The Berkshire is an old fashioned Heritage breed of pig, known for it’s exceptional table qualities and succulent flavour! It is largely a black breed with a white splash on it’s face, four white points and a white tail tip.
But not all Berkshires are the same…. as it is not just the breed that makes our pork so delicious! Much of pork quality comes from the way in which the pigs are raised. We raise our animals in a natural environment, with opportunity to root in the brush, wallow in the mud, run around in the grass, and feel the sunshine on their backs.
By giving them plenty of space to move around and exercise the meat takes on a fine marbling of fat, much like the marbling you see in a good cut of beef. Pigs raised in confinement do not have this marbling, resulting in pork that will be dry when cooked. A pasture raised Berkshire will produce rich, dark meat with a full flavour.
Our Berkshire Pigs are raised in family groups on pasture and woodland year round and are fed a healthy natural diet, which is free of medications and hormones. Their diet is supplemented with apples & other garden produce.
During the winter they have a snug, thickly bedded shelter and in summer they have trees for shade with plenty of space to root and graze.
We allow our sows the freedom to give birth in a natural, unconfined
environment. The piglets stay with the sow and usually wean naturally from the mother’s milk at about twelve weeks old.
we are purchasing our first berkshire sow piglet next week with a fellow that is getting a boar and sow piglets all of different blood lines we already have a boar and 3 sows which are large blacks it looks like the berkshires will be a good addition now can you put family groups in same pasture and how do you tell them apart
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We put family groups together. Our 2 sows and boar are all Pure Bred Berkshires so they are registered with the Canadian Swine Breeders Association and have tags in their ears, therefore telling them apart is not a problem. The weaners are mostly reared for meat so it is not necessary to know which litter they came from. If we are keeping a weaner for breeding then we would register it and put a tag in it’s ear.
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How adorable are those piglets 🙂
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They sure are a lot of fun to have around the place – I never get tired of watching them.
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HI I would be very interested in a boar piglet if his bloodline is different from the Ross Farm Berkshires. We are getting a pair of registered gilts from them and it would be great to find an unrelated boar. Thanks Neil and Helen Jarvis
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Hi Neil,
The sow (RFM STEPHANIE 51X -[CAN]1915509) was from Ross Farm and the boar (SHANI MORRIS W1 -[CAN]1961703) was from Shani’s farm. You can check their bloodlines on the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation website. I think Ross Farm have several sows and boars so it may be a different line.
The piglets were advertised for $200 at four months old but are now six months old and a live weight of approx 200lbs. so with the high cost of feed to raise them, we may have to rethink the price.
We have sold two boars in the past for breeding and both have proved to be great pigs – very docile and easy to handle and good natured with other pigs.
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I was down on the farm last night, they were so helpful in answering all my questions, I can wait to buy my pig of of them this spring.
thanks
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Hi Jane,
Thank you for allowing us and all our foolish questions to interrupt your day. I am interested in buying meat when it ready. The distance is a bit of a problem tho, especially since Jaya isn’t there anymore. Do any of you travel this way? In any case, I may be going to Yarmouth occasionally. Perhaps that would work….
Daphne
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Hi Daphne,
It’s always nice to show people around the farm and know that there is a growing number of people who care about where their food comes from. Hearing kind and encouraging comments about the way in which we raise our animals helps to reinforce why we are doing it this way!
We are sometimes in your area, (we have a son at Acadia), so we could arrange delivery of meat, or you are always welcome to call at the farm.
Let me know if there are any special cuts of meat that you would like and we’ll tell our butcher next time we take pigs to him.
thanks,
Jane
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I want to purchase 3 piglets to raise in our sheltered out door pasture like we do every year. Will you have any availible this spring?
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The piglets from our first litter are all sold, but our second sow will be having her litter soon. I can let you know when they have been born and if you are still interested we can reserve 3 for you. Where are you located?
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Hi Laura,
Our second litter should be born this weekend. I’ve received lots of requests for weaners – could you let me know if you are still interested in having some.
Thanks
Jane
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Hi Laura,
Our second litter should be born this weekend. I’ve received lots of requests for weaners – could you let me know if you are still interested in having some.
Thanks
Jane
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Hello Jane, do you still have any piglets available from your second litter?
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Hi Tracy, Our second litter should be born this weekend (we think), so far 4 are sold and possibly a further 2. Our sow usually raises 10-12 healthy piglets so we should have some available. How many were you looking for?
We always wait until they are about 8 weeks old before weaning, so they’re a good size when we sell them and we charge $125 each piglet.
Jane
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Hi Jane, Put me down for two females definitely, having to wait until they are weaned isn’t a problem. Would you like a deposit?
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Hi Tracy,
I’ll reserve 2 females for you. I’ll confirm once they are born and we know exactly what we have and then a deposit would be great. Where are you located?
Jane
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Hi Jane, I have sent you an email.
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Do you have any females left?
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Hi Melanie,
I’m sorry, but all our piglets are sold for this year.
thanks for the enquiry,
Jane
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Hi;
It’s nice to find people already doing what I hope to eventually do! Your pigs look like they are finding their pigness in all its natural beauty!
best, mark
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It’s a great lifestyle although it’s hard work at times. Goood luck in your future plans to grow some of your own food.
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Hello
Do you have any live female piglets for sale ? Looking for 10-15
Thank you
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I’m sorry but all our piglets are sold for this year. Thanks for the enquiry, Jane
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Hi good morning,im just asking if theres one of your branch here in philippines to get berkshire piglets and if no,can you do shipping the pigs??please let me know..thanks
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Mimi, Thank you for your interest in Berkshire pigs. We are just a small family farm raising a few pigs for ourselves and the local market. Jane
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Hi,
We live in Northern Maine (not far from Perth-Andover and Edmunston) and are interested in Berkshire pigs. Have you had anyone import your pigs into the US?
Thanks,
Shannon
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Hi Shannon, We have never imported pigs into the US. You would need to check what paperwork is needed by US Customs. Jane
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hi im looking to get 4/5 purebred Berkshires any chance you will have some this year?
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Alisha, all our spring litters are already reserved. We don’t usually do a second litter but If you were able to put a deposit down we could raise another litter in the fall. They would be born Sept/Oct and be ready to go Nov/Dec. our boar and sows are all registered pure bred Berkshire, So you would have the option of registering the piglets as purebred. Where are you located?
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Just wondering if u sold boars and or gilts for breeding stock if not could u possibly direct me those that do thx much and cheers.
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We have sold boars and gilts as breeding stock but don’t have any at the moment. All our spring litters are already reserved but we could raise a second litter in the fall if we had enough people wanting to purchase piglets. Weaners would be ready to go at 8-10 weeks old in Nov/Dec.
Our sows and boar are registered pure bred Berkshire so you would have the option of registering the piglets.
Were you looking for boars or gilts?
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I’m looking to get 2 young Gilts and was Wondering what costs are and if you have any available?
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Here is my little berkshire pigs.
http://www.theberkshirepork.com/
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