Gloucestershire Old Spots
The Gloucestershire Old Spots is a large British heritage pig from Gloucestershire and the Severn Vale. It is easy to recognize by its white coat with large irregular black spots and its heavy lop ears, which often hang toward the face. The breed was long associated with orchard and dairy farms, where pigs could use windfall fruit, pasture, and byproducts while producing pork with enough fat for traditional curing and roasting.
Today the breed is kept by smallholders, rare-breed farms, and outdoor pork producers as much as by larger operations. Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs are generally steady to handle, but their size calls for strong fencing, sound gates, and housing that stays dry in wet weather. Pale skin needs shade and wallows in summer. They may finish more slowly and fatter than modern commercial hybrids, which suits some direct-market pork but requires feed planning. Breeders seeking registered stock should check pedigrees and breed society requirements, since spotted crossbreds can look convincing.
Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blonde, Brown, Cream, Ginger, Ginger and Black, Red, Red and Black, Sandy, Solid Black, Solid White, Spotted, Swallow Belly, White, White with Black Spots
