Wells Tavern Farm Pigs

We have heritage breed pigs. We raise what we call "unconventionally raised pork" -- a product that is farrowed in pasture, naturally (when the weather is warm enough, inside the barn during the cold months) and then put out to pasture when the young are a bit older and sturdier. Our Tamworth boar shares in the parenting responsibilities with our Tamworth, Large Black-Red Wattle crosses and Berkshire sows. The piglets that these crosses (and pure Tamworths) make are hearty, active, smart and ultimately tasty.

We rather like this pre-WWII fashion of raising pigs -- they are not intensively farmed, and by our choice of breed, they simply cannot be intensively farmed. They are not pig penned either -- they are out in pastures and roaming.

The Red Wattle hog came from New Caledonia, which is a French Island in the South Pacific by Australia. They were to New Orleans in the late 1700's by the French.

The breed was a lean meat type and the flavor excellent. The Red Wattle has never been very popular, years ago people wanted pigs for their lard, of which the Red Wattle had very little. The breed got some interest in the 1980’s for it’s reputation for a lean carcass. They sold for a high price and many people were breeding them. This unfortunately didn’t last too long. The meat is still good, and it is a gentle natured hog. They are easy to work and farrow.

The Red Wattle is one of the so called tasselled pig and looks something like a Duroc or perhaps a Tamworth/Duroc cross, but with a pair of wattles (influenced by a single gene) hanging from the neck. The Red Wattle was quite a stable breed but has at least three different registries in the United States and is also recorded in the Canadian Swine Registry - it is not clear which of these record the original breed, or whether populations with nothing in common except the wattling gene are included regardless of other characteristics.

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Berkshire Hog history goes back three hundred years ago - so legend has it - the Berkshire hog was discovered by Oliver Cromwell's army, in winter quarters at Reading, the county seat of the shire of Berks in England. After the war, these veterans carried the news to the outside world of the wonderful hogs of Berks; larger than any other swine of that time and producing hams and bacon of rare quality and flavor. This is said to have been the beginning of the fame of the Reading Fair as a market place for pork products.

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In the early part of this century the Large Black were used for the production of pork in outdoor operations. Its coat color makes it tolerant of many sun born illnesses and its hardiness and grazing ability make it an efficient meat producer. Large Blacks are also known for their mothering ability, milk capacity and prolificacy.

Early selection was toward the bacon type and now the breed is characterized by great length and depth of body. In 1899, a breed society was formed, so the breed can be considered as having been formed on or before that date. Formerly fed to enormous weights to produce carcasses with a large amount of fat, Large Blacks are now used for lean pork and bacon production.

The heavy drooped ear is also a characteristic of the breed. In fact, the ears are so large they cover much of the face and seem to obstruct the view from the eyes. The breed is known for its very docile nature, and some have suggested that its obstructed vision contributes to its unaggressive temperament. Whatever the cause, they seem to move more slowly and deliberately than other breeds.

The breed is said to have high levels of hardiness and thriftiness, with light shoulders, and good sides and hams. While the mothering ability and litter size are good, the breed does not seem to be as early maturing as most other breeds. The heavy black pigmentation of the skin is a characteristic not favored by processors.

The Large Black is listed as Critically Endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. There are a small number of herds in the US from the 1985 importation. Large Blacks are also found in South Africa and Australia.

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The Tamworth is a rugged, thrifty, very active breed of swine that is unlike the GOS, as it is a lean-type hog. Tamworths are an extremely high-quality breed and is the most active breed of swine currently raised in the United States. The Tamworth has the reputation of producing the best bacon of any of our breeds and is uniform in type.

The Tamworth breed of pig is also a Heritage Breed that originated in England.

The exact origin of this old English breed is not definitely known, but a Tamworth Swine Association booklet says:

The Tamworth originated in Ireland where they were called "The Irish Grazer". About the year 1812 it is said that Sir Robert Peel, being impressed with the characteristics of them, imported some of them and started to breed them on his estate at Tamworth, England. They have been bred quite extensively ever since they were imported into that country.

Bacon lovers, rest assured that we sell the majority of our piglets as high quality breeding stock to farmers around New England. If you are looking for a well grown out, pastured 8 to 10 week old barrow or gilt, please contact us, but be prepared to pay breeding stock prices. Piglets are available for $110 each at 12 weeks. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Wells Tavern Farm

Heritage. Pastured. Local.