does a pig commit suicide.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I have no idea, I did hear from someone that the Pietrain did have a sudden death syndrome complex, if complex is indeed the right word, when its under a huge amount of stress. However I always thought that to be a myth, I have never kept them myself, so I do not know.

[Mr Pig]

rare breeds usually mean "rare and british born and bred"  but can mean rare as imported and rare in availability, such as mangalitza a few years ago. they may or may be prolific in their home country.
hampshires are american, but there are breeders in uk.

middle whites, large blacks and british lops are the rarest.

The term 'rare breeds' is known throughout the world (officially recognised by the UN) to mean native breeds to that country that meet certsin criteria for which the Rare Breeds Survival Trust is the offically recognised body in the UK. You may have noticed in recent times since the criteria was tightened up that the RBST no longer lists breeds of Irish origin (Dexter, Irish Draught etc.)


Mangalitzas are not native and not rare in their area of origin. There are plentiful numbers of them across eastern Europe from Albania through the Balkans to Poland and beyond.

[shygirl]

Mangalitzas are not native and not rare in their area of origin. There are plentiful numbers of them across eastern Europe from Albania through the Balkans to Poland and beyond.

they were rare enough in uk to be sold for £300 a weaner.....not anymore though...ha