Free Range, Rare Breed Pigs
Our very first pig was actually a Tamworth sow named Ruby that we were gifted in exchange for a bottle of brandy! Things became a little more 'by the book' after that and we were soon breeding Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs in our woodland up in the Midlands.
After coming home to Carmarthenshire, we decided to change our rare breed of choice to the Oxford Sandy & Black. They are very similar to the GOS in terms of temperament, size and, most importantly, quality of taste!
Due to a family wedding in England in 2014, we made the choice to sell our breeding herd and, since then, have continued to rear pork using bought-in weaners from approved breeders that share our ethos for high-welfare, truly free range pigs.
Only 3% of pigs in the UK are truly free range - and that's mainly small producers such as ourselves.
All our pigs are 'truly free range' - they are born free range and reared free range throughout their lives.
Don't be misled by packaging and advertising stating that the pork has been 'outdoor bred' or 'outdoor reared', this is not free range.
'Outdoor bred': the pig that produces this pork may never have set foot outdoors. However, it's mother has. The piglets will have been born within an ark (style of pig sty) outdoors and weaned as early as four weeks old, so before they've even really found their feet they're taken inside to intensive rearing facilities.
'Outdoor reared': As above, except the piglets will be permitted an extra four weeks of freedom outside before being moved to the intensive indoor system. This 'outdoors' might only be a concrete courtyard, not necessarily pasture land.
'Free range': The pigs spend their entire lives outdoors, with the freedom to display natural behaviour through access to paddocks for foraging, digging and generally 'being pigs'. They have space to move and run freely (yes, pigs can run!), shelter from the elements and wallows to use whenever they choose. Most importantly, regular back rubs and nose scratches...