Rare Breed Mangalitza Pigs

Is it a sheep or is it a pig ... no it's a Mangalitza - the curly coated pig!

History

Up until 1972 the UK had a curly coated pig called the Lincolnshire Curly Coat. This pig was famed for its hardiness due to its wooly and well insulated coat. In the 1920s many were exported to Hungary where they won many of the top awards and acquired the coveted gold medal in 1925. The Hungarians used the Lincolnshire Curly Coat to cross with their Mangalitza (which was a very similar curly coated pig) to produce a cross pig nicknamed the Lincolista. Due to its outstanding flavour the Mangalitza was much sought after for the production of Parma ham.

Pig breeders in the UK are indebted to Mr. Tony York of Pig Paradise and his team of helpers for the many hours of work they put in, firstly trying to locate breeders of Mangalitza pigs in Hungary and Austria, then managing to purchase 14 gilts and 3 boars of the 3 different colours and types i.e. the Blonde - Swallow Belly and the Red. After a few sleepless nights and much form filling they finally managed to transport them back to Britain.

The British Pig Association (BPA) will be operating a new Mangalitza herd book.

Our Pigs

Our Mangalitzas pigs arrived on probably the stormiest weekend of the winter - around the end of January 2007. They consisted of 1 red boar and 3 gilts (1 red 1 swallow belly and 1 blonde) from the original importation and 2 young boars (1 blonde and 1 swallow belly from the 1st litter of unrelated mothers). Hopefully we are now in a position to supply pure bred weaners of all 3 types to any intending purchasers.

Since their arrival they have been a joy to work with due to their easy going attitude and great mothering ability. At present we have 2 litters -  1 with 8 red the other with 7 blonde piglets. The reds have been very impressive with both their weight gain and conformation. The blondes although younger are now beginning to catch up. Initally we are hoping to sell most of the progeny for breeding but we must not lose sight of the end product which although taking slightly longer to produce has a flavour worth waiting for. One other aspect which we have found very useful is their ability to withstand hot sunshine without being affected by sunburn.

At present we have a good selection available for sale ranging from weaners of varying ages and colours through to gilts and boars ready for breeding. All can be registered with the BPA and are very reasonably priced.

For further information, any questions or you wish to enquire on buying any of our Mangalitza pigs please contact us.

We also breed White Dorper and Lleyn sheep.

You can visit our White Dorper Sheep website here.