Gloucestershire Old Spots

The Gloucestershire Old Spots is a special kind of pig from England. It is mostly white with black spots all over its body, and it gets its name from the place called Gloucestershire. These pigs are very gentle, smart, and easy to take care of. They can have big families with many baby pigs, which makes them great for farmers who let their pigs live outside on grassy land. Male pigs can weigh as much as 600 pounds when they grow up, while female pigs can weigh about 500 pounds. The black spots on their white bodies must be very clear, and there needs to be at least one spot somewhere on the pig to be part of this special group of pigs.

History

The Gloucestershire Old Spots Breed Society was formed in 1913. People called the breed 'Old' Spots because these pigs had been around for a very long time. The first records of these pigs started in 1885, much later than for cows, sheep, and horses because pigs were often kept by farmers and were not very famous. No other spotted pig breed had records before 1913, so the Gloucestershire Old Spots is the oldest spotted breed in the world.

Besides its main name, the breed is also known as the "Orchard Pig" or "The Cottager's Pig". Even though they came from simple beginnings, important people like The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal keep these pigs on their Gloucestershire farms. These pigs are calm and good-natured, and the mothers are very careful with their babies. Because of changes in farming and more people wanting better meat, farmers are now choosing breeds like the Old Spots again.

Endangered breed

The Gloucestershire Old Spot pig is considered an endangered breed. In the United States, there are fewer than 200 of these pigs registered each year, and the world population is estimated to be less than 2000. In the UK, they are listed as "At Risk" because there are fewer than 1000 registered breeding females.

The Livestock Conservancy

Rare Breeds Survival Trust

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed

The Old Spots pig meat has been given a special award called "Traditionally farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots pork" by the European Commission and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed. This award was given on July 29, 2010, and it means that this pork has special qualities that make it different from other pork. The way this pork is made has stayed the same for at least 30 years.

Breed characteristics

The Gloucestershire Old Spot pig is a large, white breed with at least one black spot. It has lop ears that almost cover its face as it grows older.

The breed has a long head with a slightly dished nose, and its ears should drop forward to the nose. It has a long, level back with strong legs and large, well-filled hams. The skin should be smooth, and the hair silky and straight. Pigs of this breed should have at least 14 well-placed teats.