Pigs
 Tamworth pigs |
 Saddleback pigs |
 Large Black pigs |
We have had a long interest in pig keeping since buying a Tamworth pig (“Bracken”) to reclaim a derelict vegetable garden when we lived in the Scottish Highlands. Once she cleaned, rotovated and manured the vegetable patch, we re-fenced an old paddock where she and her offspring grazed on acorns, hazelnuts and ferns. When we killed our first free range pig we realised how much better it tasted than pork we had previously eaten from a supermarket. This led to us also making pork and herb sausages and smoking bacon.
 Iron Age and European Wild Boar pigs |
At Soggy Bottom we keep Tamworth, Wessex Saddleback and Large Black pigs, which are traditional British outdoor breeds. They have healthy litters, are good mothers and produce tasty meat. We also breed European Wild Boar which are slower growing, have lower feed requirements and produce a stronger-flavoured redder meat. When Euro and Tamworth pigs are crossed the offspring are thought to resemble pigs found in Britain in the Iron Age. We enjoy our pigs because they are hugely affectionate, intelligent and endearing. They run free range and have access to wallows and plenty of fresh grass.
