Порода свиней Темворс - Беконного направления продуктивности. Темворс, одна из старейших пород свиней в мире. Была выведена в Англии. Свиньи породы Темворс обладают хорошей выносливостью, хорошо переносят суровые климатические условия. В основном, свиней этой породы разводят на севере, из-за хорошей приспособленности к холодам и ветрам. По характеру свиньи Темворс очень общительные и неплохо ладят с другими животными, даже с крупным рогатым скотом, поэтому их можно содержать вместе. К тому же они всеядны. К кормам неприхотливы и могут использовать различные корма, в том числе корма для КРС. Разводятся в таких странах как: Англия, Австралия, Канада, США, Новая Зеландия. В Росси эта порода свиней широко не распространена.

Свиньи породы Темворс обладают крепкой конституцией и хорошо развитым костяком. Хорошо развита мускулатура. Туловище узкое, удлиненное. Длина туловища хряков составляет 100-140см. Голова длинная. Уши широкие и острые, стоячие. Шея длинная, широкая. Ноги короткие, крепкие. Порода относится к пестрой масти. Туловище равномерно покрыто тонкой блестящей щетиной. В период с июня по август свиньи породы Темворс линяют. Цвета кожи варьируются от ярко рыжего до темно-красного. Также встречаются белые окраски с черными пятнами на спине.

Такой окрас свиней Темворсов вызвал немало предположений относительно их происхождения. К родоначальникам причисляли кабанов − производителей рыжей масти из Китая, Индии, Барбадоса, Западной Африки. Однако Темворсы произошли от британских черно-рыжих Стаффордширских свиней, не имеющих в крови азиатской или другой экзотической примеси.

Многоплодие свиней Темворс, среднее и составляет 6-10 поросят за опорос. Материнский инстинкт выражен очень ярко: мамаша хорошо кормит свое потомство и внимательно за ним следит. Молодняк к 7-8 месяцам набирает вес до 100 кг. Мясо не жирное, постное, вкусное. Бекон, ветчина отличного качества. Для получения более жирного продукта свиноматок темворсов скрещивают с беркширами или с другими коммерческими породами.

Свиньи Темворсы были особенно популярны в середине XX века, в 50-х годах, но всего через двадцать лет, к 1973 году, почти сошли на нет. Не известно, как сложилась бы их дальнейшая судьба, если бы не случай: сбежавшие рыжие поросята обратили на себя пристальное внимание всех английских СМИ, после чего были выделены средства на возрождение этой породы свиней.

В настоящее время разведением Темворсов занимаются: Англия, США, Канада, Австралия. В нашей стране эти свиньи пока не получили широкого распространения.

Особенности породы свиней Темворс:

• Хорошо приспособлены к холодам

• Хорошо используют пастбища

• Могут выпасаться вместе с КРС

• Неприхотливы в кормлении

• Бекон хорошего качества

Недостатки породы свиней Темворс:

• Низкое многоплодие

• Иногда вьющаяся щетина

Tamworth Pigs

The Tamworth is one of the oldest pig breeds.  It is the most direct descendant of the native pig stock of Europe that in turn descended from wild boars. The breed originated in the Midlands of England and takes the name of the town Tamworth in Staffordshire.  It appears, while in Ireland in 1809, Sir Robert Peel was impressed by a breed of pig referred to as the "Irish Grazer". He imported several to his Drayton Manor Estate at Tamworth, about 1812. (Apparently Irish Grazers were imported into the USA and became extinct there in the nineteenth century.) Much of the improvement of the breed took place in Staffordshire and also in the counties of Warwick, Leicester and Northhampton, England. It is unknown whether the improvement was made solely by selection but most experts believe that improvement of the breed could only have been accomplished by crossbreeding.

By the middle of the 19th century the Tamworth was very popular and was being exported widely. In 1865 it was given breed recognition at the English Royal Show and by the 1870s was well established. Export to North America began at about the same time. The first Herd Book was started in England in1885.  Since 1888 large numbers were introduced into Canada.  Most importations to the USA have been from Canada.

In about 1877, Canada received the first Tamworth pigs brought to this continent The pigs which comprised the earliest importations were coarse and unattractive; consequently the breed made indifferent progress at first.  The first Tamworth pigs were admitted to the Dominion Swine Breeders Association Herd Book in 1893, at which time Walter T. Elliot of Hamilton was one of the leading breeders. There was a growing interest beginning in the early 1890’s when importations from England increased.  Although quite correctly classified as a bacon breed, the Tamworth failed to win such wide spread support as that ultimately enjoyed by the Yorkshire. 

The first importation to the United States was in 1882 however the breed never did experience much favour.

In Canada, many farms had a few Tamworths until the 1960’s. Regulations against keeping pigs in barns with dairy cattle, new systems of grading pork and the introduction of confinement rearing systems contributed to the decline of the Tamworth in the last 40 years.

The characteristics of the Tamworth reflect the breed’s centuries of selection for an outdoor life. Pigs of this breed were expected to find their own food, especially mast (or acorns) of oak and beech forests. Long heads and impressive snouts enable these pigs to be efficient foragers. Long, strong legs and sound feet give Tamworth pigs the ability to walk for considerable distances. Ginger red coats make the pigs adaptable to a variety of climates and protect them from sunburn. Tamworths have an active intelligence, and they are agreeable in disposition. Sows are prolific, able to produce and care for large litters. The piglets are vigorous and often have 100% survivability. Both sexes of this breed reach a mature weight of 500-600 lbs (227-272 kg).

The Tamworth was traditionally considered a “bacon” breed, meaning that the pigs thrived on low energy foods but grew slowly. They produced meat and bacon that was lean and fine grained. The breed has an excellent carcass yield of up to 70% due to their fine bones creating a more productive meat to bone ratio for finished meat products.

The Tamworth is a very hardy animal. Its background as the forest pig means that it is ideally suited to outdoor production, even in rough woodland. A rugged and thrifty animal particularly suited for grazing, salvaging crops or following behind grazing cattle. They are disease resistant and tolerant of temperature extremes. Their ginger colour protects them from sunburn.

Primarily a bacon-pig, the Tamworth declined in popularity because of competition from modern breeds as is it not suitable for the intensive confined rearing methods Tamworths were favored the most by bacon curers because of their length and depth of sides, light waste, and their large portion of lean red meat to fat. The Tamworth is highly adaptable and suited to both quality pork and bacon production – particularly in grazing operations.

The Tamworth is one of the most prepotent of the breeds in fixing its type of offspring. There has never been any radical change in the type of the Tamworth, so whatever influence any outside blood may have had has not been extremely marked. It can be said to the credit of the Tamworth breeders that improvement in the breed was made through gradual selection for the kind of hog that would make the most desirable bacon-type carcass. They make an excellent choice for cross-breeding because they are so distantly related to modern breeds.

In Alberta, Art Froman has ten bloodlines. In Ontario the most distant relationship is second cousins. In the UK, Rare Breeds Survival Trust has Tamworth semen banked. To supplement the bloodlines in the UK, males from the Ranger line were imported from Australia in the last few years.