Pigs : Wessex Saddleback

Country of Origin 

England

Australian Status

International Status

Considered Extinct in its home country the UK.

Breeds traits

Saddlebacks, although they are good maternal pigs, can be very aggressive and caution should be observed when mixing sows. They have an abundant milk supply and good fecundity.

Saddlebacks, being traditionally prized for their fat, tend to be hard to finish to heavier weights with acceptable fat scores. They can also have pigmentation and the carcass which may still show the stripe and sometimes have "seedy belly" which is pigmentation in the glands in the belly, this aside they make wonderful eating and are listed on the Ark of Taste.

History

The Saddleback was developed as a forager often living and grazing in the New Forest, like the large black they have similar although much shorter lop ears which shield their eyes and allows them to forage in all weather.

Australia’s herd of Wessex Saddlebacks has international significance because the pigs here were imported before the amalgamation of the Essex and Wessex Herdbooks to become the one British Saddleback.  Some preliminary DNA typing is supporting this anecdotal evidence.

Breed Organisation

Australian Pig Breeders Association

Australian Population

2025: 17 registrations, 5 herds

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