Red Wattle Hog

The Red Wattle Hog is on the critically endangered list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. That means that there are less than 200 annual registrations and an estimated world population of less than 2,000.

Appearance

Red Wattle hogs have been called "gentle giants" due to their very gentle nature. They are typically 600-800 pounds but can reach 1500 pounds. They typically measure four feet in height by eight feet length. Boars are larger than sows. They normally have eight to ten piglets per litter but can have up to 16. They are well known for their rapid growth rate, foraging ability, disease resistance, and hardiness.

History

The history of the Red Wattle hog is not clear. They were found again in the late 1960s and early 1970s by H. C. Wengler in East Texas. He is credited with starting the "Wengler Red Waddle Hog" line. (Note the spelling difference: "dd" in "waddle" instead of "wattle".) He wanted to make sure his were unique. About 20 years later, Robert Prentice located another herd of Red Wattle Hogs in East Texas as well. These became the Timberline line of Red Wattles. He also combined his Timberlines with Mr. Wengler's breed to make the Endow Farm Wattle Hogs.

During the boom in the hog market in the early 1980s there were three different registries for the Red Wattle Hog. Many people had them but there was never a central breed association. In 1999, when the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy looked again, there were only 42 breeding animals belonging to six breeders. The ALBC now maintains the pedigree book for the breed. Recently, there was a Red Wattle Hog Association started for the betterment of the breed.

There is still a search going on for remaining stock that has been kept over the years and not registered.

The Red Wattle Hog is also a chef's delight. Numerous high end restaurants serve them as a delicacy as the meat is very flavorful.

External links

* [http://www..albc-usa.org/cpl/redwattle.html The Red Wattle Hog on American Livestock Breeds Conservancy]
* [http://www.redwattlehogs.com redwattlehogs.com]
* [http://redwattle.org Red Wattle Hog Association]
* [http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark/red_wattle.html Slow Food USA]
* [http://www.diamond-n-ranch.com/index_files/Red_Wattles.htm Diamond N Ranch]