Breed Structures of for Conservation of Middle Rare Pigs: Implications the Berkshire, Tamworth, White, Large Black, Gloucester Old Spot, British Saddleback, and British Lop

Abstract

Registration details of seven rare British breeds of pig w e studied over the period 1978–1986 inclusive. For four breeds, numbers of pigs registered have shown a slight upward trend. About 70% of males and 40% of females that breed, do so in herds other than the natal herd In the breed for which most pedigree data were analysed (the British Lop), 95–100% of recent pig crops were inbred In the rare breeds generally, mean inbreeding at around 6% signifies an inbreeding rate of about 1 % per generation, higher than has been found in commercial breeds. Breeds did not differ greatly in the ways they were structured. About a third of herds supplied boars to other herds, a relatively high proportion, indicating that the breeds have a structure that is not completely hierarchical, and this is favorable for genetic conservation. Pigs whose parents were from different herds were significantly less inbred than those with both parents from the same herd In some breeds it was clear that pigs sharing the same bloodline name were more closely related than pigs within the same herd but with different bloodline names. Conservation procedures applied to these pigs have been designed to conform with the customs and procedures of the British pedigree livestock industry. The most important single such procedure is the registration, with a central authority, of breeding stock.

Genetic and Phenotypic Characteristics of Belted Pig Breeds: A Review

“…The British Saddleback was established in 1967, when the two breeds of Essex and Wessex were joined into the same breed book [47]. According to the British Pig Association (BPA), (https://www.britishpigs.org.uk/british-saddleback, accessed on 1 January 2022), British Saddlebacks are hardy and known for their grazing ability, and they are well adapted to outdoor and organic pig production [47,48]. This breed is known for achieving similar growth rates to early commercial hybrids developed by breeding companies (between 518 and 975 g/day) and for being prolific by weaning similar numbers of piglets (9-10) as conventional breeds [49].…”