Berkshire hogs originated in the shire of Berks in England. They
were discovered 300 years ago by Oliver Cromwell and his army who
impressed with the large size of the hogs and the great flavor of their
meat. After the war, news of the Berkshire hogs spread as veterans
returned home and told the tale. The Berkshire hogs became popular with
the wealthy farming class. And even the Royal Family kept a herd at
Windsor Castle.
Berkshires are a large hog that can weigh as much
as 1,000 pounds when full grown. The bloodline is almost entirely pure
other than a cross with Chinese and Siamese bloodlines that was done to
refine the breed. This cross accounts for the coloring of the modern
Berkshire as well as the large efficient quality of the animal. For the
last 200 years the Berkshire bloodline has remained pure with records
kept to maintain standards.
Berkshire hogs were brought to America
in 1823. They were very popular and were used to improve the existing
hog stock through breeding with common stock. One or more of the main
American breeds owes much of its success to the infusion of Berkshire
blood into its bloodline. Having been used to improve the common stock,
many hog farmers felt it was worth maintaining the pure Berkshire line
for posterity. That way the bloodline could continue to be used to
improve other hog stock without being assimilated into it.
In 1875
these farmers formed the American Berkshires Association for the
purpose of protecting the bloodline. The task was made easier by the
creation of the first ever swine registry to track the bloodline. The
first hog in the recorded blood line was a boar hog belonging to Queen
Victoria named Ace of Spades. The blood line was kept pure by importing
Berkshire hogs from England. Only these hogs from Berkshire or those
that could be directly traced back to imported animals were included in
the swine registry. This practice continues today although there is a
far larger breeding pool domestically.
Berkshire hogs have
improved swine production in the United States and throughout Europe.
Over the past 100 years there influence is especially noticeable and
easy to trace because of the dutiful records of the Berkshire Breed
Association. Modern animals are breed for ideal meat quality, fast
growth, and reproductive efficiency. These are traits that not only make
the hogs taste better, but make then cheaper and easier to raise and
breed.
The Berkshire Breed is the biggest winner of national and
international competitions. And this is added to the fact that much of
its competition owes its own success to the proportion of Berkshires
blood that it carries. Berkshire is clearly the most influential breed
in the world and its introduction and widespread use in America and
other countries has vastly improved all swine stock. It is certainly
important to maintain the pure Berkshire Bloodline to retain the
intrinsic qualities of this superior breed. Given the dedication of the
Berkshire Breeders Association, there is little doubt that the breed
with continue for many years to come.
