Pig Paradise Farm

The Home of all the Rare Pig Breeds

Gloucester Old Spot

Probably one of the best known of all the British rare breed pigs it originally came from the Severn River valleys in Gloucestershire living mainly on a diet of the whey from the Gloucestershire cheeses and apples from the very prolific orchards in the area.

A wonderful pig that owes much of its success and survival to George Styles who in some circles is affectionately known as the ‘Grandfather of the Breed’. Thanks to his passion and interest the breed survived and flourished at a time when without such support we might have found ourselves with far fewer blood lines.

A good dual purpose pig that is both hardy and docile it is very much a ’smallholders’ pig and was known in its early days as the ‘Orchard’ pig. Lop eared with good mothering qualities the Gloucestershire Old Spots attraction to first time pig keepers can be well understood.

Because of the difficulties of selling spotted and coloured pigs to butchers (harder work cleaning them and with claims that the customer did not want such pigs!) there was a tendency to breed pigs with as few spots as possible. Luckily a trend now (1999) being reversed.