Berkshire
Have a Berkshire to sell? List it.
About Berkshire pigs
The Berkshire is the oldest recorded pig breed in Britain, from the county of Berkshire, and it has been kept as an improved breed for more than three hundred years. The American herd book, opened in 1875, was the first for any swine breed in the United States.
They are black with six white points: four feet, the face and the tail tip. The face is dished and the ears erect.
The meat is why they persist. Berkshire pork is darker, more marbled and higher in pH than commercial white pork, which means it holds moisture and does not go pale and watery. In Japan it is sold as kurobuta and priced accordingly.
The trade is growth and carcass shape. Berkshires grow more slowly and yield a shorter, fatter carcass than a modern commercial hybrid, so the breed only pays if you are selling into a market that recognises the meat quality.
Sourced from The Livestock Conservancy and the breed’s registry, reviewed by HoofnHorn.
No Berkshire pigs at auction right now.
Heritage breeds come up in ones and twos, so this is normal. We will email you the moment a Berkshire is listed.