The'Berkshire Pig' is a truly great pig with prick ears, white blaze on the face, four white feet and a white tip to the tail. Otherwise totally black. A pig of great personality and very good temperament who has the sort of mothering qualities that make farrowing and bringing up piglets.

A traditional pork pig that produces some mouth watering joints and chops with 'crackling' that is second to none. The excellent carcass quality made it an early favourite with the Royal Family who for years kept a large 'Berkshire' herd at Windsor Castle.

The original 'Berkshire' was, in appearance, much closer to the 'Oxford Sandy and Black' being reddish or sandy coloured and sometimes spotted with black. This stock was later refined with a cross of Siamese and Chinese blood which then set the colour pattern we know today.

The 'Berkshire' pigs are listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and there are under 400 breeding sows in the UK.

The light sandy soil is ideal for outdoor pig production.

All pigs are kept outside in insulated pig arks for the whole of their life with all pigs being contained by simple electric fence boundaries. Sows and gilts farrow on straw in individual arks within their own paddock and are largely left to 'get on with it' themselves.

Sows will suckle their piglets for at least eight weeks, when the piglets are well enough grown to thrive on a solid diet.

Piglets are weaned in family groups into insulated houses which contain plenty of straw and continuous access to feed. Weaned piglets also have their own extensive grazing and rooting area.

Feed is milled and mixed on farm, and is based on home grown cereals and protein, supplemented by basic essential minerals. All pigs also have access to straw and forage to satisfy their appetite. In addition, dry sows and larger store pigs are used to clear the fields following harvesting of root crop vegetables grown for Riverford Organics.