the saddleback familyof pig breeds - Rare Breeds Survival Trust

Ark|FeatureTHE SADDLEBACK FAMILY OF PIG BREEDSBy Lawrence Alderson, chairman of the RBST.Wessex sow from the midtwentiethcentury.The earliest referencesto belted pigs are foundin Italy with the Cintasenese first noted in the14th century, but there isno evidence this was the origin ofthe colour pattern in Britain. In botheastern and southern counties ofEngland there were old-fashioned,parti-coloured pigs that provided thefoundation for the emergence ofbelted breeds. There are illustrationsof pigs with a white belt in Britainin the 18th century, but it was fixedfirst in a breed when a society wasfounded for the Wessex pig in 1918.The British Saddleback is arelatively young breed, having beenformed in 1967 by the amalgamationof the Essex and Wessex breeds,but the origins of these parentbreeds can be traced much deeperinto the early evolution of organisedlivestock breeding in Britain. It wasa union based almost exclusivelyon a common colour – a white belt.The two breeds were significantlydifferent in character (Davidson,1948), and many breeders of Wessexpigs regretted the move. It probablywas unnecessary from the Wessexpoint of view, as the Essex at thatstage was almost a redundant breed.Originally both these beltedbreeds/types in the early 19thcentury were parti-coloured, largeand coarse. The type of the Essexwas altered radically by crosses withNeapolitan (Asian) pigs, and laterwith Berkshire and Large White, sothat it became a fatter early-maturingbreed. The Wessex originated fromthe Sussex and Hampshire (thelatter was the origin of the AmericanHampshire through exports in the1820s), and its range stretched fromHampshire to Devon. It remaineda bigger, rangier type of pig, andprobably was influenced less byAsian pigs than any other breed. Ithad a significant influence on thedevelopment of several other beltedbreeds in Europe.Wessex influenceThe Angler Sattelschwein (Germany)originated from local Schleswigpied pigs crossed with the Wessex,but also with Landrace and Pietraininfluence. The Rotbuntes Schweinoriginated from red sports of AnglerSattelschwein circa 1900 plussome Tamworth influence. LocalWurttemburg pigs were crossed withBerkshire, Essex and Wessex in thelate 19th and early 20th centuriesto form the Schwabisch-Hallisches(Germany). The Presticke, nowfound in the Czech Republic, wasdeveloped originally in the late 19thcentury involving some importsfrom Britain. However, the breedbecame relict and was regeneratedin the 1950s using mainly Wessexon local Bohemian saddleback pigs.There has been exchange of geneticmaterial between the saddlebackbreeds in central Europe, with thestrongest flow from Presticke toAngler Sattelschwien (as much as40%) and Schwabisch-Hallisches.The Krskopolje Saddleback, alocal type with some influence fromGerman Landrace and possiblyBerkshire and Large Black, is the onlynative pig breed in Slovenia. Despitegood litter size (c.11 born, 10 alive),it is severely endangered and isbeing displaced by white breeds. TheCinta senese (Tuscany) is anotherold belted breed which is severelyendangered. It has been known formore than half a millennium, and isa rustic breed adapted to foragingboth on grassland and in woodland.There may have been some crossingwith Wessex pigs in the 1950s, butthe Cinta senese remains a hardyunimproved breed.UsesThe hardiness and good breedingresults of the Wessex recommendedits use for crossing to producecommercial pigs for both pork andbacon, and the main use of themodern British Saddleback hasfollowed a similar pattern in theproduction of hybrid pigs. Sows,mated with a white breed, impartedtheir hardy foraging characteristicsto first-class blue crossbred sows foroutdoor systems. It was selected bymajor breeding companies as oneparent of commercial hybrid breedingsows (e.g. Camborough) becauseof its grazing ability, temperament,maternal qualities, and the levelof fatness which buffered thesow against outdoor conditions.Management questions are coveredin an interactive noticeboard on thewebsite of the Breeders’ Club (BritishSaddleback Breeders’ Club, 2007)FecundityThe Wessex was noted for itsfecundity. Results from five nativebreeds in 1942 show it as the bestbreed (8.19 reared per litter) aheadof the Large White (7.85 rearedper litter) (Davidson, 1948). In thatyear the Large White notified 6182litters, and the Wessex 2347 litters.Thirty years later in the 1970s thissuperiority was maintained whenthe British Saddleback was a majorbreed. Its performance was on apar with that of the Large Blackand compared very favourably withbreeds such as the Large Whiteand Hampshire (Table 1), partly asa result of larger litters and partlythrough better maternal qualities(Alderson, 1994). However,despite its undoubted qualities, itwas replaced in hybrid breedingsystems by the Duroc in 1991.Meat qualityThe British Saddleback is notedmore for the quality than thequantity of meat, and is fatter thanindustrial commercial pigs. Thisdistinction has been identified andaccentuated in the last fifty years,and is typical of the broader groupof minority pig breeds in the UK.However, fat from the Saddlebackand other native breeds is firmer,contains less waste, and is lesslikely to separate from the lean. Themost usual finished product for thequality market is a pig of 65-70 kgliveweight. Perhaps it is noteworthythat a comparative study takenat light bacon weight (62 kg)(Warriss et al, 1990) indicated thatthe carcase quality of the BritishSaddleback was less distinctivethan some other British rarebreeds and was more similar to theHampshire. The Hampshire has ahigher frequency than other beltedbreeds of the RN (‘acid meat’)gene, which affects meat quality(Enfalt et al, 1997), and it is hopedthis gene can be prevented fromentering the British Saddleback.Population and trendsAs noted above, the Wessex inthe mid-20th century notifiedc.2500 litters each year. Eventhe year after the amalgamationwith the Essex (1968) there were1342 registrations (218 boars,1124 gilts), but numbers wereTable 1: Comparative performance of four pig breeds 1972-1975 inclusive.BREED PIGS BORN PER LITTER PIGS REARED PER LITTERBritish Saddleback 10.53 9.20Large Black 10.49 9.18Large White 10.38 8.91Hampshire 9.20 8.07falling in the second half of the20th century, and by 1975/6 only445 British Saddleback litters werenotified. Some of the reasons are notdifficult to find. The amalgamationof the Essex and Wessex knockedthe enthusiasm and interest out ofmany breeders, and important herdswere dispersed. Swine VesicularDisease (SVD) in the early 1970scaused a ban on swill feeding onwhich many crossbred progeny ofthe British Saddleback were reared.The reputation of the breed wasbuilt on outdoor production systems,and suffered as the pig industrywas intensified, and eventually evenoutdoors it was replaced by theDuroc. Most rare pig breeds hit theirlow point in the 1970s, but the BritishSaddleback did not reach its nadiruntil the 1980s.RBST breed monitoringThe RBST began an annual surveyof native pig breeds in 1985, andthe results show that the breedingpopulation of British Saddlebacksows had fallen to a low level and,despite a rally in the mid-1990s, thenumber of sows and replacementgilts apparently fell again thereafter(Figure 1). The causes of the dropin numbers from mid-1960s to early1990s were well understood, but itis more difficult to explain why thereshould have been a drop after 1997.A recovery should have coincidedwith the launch and development in1994 by RBST of the meat marketingscheme (TBMMS), as it did for otherminority breeds such as the LargeBlack (Figure 1, over page).However, the reliability of resultsfrom breed surveys depends on the22 Autumn 2007 The Ark The Ark Autumn 200723

Ark|FeaturePhoto: Peter KingTable 2: Genetic distance between four European belted pig breeds derived from the Wessex.PR AS SH BSPR x .0782 .1543 .1003AS .0782 x .1705 .0936KEYPR = Presticke,AS = Angler SattelschweinSH = Schwabisch_HallischesBS = British Saddleback.SH .1543 .1705 x .1859BS .1003 .0936 .1859 xresponses received. The RBST nowuses annual female registrationsas the preferred indicator, andthe results in 2003-2005 (average370 registrations pa) show thatsurvey numbers in the last fewyears probably have significantlyunderstated the true situation.The current population is c.600 sows.The RBST procedure of analysis ofannual female registrations will givean accurate picture in the future.Belted breedsThe belted colour pattern is notexclusive to Europe, as it is seen onsome pigs in South-East Asia, andits origin is not clear. The genotypefor black belted pigs is E D i Be (E Dbeing the allele for dominant black,and i Be the allele for a white belt)(Alderson & Plastow, 2004), butthe width of the belt is subject topolygenic and epistatic effects thatcan widen the belt to cover almostthe whole body or eliminate italtogether. The history of the breedmight indicate that this shouldbe expected. Both the Sussexand Hampshire (ancestors of theWessex) were variable in colour,The Traditional Pig Ark CompanySolidly built,galvanised metal,tanalised timber,polymer ends.Complete withfloor, skids andlifting hooks.Dry and cosy.8’ x 4’ - £325(suitable for 2 Kune Kune)8’ x 6’ - £3658’ x 8’ - £4258’ x 10’ - £475No VAT – Free Delivery(England and Wales)As supplied to River Cottage HQWe offer a personal delivery service on our own transportArks delivered ready for immediate occupation(no assembly required)Tel: 01884 860515Visit: www.pig-arks.comand crossing with the Neapolitaneliminated the belt of the Essex inthe early stages of improvement.DNA analysesSeveral belted breeds were includedin a European project (PigBioDiv1),and most of them are related tosome degree. Five breeds wereinfluenced to a varying degreeby the Wessex, namely BritishSaddleback (BS: UK), Hampshire(USA), Presticke (PR: Czech), AnglerSattelschwein (AS: Germany)and Schwabisch-Hallisches (SH:Germany), and genetic distancesderived from DNA analyses tendedto confirm the degree and recencyof this influence (Table 2). The leastrelated were the British Saddlebackand Schwabisch-Hallisches.The distances to the Cinta seneseand the Hampshire were greatestfor all other breeds. This was notunexpected for the Cinta senese, avery small isolated population whichstands out as the most distinctivebreed, but perhaps it was surprisingto find such a large genetic distancebetween the British Saddleback andHampshire and must be explained60050040030020010 00by their separation for manygenerations.Apart from its expected closerelationship to the Presticke andAngler Sattelschwein, there wereinteresting indications of closerelationship of the British Saddlebackto particular Pietrain and Landracelines, and it was significantly moreclosely linked to the Duroc thanany other native British breed. Itpossesses several alleles whichare not found in other Britishminority breeds, but are found in theDuroc. It had the lowest betweenbreeddiversity (ie, the leastdistinctiveness) of all the minorityBritish breeds (Alderson, 2004), andgrading-up programmes will havebeen a significant causal factor.Despite a good spread of bloodlinesin the breed, attempts have beenmade to ‘improve’ the Saddlebackthrough grading-up. Several femalefamilies (Bountiful, Choice, Charm,Diana, Edloma, Electra, Heather,Hermione, Hilda, Joyful, Lassie,Lucina, Molly and Twinkle) and sirelines were involved, and this hasdetracted from the founder integrityof the breed.Figure 1: Population trend for BS and LB pigs 1988-2004breed survey three year rolling average for number of giltsretained per annum.BritishSaddlebackLargeBlack1988 1989 1990 19 91 1992 1993 199 4 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004As part of a broader study, relationshipswithin the British Saddleback wereanalysed more closely. Small numbersof Wessex and Essex pigs wereincluded. The Wessex results wereclearly distinctive from the main group,and therefore the conservation of theWessex as a separate breed in Australiais an important programme. The Essexwas scattered randomly through thephylogenetic tree, suggesting that it hasnot survived as a distinct type within thecurrent population. A by-product of thisstudy has been the development by RBSTof a breed DNA profile which enables theassignment of individual animals to thebreed to be verified.ExportsThe influence of Wessex exports on thedevelopment of belted breeds in othercountries has been noted above. Whilethis trade expanded the ‘belted’ family, italso had a detrimental effect on the nativegenetic resources in those countries.A recent renewal of interest in exportscarries the same dangers. What effectwill the export of British Saddleback toBhutan in 2003 have on the native breeds?Similarly, it can be considered that therecent import of British Saddleback bybreeders of Schwabisch-Hallishes inGermany will change the native breed asit is not closely related to the British breed(Table 2). The desire to import rare breedsshould be tempered with knowledge ofthe dangers, and exporting countries thathave ratified the CBD must ensure thatbreeds would not impact negatively onnative breeds in the receiving country(Strauss, 1994).Can lessons be learned?The creation and development of theBritish Saddleback provides many lessonsfrom which we can profit. In particular:1. Breed amalgamation. Unless the breedsconcerned are very closely related theresult may be the loss of one or bothgenotypes rather than their preservation.The Essex/Wessex amalgamation probablywas an example.2. DNA profiling can help to identifybreeds, and groups within a breed.The British Saddleback is less distinctivegenetically than some other native Britishbreeds, and this might result from itsformation by amalgamation, or fromgrading-up programmes, or from illicitintrogression. However, the DNA results(albeit numerically small) show that theWessex is a distinct breed currentlyconserved in Australia, whereas the Essexresults show no clear distinction from themain breed.3. Introgression, whether by gradingupor otherwise, is unnecessary exceptin rare circumstances and potentiallydamaging for a native endangered breed.It compromises genetic integrity. RBSThas software to help the breeders’ club toidentify introgression by DNA profiling.4. Loss of popularity. Is it possible toidentify in advance factors which maylead to loss of popularity? The Essex/Wessex breed amalgamation was adeliberate policy, but could SVD and theintensification of pig production have beenanticipated and circumvented?5. Exporting a rare breed may endangernative breeds in the receiving country.The Schwabisch-Hallishes project is anexample of this danger.REFERENCESAlderson L. 1994.The Chance to Survive (3rdedition). 117.Alderson L. 2004.Diversity in European Pigs. ArkXXXII, 4, 28-33.Alderson GLH and PlastowGS. 2004.Use of DNA markers to assistwith product traceability andpedigree and their role in breedconservation. AGRI 35, 1-7.British SaddlebackBreeders’ Club.Website www.saddlebacks.org.uk.Davidson HR. 1948.The Production and Marketing ofPigs. 332.Enfalt AC et al. 1997.Estimated frequency of the RNallelein Swedish Hampshire pigs.J. of An. Sci. 75, 11, 2924-2935.Strauss MS. 1994.Implications of the Convention onBiological Diversity. FAO workinggroup report.Warriss PD et al. 1990.The thickness and quality ofbackfat in various pig breeds andtheir relationship to intramuscularfat and the setting of joints fromthe carcase. Meat Science,28, 21-29.24 Autumn 2007 The Ark The Ark Autumn 200725