The Essex pig is a beautiful breed of domestic pig originating in the United Kingdom. Like most other British pig breeds, the breed’s ancestor may have originated in Essex through the selective breeding of local feral pigs.
Previously, the breed was a rough, black-and-white little animal that was easy to keep and cheap to feed.
All these qualities ensured the popularity of the breed among small farmers. In the middle of the 19th century, the old breed was deliberately improved by crossing with imported pig breeds.
Charles Western, 1st Baron Western, obtained Neapolitan pigs to cross with his Essex sows on a journey through Italy in the early 1st century. One of his tenants, Fisher Hobbs, crossed the resulting Neapolitan-Essex boars with his “rough” Essex sows and established an improved Essex.
The Essex pig breed remained popular locally until the mid-1950s. The breed’s overall population actually increased in numbers during and immediately after World War II.
In 1997, a breeding society for the breed was formed’Essex Pork Society‘. And since 1997, Jimmy Doherty and Michaela Fernie of Jimmy’s Farm have made new efforts to popularize and restore the breed. Learn more about the breed below.
Essex Pig Characteristics
Essex pigs were a relatively small breed of pig in their traditional form. It has pricked ears and a black base color with a broad white stripe across the shoulders.
Photos and information from Wikipedia.
Special Notes
The Essex breed of pig is known for its hardiness and ability to feed on food. The animals are excellent foragers and are well suited to an extensive pig production system.
In 1967, this breed had been considered extinct for many years. But it was believed that a few purebred animals could survive on small farms. However, check out the full profile of this breed in the following table.
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| Breed name | Essex |
| another name | everything |
| Special Notes | Hardy, excellent forager, self-feeding, well adapted to an extensive system |
| Breed size | Little |
| climatic tolerance | native climate |
| coat color | Black with a wide white stripe on the mist |
| scarcity | general |
| Country/place of origin | UK |
