The Hampshire is an American breed of domestic pig. It derives from saddlebacked pigs imported to Kentucky from about 1825 from the English county of Hampshire. It has a black body with a white band or sheet over the shoulders and extending down the front legs; the ears are erect.

History

The Hampshire derives from saddlebacked pigs imported to Kentucky between about 1825 and 1835 from the county of Hampshire in south-east England. Pigs remaining in this part of England developed later into the Wessex Saddleback. The American National Swine Registry notes this as the fourth "most-recorded breed" of pig raised as livestock in the United States, and probably the oldest American breed of hog.{{r|nsr} It has been exported to almost sixty countries, in all five inhabited continents. The total population reported world-wide is approximately 160,000, of which over 20,000 are in the United States; the largest population is in Argentina, where there are more than 125,000 head. Its conservation status world-wide is "not at risk".

Characteristics

It has a black body with a white band or sheet over the shoulders and extending down the front legs; the ears are erect.

Use

Hampshire hogs are noted for being well-muscled and rapid growers, and for exhibiting good carcass quality when used as meat animals. When used as breeding stock, the sows of this breed have been praised for their capacity as mothers, having "extra longevity in the sow". Hampshires are good-tempered; they do not grow as fast as many cross-breds, but they do grow faster than American Yorkshires.