Red Wattle hog

Red Wattle hog

Conservation status	Threatened[1]
Other names	Red Wattle pig
Country of origin	USA
Standard	Red Wattle Hog Association
Traits
Weight	Male: 750 lb (340 kg)[1]
	Female: 550 lb (249 kg)[1]
Hair	various shades of red, sometimes almost black
Pig Sus scrofa domesticus

The Red Wattle hog, or Red Wattle pig, is a breed of domestic pig originating in the United States.^[2] It is named for its red color and distinctive wattles or tassels, and is on the threatened list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC).

Characteristics

Red Wattle hogs are characterized by their red coat and distinctive wattles. They typically weigh 600–800 pounds (270–360 kg). Large specimens can reach 1,200 pounds (540 kg) in weight, 4 feet (120 cm) in height and 8 feet (240 cm) in length. They normally have 10 –15 piglets per litter.^[1] They grow fast, forage well, and are hardy, mild-tempered and resistant to disease. They are suitable for extensive management.^[3]

History

The early history of the Red Wattle hog is not clear. The modern breed descends from animals found in East Texas in the late 1960s and early 1970s by H. C. Wengler, who cross-bred two unknown red sows with a Duroc boar to start the "Wengler Red Waddle" line. Other animals were found, also in East Texas, about 20 years later by Robert Prentice, and became the Timberline line of Red Wattles. Prentice also crossed his Timberlines with Wengler's line to make the Endow Farm Wattle Hogs. In the 1980s three breed registries were maintained, but there was no central breed association. In 1999 the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy found only 42 breeding animals belonging to six breeders.^[1] A Red Wattle Hog Association was started, which since September 2012 has maintained the pedigree book for the breed.^[4] The Red Wattle hog is listed by Slow Food USA in the Ark of Taste.^[3]

References

1. Red Wattle hog. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Accessed June 2014.
2. Breed data sheet: Red Wattle/United States of America. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2014.
3. Red Wattle Hog. Slow Food USA: Ark of Taste. Accessed June 2014.
4. The Red Wattle Hog Association (RWHA) and The Red Wattle Project. Red Wattle Hog Association. Accessed June 2014.