Oxford Sandy and Black

The Oxford Sandy and Black is a British breed of domestic pig and one of the oldest British pig breeds, developed in the upper Thames Valley and Oxfordshire in the early nineteenth century. It died out by the 1960s or 1970s as industrial farming took over but was later recreated from surviving bloodlines, and the British Pig Association formally recognized it again in 2003. It is a medium to large pig with a sandy coat, ranging from pale sand to deep rust, marked with patches or blotches of black, and it has a slightly dished face, lop or semi-lop ears and a long, deep body. The breed forages well and resists sunburn, which suits it to outdoor keeping, and porkers reach market weight at around twenty-two weeks. It remains listed as at risk by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and endangered by the FAO, with roughly 473 to 520 registered sows kept by about 250 breeders as of 2021.