Cumberland pig facts for kids
| Conservation status | Extinct |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | England |
| Traits | |
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The Cumberland pig was a type of domestic pig. It came from the North of England. Farmers used it to make special foods like Cumberland sausage and Cumberland ham. This pig breed disappeared in 1960. People wanted meat with less fat, and farming methods changed. This made the Cumberland pig less popular.
Contents
About the Cumberland Pig
The Cumberland pig was a very old breed. It probably developed over many hundreds of years. It lived in areas like Cumberland and Westmorland in England. This pig was closely related to another old breed, the Old Yorkshire white pig.
What the Cumberland Pig Looked Like
The Cumberland pig was a large, strong white animal. It had ears that hung down. This breed was very tough. It could handle the bad weather often found in Northern England. These pigs grew quickly and became quite big. They also had a lot of fat.
How the Breed Changed Over Time
During the 1800s, people tried to make pig breeds better. The Cumberland pig was often bred with Yorkshire white pigs. These efforts helped create new breeds. Some of these new breeds include the Large White, Small White, and Middle White.
In 1916, the Cumberland Pig Breeders' Association was formed. The breed became very popular in the 1920s.
Why the Cumberland Pig Disappeared
In the mid-1900s, people started wanting meat with less fat. This made the Cumberland pig less popular. In 1955, a group of experts suggested something important. They said that pig farmers in the UK should focus on only three main breeds. These were the Large White, Welsh, and Landrace. This was to make pig farming more standard.
By this time, there were already very few Cumberland pigs left. By 1954, only three male Cumberland pigs were officially recognized. The last known Cumberland pig was a female. She belonged to a farmer named Mr. Thirwall. She died in 1960 on a farm in Bothel. After her death, the Cumberland pig breed was considered extinct.
Trying to Bring the Breed Back
In 2008, an animal conservation center in Penrith tried to "recreate" the Cumberland pig. They used DNA analysis to understand the original pig's genes. Then, they carefully bred pigs to match the old Cumberland breed. Farmers who had seen the original pigs agreed that the new pigs looked very similar.
People hoped these new pigs could help make real Cumberland hams and sausages again. However, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust did not officially recognize these new pigs as the true Cumberland breed. They appreciated the effort, but said it wasn't the same.
In 2008, after many years of special breeding, a female pig was born. Her DNA was 99.6% similar to the original Cumberland pig. Sadly, this pig could not have babies.
The genes of the original Cumberland pig are still found in some other breeds. These include the Middle White and possibly the Chester White pig breed from the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Cerdo cumberland para niños
