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Savin Hill Farm, South Lakeland - our farming philosophy.
| On the Farm | The British White
Cattle | The Middle White Pigs |
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Hawkshead Brewery | Traditional Pig Keeping |
| Story and Exploration of the Farm | Meet some other British White Herds |
Savin Hill's aim is to preserve three of England's traditional native breeds and promote some of the finest foods available. We breed and rear Middle White Pigs, British Saddleback Pigs and British White Cattle on our farm. We are very passionate about traditional British farm breeds. We also support other breeders of British Whites by purchasing cattle from them. We are a closed herd with our Middle White Pigs.
The highest standards in animal husbandry are of paramount importance at Savin Hill Farm. Our cattle are fully registered pure bred pedigree animals. Our pigs are pure pedigree. When you buy produce from us you are guaranteed of its traceability and the genuine taste of traditional breed meats.
Shaun is responsible for all the farming at Savin Hill. He has over 12 years of herd management experience and has been breeding the British White Cattle at Savin Hill for ten years and within the last four established the Middle White Herd. 2006 saw the arrival of our 1st Saddleback pigs.
At this time we have three stock bulls, Marmaduke, Orlando and Balor. Keeping three bulls ensures that we can maintain different bloodlines throughout our herd. We currently have three Middle White boars Rupert, Roger and Henry II for the same reasons. Breeding animals at Savin Hill are given individual names as well as their pedigree numbers. Pawel works alongside Shaun on the Farm to ensure that all animals are properly cared for.
The British White Cattle are a Minority Breed. They originally roamed the Forest of Bowland during the 1500's in Lancashire. They were domesticated by the then owner of Whalley Abbey, Richard Assheton in the 1550's. The British White was traditionally a dual purpose breed up until the war however when continental breeds such as the Holstein and Belgian Blue of higher milk and beef yields were imported the numbers began to decline. It was then that the breed became almost purely a beef producer.
There is also a British White Cattle Society in America. Some animals were sent there during the 2nd World War by Winston Churchill in order to preserve the breed. These preservation methods of our farming heritage (see news page Pigs on Islay) have been critical in ensuring the survival of most of our traditional native breeds.
As with most traditional native breeds they are slower maturing than most commercial farm breeds. The cattle at Savin Hill Farm are usually between 24 and 30 months old before being taken to the abattoir. This means that the cattle on our farm have been growing and maturing for, in some cases, nearly double the time of commercially farmed beef. We also sell British White beef from animals that we have purchaced from other breeders throughout the UK. Monitoring this process carefully to ensure the appropriate grading and confirmation of these carcasses are equal to that of our own. This helps to promote the breed and encourages farmers to keep higher numbers of the breed, adding to the long term sustainability of British White cattle numbers in the UK. We are members of the British White Cattle Society where if you wish, you can find out more about the breed.
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Our Middle White Pigs are usually outdoors (see picture of Rupert and some of our sows below) throughout the summer months and during the harsher winter months they are housed indoors, bedded on straw (see picture with farm chickens). We maintain daily contact with all our animals on the farm and see this as an integral part of our responsibility as farmers of healthy pigs and cattle.
At Savin Hill Farm we have won several awards for the taste, flavour and quality of our Middle White Pork, confirming that it is a traditional porker breed. The Middle White Pigs are a rare breed, the breed was established in Keighley, West Yorkshire by a weaver in 1851. He crossed the then Small White (now extinct) with the more commonly known Large White hence we have the Middle White. The Middle White will have fewer piglets in a litter (usually approximately 9) than hybrid pigs, they are also slower growing.
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We keep several pedigree bloodlines;
Sow* |
Fair Lady | Boar* |
Rajah |
| Purity | Mischief | ||
| Woodlands Lady | |||
| Yootha | |||
| Dorothy |
Birth Notification
When a sow* farrows* we "birth notify" her piglets with the British Pig Association, this must take place before the piglets are 12 weeks old. On Savin Hill Farm the piglets are weaned at around 6 weeks old, it is usually at this stage when we register them and some litters are tattooed. They are tattooed with individual identification numbers and letters in their ear, these piglets are ones that we may decide to keep at a later date. The tattoo uniquely identifies the pig enabling it to be traced back, at anytime, to Savin Hill Farm.
Birth Notification involves completing a form containing information such as the sex of the piglets, the ear tattoo or tag number, the number of teats, the birth weight and weaning weight (8 weeks old). Also required are the details of the Sire* and Dam*, the service date, birth date, and the weaning date. The Sire and Dam must also have been registered with the BPA before we can register our litter.
If you wish to breed and register pedigree pigs you must be a member of the British Pig Association, you can find out much more about pigs by visiting the BPA website.
Pedigree Registration
As pedigree pig breeders we would select breeding pigs at about 6 months old. This allows us the opportunity to choose pigs with good confirmation, good teat line (no dummy teats*), 14 teats are preferable for Savin Hill Farm. All pigs must walk well on their feet and last but not least, they should have that special x factor.
Pedigree Registration is also done through the BPA. This involves completing a form which has been previously purchased from the BPA. This should contain information about the Sire and Dam, their full names, ear numbers and letters, the date of birth of the pig and its ear number together with information about the breeder.
*Definitions appendix
Boar - Male Pig
Sow - Female Pig who has had more than one litter of piglets
Gilt - Female Pig who has had zero or one litter of piglets
Farrows - When a pig gives birth
Sire - Father of the piglets
Dam - Mother of the piglets
Dummy teats - non lactating teat
Gestation period - three months,
three weeks and three days
We are members of the Middle White Pig Breeders Club where if you wish, you can find out more about the breed.
The end product is worth waiting for, the pork is flavoursome, moist and finely textured. The loin of pork is extremely good either cut into steaks or roasted in the conventional way.
As well as eating grass we feed our livestock on the brewers grains used in the beer making process at Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley nr Kendal. The animals recieve a specific amount of the grains every day in their diet.
Traditional Pig Keeping Book Launch
A book on traditional pig keeping was launched in July 2006 at the Royal Show. The cover of the book is graced by two of our Middle White Sows, Betty and Milly, they are also shown on the picture above. The book, by Carol Harris is a comprehensive guide covering all aspects of pig husbandry. It is aimed at the small scale farmer and includes day to day management such as housing, breeding, showing, sales and marketing, welfare, food regulations and organic pig keeping.
The book is available from www.farmingbooksandvideos.com
What does Rare and Minority breed mean?
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a body set up to ensure that numbers of traditional native breed farm animals are monitored they therefore help to safeguard part of our farming heritage. There are two sectors which the RBST monitors these are Rare Breed and At Risk. The rare being the breeds that require the most attention and the at risk being breeds who's number have increased sufficiently to require less direct input but still kept under observation by the trust.
The RBST have a particularly good web site where you will find out much more about the breeds we farm as well as other native breeds. The page concerning meat and uses of rare breeds is of particular interest. www.rare-breeds.com