Why rare breeds are made for outdoor life

Rare breed pigs — Large Black, Berkshire, Tamworth, Gloucester Old Spot, British Saddleback, Oxford Sandy and Black — were developed for exactly the sort of setup most smallholders can offer. They were kept on mixed farms, turned out into orchards and stubble, and expected to find a good share of their own dinner. That history shows in the animals you buy today: they are hardy, slower growing than commercial hybrids, and generally calm to handle if you spend time with them.

That hardiness is not a licence to cut corners. Pigs are tough, but they are also remarkably good at escaping, rooting up ground faster than you would believe, and turning a neat paddock into a mud bath in a fortnight. The work is in the preparation, not the pig keeping.

Choose the plot and get the fencing right first

Pick a well-drained field, ideally sloping gently so water runs off rather than sitting. A gentle south-facing slope gives you dry ground in winter and shade in the afternoon. Avoid heavy clay that holds water and the corner of a field that floods every February.

Fencing is where beginners most often come unstuck. A pig's nose is a battering ram and its shoulder is a plough. Plan for two layers of defence:

• Perimeter: stock netting at 1.2 metres with a pig wire or two strands of plain wire at the bottom, and timber or metal posts set at 2.5 to 3 metre intervals. Bury the bottom of the netting or peg it tight to the ground, because pigs will lift it with their snouts.
• Electric: a mains-powered energiser if you are within reach of power, or a good 12-volt battery unit if not. Run two strands at roughly 20cm and 45cm for weaners, and add a third higher strand for adult pigs. Keep the strands clear of grass and check the voltage weekly — a lazy fence is worse than no fence, because it teaches pigs that electric shocks can be ignored.
• Gates: hang them so they swing shut, fit them with a chain and padlock, and never rely on a bungee cord.

Before you buy weaners, get your holding number, herd mark and be ready to complete a movement licence when the animals arrive — this is a legal requirement in the UK, not paperwork you can catch up on later.

Shelter, shade and wallows

Pigs cannot sweat effectively, so shade is not a luxury. A pale pig such as a Gloucester Old Spot or Middle White will burn badly in direct sun. Plant or build for shade on the east and south sides of the paddock, and consider a simple open-fronted field shelter as well as a pig ark.

The ark itself should be draught-free, dry and just big enough for the pigs to lie together. A wooden ark bedded with barley straw works well; put it on a hard standing or a raised wooden platform so it does not become an island in the mud. Rotate the ark to fresh ground as part of your paddock moves.

A wallow is essential in summer. A shallow scrape about 30cm deep and a couple of metres across, lined with clay or a butyl liner so it holds water, will do. Keep it topped up and site it away from the ark and the water trough. Pigs use wallows to cool down and to protect against sunburn and parasites, so a muddy pig is a comfortable pig.

Rotation and pasture recovery

A bare paddock in December is a paddock that will still be bare in April. Pigs compact soil, graze selectively and root by nature, so plan to move them.

• Stocking: allow at least 100 square metres per pig, and double that if you want the grass to survive the winter.
• Rotation: move the electric fence every three to four weeks in summer, less often in winter, before the ground turns to slop.
• Rest: give each paddock at least eight to twelve weeks to recover, longer in cold, wet conditions.
• Reseeding: overseed poached areas with a hardy mix of perennial ryegrass, white clover and cocksfoot in early autumn.

Rooting is natural behaviour, not naughtiness. Rather than ringing noses, which is contentious and does not stop a determined pig, give them an area where rooting is welcome — a rough corner, a patch of bracken or a heap of compost to turn over.

Water, feed and daily routine

Pigs drink far more than new owners expect. Two growing weaners will get through 10 to 15 litres a day between them in warm weather, so provide a trough with a ball valve or a large galvanised drinker that you check twice daily. A trough tipped over at 6am means thirsty pigs by lunchtime, and thirsty pigs go looking for a way out.

Feed according to size and condition — roughly 1.5kg to 2.5kg of pig nuts per pig per day for growing weaners, split into two feeds. Rare breeds do well on good pasture plus a balanced ration, and they will happily take surplus vegetables, windfall fruit and garden gluts. Keep a routine: same times, same call, and walk among them quietly each day. Pigs that know you are far easier to move, load and inspect.

Before the weaners arrive

Walk the fence line, test the energiser, fill the water trough, bed the ark and put a spare bale of straw under cover. Have a plan for where you will move them in six weeks, and a second plan for where they will go if the weather turns. Do that groundwork first, and the pigs themselves will be the easy part.