Many years ago pigs were selected and bred for their beauty.
There
are some staggeringly fat pigs in nineteenth-century paintings; with
the quantity of fat on those creatures you can certainly see why
Jack Sprat's wife was the fat one. Today pigs have been bred to be
leaner — almost everyone prefers lean pork; in fact, the ideal pig
would have an extremely long back and four rear legs. When you
sell meat the reason for this is quite clear: everyone wants the
chops and leg. The head and hand and spring we could do without.
We have Large White boars and Landrace sows. This gives us the
virility of the Large White and the finer body of the Landrace. The
French Pietrain pig is often bred into this mixture. Again the aim
with modern pigs is for leanness and high birth numbers.
To be
more traditional you can go for Gloucester Old Spots; these pink
and black pigs have become popular again in recent years and they
do produce excellent pork. They are also enthusiastic outdoor pigs
so if you want to clear some land, they will thrive and look
decorative at the same time. To get more ethnic still you can
choose a Tamworth. These orange hairy pigs are an instant
reminder of Tudor boar hunts; they are slow growers but if you
are not in a hurry and are not aiming to make much money, it is
interesting to have a go. Actually one way to make money from
the more unusual breeds is to rear them to sell to other enthusiasts.
Pig Breeds