40 Years and Counting!

Established in 1985, the Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Society is now celebrating 40 years of conserving the breed. Linda Aldous explains why this pig is so special

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Our love of the Oxford Sand and Black pig first started some 13 years ago, when we came face to face with the breed and our venture into keeping pigs, some would say, was totally unplanned. We bought a country cottage with bramble covered land and pigs seemed a great way of clearing the undergrowth. Little did we know what the future held for us. Everything escalated from there. Our first ports of call were to join the BPA and the Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Society, as we felt and still do, that by only buying pedigree pigs it was and still is, the only way to preserve the breed. The help and advice we received from the Society and members was invaluable, to the extent that we both joined the committee several years ago, so that we ourselves could help others in their OSB ventures.

The care of our pigs is one of our primary objectives. We ensure they have sufficient bedding, especially in the cold and wet months, the correct feed, lots of space and plenty of wallows in the summer. They all enjoy a good scratch but do try to lean against us for a fuss and boy, do they weigh a ton! As many have found this year, within a two-week period, we switched from mud up to our knees, to ground as hard as concrete - the joy of our East Anglian land.

WHY DO WE LOVE OSB'S, (ALSO KNOWN AS PLUM PUDDING PIGS)?

The OSB is one of the oldest native breeds, originating some 200 to 300 years ago. They are hardy, docile and excellent mothers. They are ideal for smallholders and first timers as they are easy to manage. We started out with OSB's and have never wanted to change.