Watchlist |
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust | Cattle | Pigs | Sheep | Goats | Equines | Poultry |
Pigs
Tamworth
2008 Watchlist; Category 3, Vulnerable.
The breed originated in the Midlands around the town that shares its name. It is the only native breed of pig in Britain which is red, and its ancestry is subject to several conflicting claims and theories. It proved very adaptable and was exported to several parts of the world, including not only North America and Australasia, but also South-East Asia. Breeding stock from Australia was brought back to Britain by the RBST in the 1970s and 1990s.
The Tamworth is suited to both quality pork and bacon production and, although historically it was noted in the Midlands as a pork pig, it now is mostly promoted for dry-cured bacon which commands a premium in speciality markets.
The prick-eared Tamworth is active and suited to outdoor systems, being used in woodland and scrub reclamation projects, where its colour protects it from sunburn. It experienced the least influence from imports of Asian pigs used in the 18th century to improve native types, and retains the longer snout of earlier British types.