Hampshire
Breed page
Hampshire
Still seeking a foothold among UK pig enthusiasts
In some respects the Hampshire can be regarded as a ‘British Native’ Breed, as the original breeding stock was imported from Wessex, UK in 1832, the date being recorded in the “Hampshire Blue Book” published in 1928. The book records the complete history of the breed and its origin.
The Hampshire is used extensively as the sire of cross bred pigs for the pork and manufacturing markets in the USA and many other countries. It has the reputation of being the leanest of the North American Breeds and the majority of carcase competitions in North America are won by Hampshires and Hampshire crosses.
Buyers Guide
The Hampshire is a modern and extremely productive pig with fast growing piglets. As well as being a productive pig the Hampshire is a cheeky pig that many find very appealing.
Learn more
Me and My Pigs
Stuart and Jodie juggle busy lives with jobs. Family, ponies, sheep and cattle to manage, but neither would be without their beloved pigs.
Learn more
Survey Results
The purpose of the survey is to monitor the number of breeding pigs within the country
Learn more
Breed Standard
Thinking about buying a Hampshire? Find out more about the essential characteristics that define the breed.
Learn more
Breed History
The first Hampshires in the UK were imported from the USA in 1968. The import was a ‘random sample’ of the breed. The pigs were extensively performance tested prior to being released to British breeders.
British Hampshires very soon became popular worldwide and in a twelve month period August 1978 to August 1979 more than 600 head were exported to 14 different countries.
The British Hampshire, both pure bred and crosses, have won many interbreed championships at the Royal Smithfield Show, London for carcases and live pigs.
During the 1980s and 1990s several new blood lines have been imported from the USA by embryo transfer and boar semen.
The British Pig Association (BPA) exists to conserve our rare breed pigs, promote our pedigree breeds and ensure breed longevity.