Lincolnshire curly-coated pig
Encyclopedia
The Lincolnshire curly-coated pig, also known as the Baston
Pig or simply as the Lincolnshire Curly Coat, was an old breed of domestic pig
from the United Kingdom
. The breed became rare and finally extinct by the early 1970s, though there have recently been efforts to recreate it based on a Hungarian breed that is partly descended from the original Lincolnshire
stock.
and other countries. The breed, however, dwindled in the period after the Second World War, mainly due to changing farming patterns and a taste for leaner meat. The last known specimens were kept for research purposes by a large firm, but this sent the remaining animals for slaughter in 1972.
In recent years a number of pigs of a variant of the Hungarian Mangalitza
breed, which bears a strong resemblance to the Curly Coat, have been imported to the UK. These pigs, which are now extremely rare in their native Hungary, belong to a bloodline partly descended from Lincolnshire Curly Coats exported in the early 20th century and crossed with the Mangalitza: they are therefore being used to recreate an approximation of the original breed.
Baston
Baston is a parish on the edge of The Fens and in the administrative district of South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. Like most fen-edge parishes, it was laid out more than a thousand years ago, in an elongated form, to afford the produce from a variety of habitats for the villagers...
Pig or simply as the Lincolnshire Curly Coat, was an old breed of domestic pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The breed became rare and finally extinct by the early 1970s, though there have recently been efforts to recreate it based on a Hungarian breed that is partly descended from the original Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
stock.
Characteristics
The Curly Coat, in common with other of the old 'local' breeds in the United Kingdom, was bred to be tough and hardy, suitable for keeping by smallholders. It was a large pig with lop ears; its most prominent feature was its long, curly white coat, which helped it to weather the damp, cold winters of the Lincolnshire fens.History and re-creation
The Lincolnshire Curly Coat was one of the oldest breeds in the UK, and was formerly very common in its county of origin. By the 1930s, selective breeding had developed its fattening abilities, and large specimens were exported to RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and other countries. The breed, however, dwindled in the period after the Second World War, mainly due to changing farming patterns and a taste for leaner meat. The last known specimens were kept for research purposes by a large firm, but this sent the remaining animals for slaughter in 1972.
In recent years a number of pigs of a variant of the Hungarian Mangalitza
Mangalitsa
Mangalitsa , Mangalitza or Mangalica is a name for three breeds of pig grown especially in Hungary and the Balkans known also as a curly-hair hog. It belongs to European unimproved lard-type breeds that are descended directly from wild boar populations...
breed, which bears a strong resemblance to the Curly Coat, have been imported to the UK. These pigs, which are now extremely rare in their native Hungary, belong to a bloodline partly descended from Lincolnshire Curly Coats exported in the early 20th century and crossed with the Mangalitza: they are therefore being used to recreate an approximation of the original breed.