Gloucestershire Old Spots

Last updated

Gloucestershire Old Spots
Gloucester Old Spot Boar, England.jpg
A Gloucestershire Old Spots boar
Conservation status Rare breed
Other names
  • Gloucester
  • Gloucester Old Spot
  • Gloucestershire Old Spot
  • Old Spots
Country of originEngland
Traits
  • Pig
  • Sus domesticus
An 1834 painting of a Gloucestershire Old Spot in the Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery collection. Said to be the largest pig ever bred in Britain. Gloucester Old Spot by John Miles 1834.jpg
An 1834 painting of a Gloucestershire Old Spot in the Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery collection. Said to be the largest pig ever bred in Britain.

The Gloucestershire Old Spots (also Gloucester, Gloucester Old Spot, Gloucestershire Old Spot [2] or simply Old Spots [3] ) is an English breed of pig which is predominantly white with black spots. It is named after the county of Gloucestershire. The Gloucestershire Old Spots pig is known for its docility, intelligence, prolificity, and hardiness. [4] Boars reach a mature weight of 600 lb (272 kg) and sows 500 lb (227 kg). The pigs are white with clearly defined black (not blue) spots. There must be at least one spot on the body to be accepted in the registry. The breed's maternal skills enable it to raise large litters of piglets on pasture. Its disposition and self‑sufficiency should make it attractive for farmers raising pasture pigs and those who want to add pigs to diversified operations.

Contents

History

The Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS) 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 recognised as the oldest such breed in the world. From the British Pig Association: "Although if old paintings are to be trusted, there have been spotted pigs around for two or three centuries, the Gloucestershire Old Spots has only had pedigree status since the early 20th century."

Origins and development

Besides its correct title and variations such as Gloster Spot or just Old Spot, the breed is also known as the "Orchard Pig" [5] and "The Cottager's Pig". Despite these humble origins, both The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal keep GOS pigs on their respective Gloucestershire estates.

One other notable contributor is the Lincolnshire Curly Coat, a pig that has since gone extinct. The Old Spots is also genetically and characteristically similar to the extinct Cumberland pig and is being used in its attempted recreation in the UK. These breeds were regarded as thrifty and excellent foragers, supplementing their feed with roots and vegetation. Additionally, the GOS gene pool has contributed to the American Spot and the Chester White. Additional commonalities among these breeds include excellent maternal instincts and even temperament, as Old Spots tend to be very calm, good-natured animals, another trait that makes them desirable to homesteaders and small farmers. The females tend to be very devoted mothers, while the males seldom pose a threat to piglets.

A GOS sow and a GOS piglet meet a Kangal dog. Pigs and Dog.jpg
A GOS sow and a GOS piglet meet a Kangal dog.

The Old Spots was once a very popular breed of pig. With the advent of intensive farming, certain lean, pale, high-yield breeds were chosen to suit the factory conditions and needs of mass-production. Many old breeds of pig died out, or were greatly diminished, in this time. However, owing to consumer pressure in the United Kingdom, and changes to the law, both attributable to an increasing awareness of, and concern about, farming conditions, pigs have been increasingly reared outdoors there. In addition, more consumers are looking for quality meat, as opposed to cheap, bland meat product. In these conditions, old breeds well-suited to living outdoors, such as the Old Spots, have increasingly been chosen by farmers looking to add value to their products.

Endangered breed

The GOS pig is on the "Critical" List by The Livestock Conservancy, [6] meaning there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and estimated fewer than 2000 global population. In the UK the Old Spots is listed as "At Risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as there are fewer than 1000 registered breeding females. [7]

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed

An application has been made to gain European Commission Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) status for Old Spots pig meat under the name "Traditionally farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots pork". [8] This was granted on 29 July 2010, [9] and the designation applies in both the EU and the UK. [10] [11] The TSG certification attests that a particular food product objectively possesses specific characteristics which differentiate it from all others in its category, and that its raw materials, composition or method of production have been consistent for a minimum of 30 years. [9]

Breed characteristics

The GOS is a large breed, white in colour with a minimum of one distinct black spot. It has lop ears which will almost cover the face of a mature pig and hang towards the nose.

A good example of an adult GOS sow Gloucestershire Old Spot sow.jpg
A good example of an adult GOS sow
GOS sow Gloucestershire Old Spot sow 2.jpg
GOS sow

Standards:

Objections:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish Van</span> Breed of cat

The Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired, standardised breed of domestic cat, which was developed in the United Kingdom from a selection of cats obtained from various cities of modern Turkey, especially southeast Turkey. The breed is rare, is one of the larger breeds, and is distinguished by the Van pattern, where the colour is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white; this is due to the expression of the piebald white spotting gene, a type of partial leucism. A Turkish Van may have blue or amber eyes, or be odd-eyed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland sausage</span> English variety of pork sausage

Cumberland sausage is a pork sausage that originated in the historic county of Cumberland, England, now part of Cumbria. It is traditionally very long, up to 50 centimetres, and sold rolled in a flat, circular coil, but within western Cumbria, it is more often served in long, curved lengths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Loaghtan</span> Breed of sheep

The Manx Loaghtan is a rare breed of sheep native to the Isle of Man. It is sometimes spelled as Loaghtyn or Loghtan. The sheep have dark brown wool and usually four or occasionally six horns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamón</span> Spanish dry-cured ham

Jamón is a kind of dry-cured ham produced in Spain. It is one of the most globally recognized food items of Spanish cuisine. It is also regularly a component of tapas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pig</span> Domesticated omnivorous even-toed ungulate

The pig, often called swine, hog, or domesticpig when distinguishing from other members of the genus Sus, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of Sus scrofa or a distinct species. The pig's head-plus-body length ranges from 0.9 to 1.8 m, and adult pigs typically weigh between 50 and 350 kg, with well-fed individuals even exceeding this range. The size and weight of hogs largely depends on their breed. Compared to other artiodactyls, a pig's head is relatively long and pointed. Most even-toed ungulates are herbivorous, but pigs are omnivores, like their wild relative. Pigs grunt and make snorting sounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Leicester</span> Breed of sheep

The Border Leicester is a British breed of sheep. It is a polled, long-wool sheep and is considered a dual-purpose breed as it is reared both for meat and for wool. The sheep are large but docile. They have been exported to other sheep-producing regions, including Australia and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shropshire sheep</span> Breed of sheep

The Shropshire breed of domestic sheep originated from the hills of Shropshire, and North Staffordshire, England, during the 1840s. The breeders in the area used the local horned black-faced sheep and crossed them with a few breeds of white-faced sheep. This produced a medium-sized polled (hornless) sheep that produced good wool and meat. In 1855 the first Shropshires were imported into the United States (Virginia). This breed is raised primarily for meat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duroc pig</span> Breed of swine

The Duroc pig is an older breed of domestic pig. The breed was developed in the United States and formed the basis for many mixed-breed commercial hogs. Duroc pigs are reddish-brown and golden yellow, large-framed, medium length, and muscular, with partially-drooping ears. They tend to be one of the least aggressive of all swine breeds raised for meat.

Mulefoot are a breed of domestic pig which is named for its intact, uncloven hooves reminiscent of a mule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire pig</span> British breed of pig

The Berkshire is a British breed of pig. It originated in the English county of Berkshire, for which it is named. It is normally black, with some white on the snout, on the lower legs, and on the tip of the tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland sheep</span> Breed of sheep

The Shetland is a small, wool-producing breed of sheep originating in the Shetland Isles, Scotland, but is now also kept in many other parts of the world. It is part of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group, and it is closely related to the extinct Scottish Dunface. Shetlands are classified as a landrace or "unimproved" breed. This breed is kept for its very fine wool, for meat, and for conservation grazing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large Black pig</span> British breed of domestic pig

The Large Black pig is a British breed of domestic pig. It is the only British pig that is entirely black. It was created in the last years of the nineteenth century by merging the black pig populations of Devon and Cornwall in the south-west with those of Essex, Suffolk and Kent in the south-east. It is hardy, docile and prolific; it forages well and is suitable for extensive farming, but not well suited to intensive management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galway sheep</span> Breed of sheep

The Galway is a breed of domestic sheep originating in Galway, in the west of Ireland. They are a large polled white-faced sheep, having a characteristic bob of wool on the head and wool on the legs. The outer lips are of a dark colour and dark spots on the ears are common. The average litter size is 1.45 in pedigree flocks. While a major proportion of ewes within the bred weigh 80–85 kg and have a litter size of 1.3, there is wide variation to be found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Wattle Hog</span> Breed of pig

The Red Wattle Hog is a breed of domestic pig originating in the United States. It is named for its red color and distinctive wattles or tassels, and is on the threatened list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rare breed</span> Breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population

In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation status, and they may be protected under regional laws. Many countries have organizations devoted to the protection and promotion of rare breeds, for which they each have their own definition. In botany and horticulture, the parallel to rare animal breeds are heirloom plants, which are rare cultivars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meishan pig</span> Breed of swine

The Meishan is a breed of domestic pig named for the Meishan, Jiangsu Province, China. It is a sub-group of the Taihu pig and is a small to medium-sized breed with large drooping ears, and wrinkled black skin. Meishan Pigs are extremely docile and renowned for their tender and flavorful red meat pork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle White</span> British breed of pig

The Middle White is a British breed of domestic pig. It originated in Yorkshire, and derived from the Large White and the now-extinct Small White. It was recognised in 1852, and the first herd-book was published in 1884. It is a porker, reared for fresh pork, and is characterised by a short and sharply-upturned snout. After the Second World War it came close to extinction; although numbers have recovered somewhat, it is listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as "priority" – the highest level of risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh pig</span> Breed of pig

The Welsh is a breed of domestic pig native to Wales. It is a large white breed known for its hardiness in outdoor (extensive) farming, its long, pear-shaped body and its lop-ears. The breed was first mentioned in the 1870s, and after the Howitt committee report in 1955, became the third most common sire in the United Kingdom after the Large White pig and British Landrace pig. The Welsh pig experienced a decline in numbers in the late twentieth century because consumer demands had changed and the carcase was considered too fatty. In 2005 the breed was considered endangered and later came under the auspices of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Since then numbers have expanded somewhat, and by 2012, the registered breeding herd had increased to over 1000 animals.

The Cumberland was a breed of domestic pig that originated in the North of England; it was used to produce local delicacies like the Cumberland sausage and Cumberland ham. The breed became extinct in 1960, after changes in farming methods and a demand for less fatty meat led to it falling out of favour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krškopolje pig</span> Slovenian pig breed

Krškopolje pig or Black-belted pig is an autochthonous breed of pig, originating in Slovenia. This pig represents the only still preserved Slovenian autochthonous breed of domestic pig. The easily recognizable blackish Krškopolje pig, widely used for meat production, is well known for its continuous pink belt, running across animal's shoulders and forelimbs.

References

  1. Gloucester Old Spot by John Miles. BBC 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  2. Breeds of Livestock — Gloucestershire Old Spots Swine
  3. Oldspots.com
  4. "Gloucestershire Old Spot".
  5. RBST Watchlist Archived 4 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. The Livestock Conservancy — Conservation Priority List
  7. https://www.rbst.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=a85c1eb2-2211-4de7-9d95-d166442abcc3 [ bare URL PDF ]
  8. Written Answer given in the House of Lords, 15 March 2006: Column WA236 accessed at Parliament.uk 25 July 2006
  9. 1 2 Tosato, Andrea (2013). "The Protection of Traditional Foods in the EU: Traditional Specialities Guaranteed". European Law Journal. 19 (4): 545–576. doi:10.1111/eulj.12040. S2CID   154449313.
  10. "Publication of an application pursuant to Article 8(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 509/2006 on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialities guaranteed for agricultural products and foodstuffs 2009/C 238/07". European Union. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  11. "Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork". United Kingdom government. Retrieved 16 October 2021.

Further reading

www.gospbu.org