Essex pig facts for kids
An Essex boar
|
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Traits | |
|
|
The Essex is a special kind of domestic pig that first came from the United Kingdom. These pigs are known for their unique look and interesting history.
What Makes Essex Pigs Special?
The traditional Essex pig was a medium-sized pig. It had ears that stood up, which are called 'pricked' ears. Its body was mostly black, but it had a wide white band across its shoulders. This white band looked like a "sheet" wrapped around it.
The Story of the Essex Pig
_12_182_7_Essex-Eber_des_Herrn_Hopp.PNG)
Like many old British pig breeds, the Essex pig likely started in the county of Essex. Farmers there carefully bred local wild pigs to create this new type. At first, the Essex pig was a bit rough-looking, but it was easy to care for. It didn't need a lot of expensive food, which made it very popular with smallholders (people who owned small farms).
In the mid-1800s, farmers wanted to make the Essex pig even better. A man named Charles Western, 1st Baron Western brought Neapolitan pigs from Italy. He bred them with his Essex sows (female pigs). One of his tenants, Fisher Hobbs, then bred these new pigs with the older Essex pigs. This created the "Improved Essex" pig. In 1840, an Improved Essex boar (male pig) and sow won top prizes at a big farming show.
The Essex pig stayed popular until the mid-1950s. Its numbers even grew during and after World War II. This was because they were very tough and could find their own food by foraging. In 1954, there were still many Essex pigs in Britain.
However, things changed in 1955. A report suggested that British pig farms should focus on only three main breeds: the Welsh, the Landrace, and the Large White. This was to help British farms compete better with other countries. Because of this report, the number of Essex pigs quickly went down.
In 1967, the Essex pig breed was officially combined with another breed called the British Saddleback. Many people thought the Essex pig had become extinct (died out completely) at this time. They believed that only a few purebred Essex pigs might still be on small farms.
Bringing the Breed Back
Later, people discovered that one farmer, John Croshaw, had kept his Essex pig herd separate. He made sure his pigs were pure Essex, even though they were officially listed as British Saddlebacks. He was very careful to prevent his pigs from inbreeding.
In 1997, the Essex Pig Society was formed. Since then, people like Jimmy Doherty and Michaela Furney from Jimmy's Farm have worked hard to tell others about the Essex pig and help the breed grow again.
