Red Wattle Hog

Red Wattle Hog is an American heritage pig breed with a reddish coat and a distinctive pair of fleshy, wattle-like appendages hanging from each side of the jowl, a trait not shared by most other pig breeds. The modern breed traces to feral hog populations rediscovered in Texas and Louisiana in the 1970s, from which breeders selected and stabilized the type as a distinct registered breed. It is known for a large, lean carcass, hardiness on pasture and good foraging ability, qualities that have made it attractive to small-scale and pasture-based pork producers seeking flavorful meat outside conventional commercial hog breeds. Red Wattle remains a rare breed, listed by heritage livestock conservation organizations, though its distinctive appearance and meat quality have helped it gain a following among specialty and heritage pork producers in recent decades.