THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE OLD SPOTS PIG
(or GOS Pig for short), descended from a region in Gloucestershire, England known as the Vale of Berkeley. Recognized as the oldest pedigree spotted pig in the world, the GOS was once popular with small family farms, where they were raised on dairy by-products (such as whey) and orchard "drop fruit," giving these pigs the nicknames "cottage pig" and "orchard pig."
Like many breeds originating before the 20th century, the exact history and composition of the Old Spots pig is unknown. The most likely origin is a pairing of the original Gloucestershire pig (a large off-white pig with floppy ears and wattles) and the unimproved Berkshire (a sandy colored pig with prick ears and black spots). One other notable contributor is the Lincolnshire Curley Coat, a pig that has since gone extinct. The Old Spots
is also genetically and characteristically similar to the extinct Cumberland pig and is presently being used in its recreation in the UK.These breeds were regarded as thrifty and excellent foragers, supplementing their feed with roots and vegetation. Additional commonalities among these breeds include excellent maternal instincts and even temperament.
The GOS remains remarkably hardy today. They can withstand harsh weather and adverse conditions. This is in part due to the breed's higher body fat ratio. Once revered for this high-fat yield, the GOS served as an important producer of flavorful meats, lard and bristle hair. It was with the shift in dietary trends, as people began replacing much of their animal fat intake with vegetable fat, that the demand for lard-producing pigs decreased. This dietary shift, coupled with the Post WWII industrialization of agriculture, led to the decline in GOS numbers. Farmers were less interested in self-sufficient grazing breeds than they were in breeds easily kept indoors.
Unfortunately in the pursuit of efficient, industry-compatible hybrids, many commercial sows lost the maternal instincts native to their purebred ancestors. The GOS, noted for their exceptional mothering, was occasionally introduced into large pig operations in an effort to recreate this vital instinct. However, this niche alone could not keep the GOS numbers from all but disappearing.
Like many breeds originating before the 20th century, the exact history and composition of the Old Spots pig is unknown. The most likely origin is a pairing of the original Gloucestershire pig (a large off-white pig with floppy ears and wattles) and the unimproved Berkshire (a sandy colored pig with prick ears and black spots). One other notable contributor is the Lincolnshire Curley Coat, a pig that has since gone extinct. The Old Spots
is also genetically and characteristically similar to the extinct Cumberland pig and is presently being used in its recreation in the UK.These breeds were regarded as thrifty and excellent foragers, supplementing their feed with roots and vegetation. Additional commonalities among these breeds include excellent maternal instincts and even temperament.
The GOS remains remarkably hardy today. They can withstand harsh weather and adverse conditions. This is in part due to the breed's higher body fat ratio. Once revered for this high-fat yield, the GOS served as an important producer of flavorful meats, lard and bristle hair. It was with the shift in dietary trends, as people began replacing much of their animal fat intake with vegetable fat, that the demand for lard-producing pigs decreased. This dietary shift, coupled with the Post WWII industrialization of agriculture, led to the decline in GOS numbers. Farmers were less interested in self-sufficient grazing breeds than they were in breeds easily kept indoors.
Unfortunately in the pursuit of efficient, industry-compatible hybrids, many commercial sows lost the maternal instincts native to their purebred ancestors. The GOS, noted for their exceptional mothering, was occasionally introduced into large pig operations in an effort to recreate this vital instinct. However, this niche alone could not keep the GOS numbers from all but disappearing.
GOS BREED CHARACTERISTICS
- Head: Medium length with a slightly dished nose. The ears should be well set apart, dropping forward to the nose.
- Body: The shoulders should be fine but not raised. A long level back with well sprung ribs and a broad loin are desirable. Deep sides, with a thick, full belly and flank from the ribs to hams are standard.
- Hams: Large and well filled to the hocks.
- Legs: Straight and strong.
- Skin and Coat: Skin should not show coarseness or wrinkles. The hair should be silky and straight.
- Teats: There should be at least fourteen well placed teats.
- Objections: Heavy jowl, short elevated ears, a mane of bristles, crooked legs, and serious wrinkles.
- Coloring: White skin with black spots. No less than one black spot, both hair and skin should be black, black should not dominate.
CYCLIC BREEDING
The British GOS pig breeders developed the cyclic breeding system in an attempt to minimize inbreeding. All pure bred Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs belong to one of four color groups: Red, Black, Green and Blue, represented in the color chart to the left. All GOS pigs have the same pattern white with black spots. The color groups represent the family or lineage from which a pig originated. Referring to the color chart, Red Group Boars (Sambo) breed Black Group Sows, Black Group Boars (Patrick) breed Green Group Sows, Green Group Boars (Gerald) breed Blue Group Sows and Blue Group Boars (Rufus) breed Red Group Sows. It is important to note that the cyclic breeding is suggested but not mandatory. Due to the shallow gene pool here in the US, breeding registered stock outside the color group, in some circumstances, may be advantageous for diversification. The only true requirement to register GOS piglets is that both the Dam and Sire have been registered by the US or UK GOS registry. For each color group there are up to 5 different female names but only one unique male name per group. All female offspring from a registered sow, whether bred following the color chart or not, inherit the color group and name of that sow, while the males take on the unique boar name of the particular color group designated by the Dam. Therefore a registered Green Princess sow's male offspring can be registered as a Green Gerald and a female offspring can be registered as a Green Princess, as long as the boar that fathered the litter is also registered.
Breeders are responsible to register their litters before transferring ownership. In order to register GOS pigs please download the form and instructions by clicking on these Registration Instructions and Registration Form links, complete in full and send them into the GOSA registry with the registration fee listed in the instructions.In order to transfer ownership of a registered GOS pig please download the form by clicking on this Application for Transfer link, complete the form or mail it to the designated address with the appropriate fee.
Breeders are responsible to register their litters before transferring ownership. In order to register GOS pigs please download the form and instructions by clicking on these Registration Instructions and Registration Form links, complete in full and send them into the GOSA registry with the registration fee listed in the instructions.In order to transfer ownership of a registered GOS pig please download the form by clicking on this Application for Transfer link, complete the form or mail it to the designated address with the appropriate fee.
