Tamworth Hogs
The Tamworth is considered a “bacon” breed, meaning that the pigs thrive on low energy foods, but grow slowly compared to more commercialized breeds. This is a common trait among any heritage breed of livestock. Their meat and bacon is finer grained and leaner than that of most other breeds, and they have a high meat-to-bone ratio. Intelligence, long heads and large snouts, along with with long legs and athletic build, enable these pigs to be excellent foragers. Their color makes them suitable for a range of climates, as they are less susceptible to sunburn than lighter colored pigs. Tamworths are easily managed, with an agreeable temperament. Sows are prolific, able to produce and care for large litters. This breed has good vigor, with litters often having 100% survivability. Both males and females have a mature weight of 500-600 lbs. Tams are listed as Threatened on The Livestock Conservancy priority list.
We've elected to try breeding our sows through Artificial Insemination; if it's successful, it makes more sense to us than keeping a boar, because it offers us a wider genetic base and frees us from having to maintain him on the property. Our sows are registered through the Tamworth Swine Association and we'll be using registered boars to sire the litters.
We've elected to try breeding our sows through Artificial Insemination; if it's successful, it makes more sense to us than keeping a boar, because it offers us a wider genetic base and frees us from having to maintain him on the property. Our sows are registered through the Tamworth Swine Association and we'll be using registered boars to sire the litters.