On October 4th we welcomed six new additions to our farm. Acquired from a local farm just outside of Toronto, these heritage breed piglets will eventually be providing our community with flavourful, yet still ethically raised pork.
On the conventional pig farm, breed selection is based on litter size and fast, lean growth rates. Some conventional breeds that are crossed are Chester White, Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire. However, heritage breeds of pigs are becoming increasingly popular due to their hardiness and pasture converting efficiency. These are valued traits for non-conventional pastured pork production. Our six new additions are Large Blacks, and Large Black crosses with Berkshire and Gloucestershire Old Spot. Luckily for you heritage breeds are also known for their tasty bacon.
You may have also noticed that there are seven piglets in the picture. The larger one was a runt from an older litter that we introduced so she would be with pen-mates closer to her size.
For more information on different breeds click here
Comments are closed.