Interesting facts about Pigs

Pigs Picture of Dale taken by Wanda Embar at Farm Sanctuary. The words pig, hog and swine are all generic terms without regard to gender, size or breed. A male pig is called a boar. A female pig is called a gilt if she hasn’t had piglets yet and a sow if she has.Pigs originated from Eurasian Wild boars. Pigs are very intelligent and learn quickly. They pick up tricks faster than dogs. Pigs rank #4 in animal intelligence behind chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants. Piglets learn their names by two to three weeks of age and respond when called. Pigs are very social animals. They form close bonds with each other and other species. Pigs enjoy close contact and will lie close together when resting. Pigs use their grunts to communicate with each other. A sow can give birth to a litter containing 7 to 12 piglets, about twice a year. The gestation period of a sow is 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days).A baby pig, or piglet, weighs about 1.5 kilograms at birth and will double its weight in just 7 days. Weaning occurs at three months of age, but young pigs continue to live with their mothers. Two or more sows usually join together in an extended family. Pigs are very clean animals. They keep their toilets far from their living or eating area. Even piglets only a few hours old will leave the nest to relieve themselves. Picture of Socks and Emily taken by Wanda Embar at Farm Sanctuary. Picture of Alfred taken by Wanda Embar at Farm Sanctuary. Domestic pigs are rarely aggressive. The only exceptions are sows with a young litter and boars if provoked.Pigs are much more tolerant of cold than heat. Pigs have no sweat glands, so they can’t sweat. They roll around in the mud to cool their skin. The layer of dried mud protects their skin from the sun. If available, pigs, who are great swimmers, prefer water to mud. Some pigs have straight and some have curly tails. Pigs have a great sense of smell. Their powerful but sensitive snout is a highly developed sense organ. Pigs also have a great field of vision, because their eyes are on the sides of their heads.Pigs have four toes on each hoof, but only walk on two toes per foot. A mature pig has 44 teeth. A pig can run a 7 minute mile. Picture of Terrin and Truffles taken by Wanda Embar at Farm Sanctuary.

Traditional Production method of Gloucester Old Spot Pigs

Traditional Production method

The non-intensive rearing regime practiced reduces the stress levels of the pigs. The feed regime and rearing environment allows the animals to grow more slowly. Slaughter takes place in small-scale abattoirs and the carcases are allowed to mature on the bone for 3-4 days. The final stage of preparing the meat for sale to the customer depends on the butchery skills and good judgement of the processor.

Physico-chemical and organoleptic properties

Appearance of the meat – darker than conventional produced pork with less muscle PH variation. This is due to the absence of pre-slaughter stress in the pigs.

Muscle and fat measurements, cooking time, freezing and cooking losses – findings of the recent research showed that Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire

Old Spots Pork had smaller muscle width and depth measurements and greater backfat thickness than from conventional pork. This is consistent with earlier studies showing that such characteristics are that a consequence of using an unimproved pig breed in which there has less selection for carcass lean content than in modern breeds.

Sensory analysis – In the research Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork scored higher for texture (tenderness) and juiciness than conventional produced pork. This is due to the greater retention of moisture within the Gloucestershire Old Spots muscle. The tenderness of the meat is also affected by the ageing/conditioning time. The tasting panel work which formed part of the research also suggested a different flavour profile for Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork pork.

Traditional character of the agricultural product or foodstuff
The breed was developed in Gloucestershire in the Berkeley Vale. It was found around the valley of the River Severn, where for many years it was kept traditionally as cottager’s pig.

The breed is believed to have evolved from the unimproved Berkshire and the original Gloucester pig. Writing in the 1780’s, William Marshall in “The Rural Economy of Gloucestershire” describes pigs he found in the Vale of Gloucester as “the tall, long, white breed, which was formerly, perhaps, the prevailing breed of this island, is here still considered as the ‘true Gloucestershire breed’. They grow to a great size. At present, the Berkshire and a cross between these two breeds, are the prevailing species.” There is evidence that some additional breeding was done with the Old English Bacon Pig (now the British Saddleback). H D Richardson writing in “The Pig, Its Origins and Varieties” describes the Gloucester pig as being “hardy in constitution, and very prolific, and are profitable pigs for pork – more so than for bacon. They make good store pigs, and their pork is also said to be of prime quality”.

Gloucestershire was famous for cheese making and apple orchards. The Gloucestershire Old Spot pig thrived on the by-products of these and converted this into valuable protein. Local folklore says that the black spots are the bruises from the windfall apples hitting the pigs. In celebration of the success of this breed, and its endearing qualities, there are public houses, inns and even a beer named after it.

Minimum requirements and procedures to check the specific character
Certification of Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork would involve the following:

1. Inspections to sample the entire production chain from breeder/ finisher farms – checks to include butchers accounts of carcass meat received from breeders to confirm/verify source of meat and ensure that correct procedures are being adhered to. All birth notified pedigree Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs must be ear-marked in accordance with the rules set out by the British Pig Association (BPA) or equivalent rules. The first check must therefore be that the carcase received from the abattoir has the same ear number(s) as the pig(s) supplied by the producer and that these match the relevant on-line records. Butchers must then keep separate and identify such meat in the storage chillers and display counters. Should the head be removed for any reason at the abattoir, the carcase should be traceable back to the breeder via the slap mark on the pig’s shoulder.

1. Inspection of relevant Breed Society Records

1. On-farm checks to ensure adherence to the required method of production: feed, stocking rate, husbandry and transport.
2. Checks to verify conformity of established quality standards regarding weight, carcass, characteristics etc. These checks to cover the main physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the meat as set in the product description.

1. Checks to ensure traceability from abattoir through to retail outlets.

The specific character of Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork results from the traditional unimproved breed and traditional farming method production method which in turn gives the pork its distinctive physico-chemical and organoleptic properties.

 

 

Cuts from the Gloucestershire Old Spot

The biggest single factor in the regeneration of the GOS breed has been the increasing awareness of the eating qualities of its produce and the growing niche market as a result.

It is a mistake to assume that pork is pork and that the breed it is derived from does not matter. Almost everyone could immediately tell the difference between the flavour of a Cox’s apple and a Golden Delicious. This difference comes from the genes that go into making these different varieties. Similarly, there are differences between pig breeds but most especially between traditional breeds such as the GOS and modern hybrids used to supply the mass market.

A big part of the difference lies in the fat. Modern pigs have hardly any fat whether as visible backfat or as marbling within the muscle. The GOS does have a distinct layer of backfat and marbling within the meat. That layer of backfat means that it is hardy enough for outdoor production but it also means that when the meat is cooking, it is being basted in its own fat making the meat succulent and full of flavour.

From many years experience, we know that the levels of backfat do not need to be excessive and that a well-finished porker of around 75kg liveweight should have a backfat measurement of around 12-15mm at P2. The same experience also tells us that excessively fat pigs are usually caused by poor diet or management. To carry this level of fat, the eye muscle (as seen in the round of lean meat on a loin chop) must be full and large and the GOS breed is well able to meet this demand.

For everything written here about pork, the same principles apply to quality bacon. To really make the bacon distinctive, ensure that it is dry-cured.

Protecting GOS Pork & Bacon

The committee of the Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders’ Club were far-sighted enough to set in motion the processes back in 1999 to register meat from pure bred GOS pigs as a special product in the EU. It was just as well because today we face challenges from the supermarkets wanting to sell the produce of cross-bred pigs labelled as Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork & Bacon.

In 2010, the Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders’ Club was awarded Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status by the EU Commission. Full details can be found at www.gos-tsg.com.

The Club is active in pursuing traders who mis-label meat and try to pass off produce as being GOS which does not come from purebred pedigree GOS pigs.

Selling Opportunities

With a niche market product, there are plenty of opportunities to sell your GOS pork and bacon. Firstly, there will be a demand from family, friends and neighbours so you can arrange slaughter and butchery and sell half pig packs this way. If you get your customers to collect their packs direct from the butchers, you do not even have to worry about meeting all the various food safety laws because you will not be handling the meat at any stage. Please, however, do ensure that you do not undersell your product. The eating quality of your pork should be far superior to anything that your customers have tried elsewhere. Make sure you price your meat accordingly. Don’t just work out your direct costs and price it accordingly. You should be looking at a premium price or your customers will not fully appreciate the quality.

The handling aspect applies of course once you get more ambitious and plan to start selling at Farmers Markets etc. Once you start down this road, you will need to be much more careful and be fully aware and spend the money to meet all the Food Hygiene requirements and labelling laws. However, you will have the advantage of a much larger audience and should be able to sell more product. Similarly, if you start to interest local pubs and restaurants, similar requirements will need to be met.

Lastly, a number of breeders supply direct to butchers, especially through the Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing Company, (www.tbmm.co.uk) who work with around 50-60 Accredited Butchers around the country all marketing meat from pure bred rare and traditional breeds. As you are delivering your own pigs to a nominated local abattoir, you need not be concerned with the requirements for handling food.

 

New Arrivals – Gloucestershire Old Spot

Gradies Farm are delighted to announce that the New Gloucestershire Old Spot Big have arrived and have settled in well to their new home (Pics to follow). Here is a brief history of the breed.

A Brief History of the Breed

The Gloucestershire Old Spots Breed Society was formed in 1913. The originators of that society called the breed ‘Old’ Spots because the pig had been known for as long as anyone could remember. The first pedigree records of pigs began in 1885, much later than it did for cattle, sheep and horses because the pig was a peasant’s animal, a scavenger and was never highly regarded. No other pedigree spotted breed was recorded before 1913, so today’s GOS is the oldest such breed in the world!

The breed originated around the Berkeley Vale on the southern shores of the river Severn in south west England (click the map to the right for more detail). It was usually kept in the cider and perry pear orchards of the area and on the dairy farms. Windfall fruit and waste from the dairies supplemented its grazing habit. Local folklore says that the spots on its back are bruises from the falling fruit. Besides its correct title and variations such as Gloster Spot or just Old Spot, the breed is also known as The Orchard Pig and The Cottager’s Pig.

Little is recorded of the breed’s development but Victorian writers such as William Youatt in ‘The Pig’ and HD Richardson in ‘The Pig – Its Origins and Varieties’ seem to conclude that it was derived from crossing the original Gloucestershire pig – a large, off-white variety with wattles hanging from its neck, with the unimproved Berkshire, a sandy-coloured prick-eared pig with spots. This is reinforced in William Marshall’s ‘The Rural Economy of Gloucestershire’ ca.1780 and ‘The Co