Summer 2025
Strong Farrowings in 2Q
Looking at OSB Pork - rising performance
Water sources and provision with Louise Blenkhorn
Getting ready for Charcuterie with Mike Thompson
This Issue
Photo by Kathleen O’Shea
Let’s Rootle
As we settle into summer, we continue to hear positive news across the board for our wonderful breed. Despite the unpredictable weather, a clear reminder of the challenges we face and a sign of what's to come, our OSBPG Charity’s members and supporters continue to adapt with resilience and determination.
Farrowings have been strong, and pork production is thriving, as you will see in this issue. It is heartening to watch the hard work and dedication of our members making a real impact.
We are proud to say that OSB Pork is firmly making its mark.To celebrate the journey from field to fork, we are thrilled to announce OSB Pork Week thisAugust, a chance to showcase your incredible produce in all its glory. Let’s make some noise about our pork and honour the versatility, flavour and texture.
Our annual Big Fat Pig Quiz returns on Friday 25 July 2025 at 19:00 hrs. It promises to be another fantastic evening full of fun, laughter and a bit of friendly competition. Head to the events section in this issue for details then grab a chair, pour yourself a drink, sharpen those pencils and get ready for a great night in.
We hope you enjoy this summer edition of The Sandy Pig. As always, if you have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to get in touch, we are here to help however we can.
Wishing you a joyful, productive summer filled with sunshine, laughter and plenty of OSB moments.
Snout and About
Episode 6 of This Little Piggy Goes To..., the Lincolnshire Wolds with Russ Gleeson and Family of The Ginger Pig
Making Salami with Mike Thompson of Dumblehole
Join the OSBPG Charity for a special charcuterie session as supporter Mike Thompson shares his OSB pork salami recipe with fennel and chipotle chillies—covering prep, stuffing, and fermentation from start to finish.
Tune in as we chat withAnalise Cooper, an enthusiastic and driven 14-year-old who is already making her mark in farming. From caring for pigs, alpacas and goats to helping her family produce and sell delicious homemade OSB pork products,Analise embodies the future of British agriculture. With a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate under her belt, she shares her love for rural life, the value of honest food and her inspiring hopes for the next generation of farmers.
CELEBRATE OSB PORK WEEK
Want an OSB Pork Week info pack? Email hello@oxfordsandyblackpiggroup.org with “OSB Pork Week” in the subject line.
Let’s make this a week to sizzle, dazzle and inspire
Sharpen those pencils and get your brain in gear
Tickets are £3.50 per household, be in with a chance to win £100 and bid on some fantastic, generously donated auction lots.
Click HERE to grab your ticket and join the fun.
As temperatures rise and our pigs are enjoying their wallows and the sun on their backs, we all become aware of the importance of providing constant access to clean, fresh drinking water. But how often do we stop to consider what might be happening inside those drinkers?
Whether you are using buckets, nipple drinkers, or automatic trough systems, water hygiene involves more than just keeping vessels topped up. One of the lesser-known threats to pig health and performance is biofilm, which is more common than you might think.
What Is Biofilm?
Biofilm is a slimy, often invisible layer that forms at the boundary where water meets a solid surface. It may show up as a slippery residue inside drinkers or as unseen build-up in pipes and valves.
It begins when microorganisms like bacteria and algae attach to a surface and multiply. Over time, they form a structured community that houses bacteria, fungi, algae, and even parasites.These microbial colonies feed on water nutrients and minerals like calcium and iron, forming a resilient protective layer that’s extremely difficult to remove once established.
Why Is It a Problem?
Once biofilm takes hold, it becomes a breeding ground for pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, and even Legionella. It’s not always easy to detect, as many of these bacteria can lie dormant and are not routinely picked up in standard water sampling.
But the problem doesn’t end with hidden germs. Biofilm:
● Physically narrows pipework and reduces water flow
● Can corrode metal piping
● Shields harmful bacteria from cleaning agents like chlorine or peroxide, significantly reducing disinfection effectiveness
Managing Biofilm: What Can Be Done?
Biofilm management starts with proactive hygiene and routine inspection. Here’s how to stay ahead:
● Visually inspect pipes and fittings for slimy build-up
● Flush systems regularly, particularly after downtime
● Rotate cleaning agents to avoid microbial resistance
● Use approved water sanitisers, but remember some additives (like sugars, acids or vitamins) can actually feed biofilm
● In areas with hard water or high iron content, biofilm mineralises faster, making it harder to clean and more likely to block pipes
If you notice changes in gut health, water intake, or unexplained illness in pigs, biofilm should be one of the first areas you investigate.
The Bottom Line
Biofilm is a silent but serious threat to pig health, welfare and performance. It reduces water flow, harbours disease-causing organisms, and undermines the effectiveness of your hygiene protocols.
By maintaining high hygiene standards, regularly monitoring your water system and staying
OSBPG SOYA FREE FEED
The evolving interests of consumers, driven by a desire to understand and support local produce and producers, are a clear indication that our independent pork producers are successfully showcasing the quality of OSB Pork.Today's consumers are increasingly concerned about the origins and sustainability of their food, questioning aspects such as its source, rearing practices, breed, and the growing trend of feed composition fed to our pigs.
We continue to support and and collaborate with Harpers Feeds Ltd, in partnership with Massey Feed Group. Harpers Feeds not only emphasises environmental responsibility but also adheres to ISO 14001 standards, actively working to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainable farming practices. Last year, they introduced a soya-free feed, which has gained significant success.
The OSBPG Charity is now actively involved with Harper Feeds, proudly announcing the successful deployment of the soya-free feed.An exclusive account has been established at Harper Feeds for our supporters, allowing them to order directly. While this account focuses on pig feed orders, Harpers also offers feeds for poultry, cattle, and goats that supporters are welcome to include in their orders.The soya-free feed, available in 20kg bags or dumpy bags, is available in sow rolls, or 6mm pencils, comes with a minimum order of 1 tonne (50 bags) at the current price of GBP7.30 per bag, with a protein level of 15%.
For more information and to set up an account (without immediate commitment to order), please enquire about this exciting OSBPG Charity initiative Email: hello@oxfordsandyblackpiggroup.org.
Disease Contingency Plan – HaveYou DownloadedYoursYet?
AsAfrican Swine Fever (ASF) continues to threaten pig populations across Europe, preparedness at all levels of pig keeping is more important than ever.Thanks to the expertise of Louise Blenkhorn BSc(Hons) BMVS MRCVS, pig vet and founder of Emerald Veterinary Health, we now have a dedicated ASF Disease Contingency Plan tailored specifically for UK keepers.
Unlike the commercial sector, which regularly tests its biosecurity via structured simulations, the domestic sector — which represents over 17 pig breeds including traditional, rare, imported and “pet” pigs — remains volatile and exposed with no procedures in place.This is why the OSBPG Charity has taken proactive steps to try and bridge this gap.
Whether you are breeding pigs, producing pork for your table, or simply cherishing your pigs as part of the family, biosecurity matters. Disease such asASF does NOT discriminate by herd size or purpose.
TheASF Contingency Plan is freely available on our website — a practical, easy-to-follow guide to help you prepare, act swiftly and safeguard your pigs in the event of an outbreak. We have also shared it with other breed clubs and independent keepers to raise national awareness.
Download theASF Contingency Plan here
Let’s ensure we are not caught off guard. It is time to check, review and tighten our biosecurity. Be prepared.
NATALIE and ALAN LEWIS - OINKS OF UFFINGTON
APub lunch, a Phone Call and OSB Pigs: How Oinks of Uffington Began
As with every great idea it all started in the pub. Sat in our local one Sunday we received a text from a friend asking would we like two pigs.The decision was made there and then and so started out piggle journey.
Alan’s background is in catering.As a chef he would often express his concern about the origins of meat and find it difficult to trace the source of supply. So, with the added bonus of his dad owning a farm, we decided to take the step to produce our own, but we essentially had all the gear and no idea. It was going to be a short, sharp learning curve, but we had all the fundamentals in place and the drive to make it work.
The pigs in question were two Oxford Sandy and Black sows. WHAT?? We had no clue about the breed so we quickly researched as much as we could and finding the OSB charity has been invaluable.
The OSB breed, luckily for us, turned out to be the ideal breed for first time pig keepers. Promoted as being hardy, with nice temperament, good mothers and good meat.
Our main aim was to produce high quality meat to eat for ourselves and for friends and family to enjoy.The emphasis was on knowing where the food on our plate has come from and knowing that it has the best quality life and care.
Four years into our journey we are still very small scale with only four breeding sows including our OG's (original girls).The two original sows are from Dandy bloodlines and the two newer sows are from Gertrude bloodlines.
We are based in a small village on the outskirts of Shrewsbury in the beautiful Shropshire countryside. We are lucky enough to have out-door paddocks for the summer and barn areas for the winter months and for farrowing. We normally put two sows to the boar at one time so they farrow close together, we separate them about one week before their due date to allow them to settle and make the nest area. Creeps and hot lamps are added to the pens so that the little ones have a safe warm space.After weaning, our sows are kept in their pairs, this is to reduce any conflict that may arise.
This is manageable for us, as we both work full time and meets our demand for produce. From the litters that we have, only once a year, we sell meat weaners and keep a couple to rear ourselves. Our produce has received amazing feedback and we are very proud to have accomplished this. We use a local abattoir and a local family butcher to process the meat thus enabling us to offer our produce to a wider market.
At present we are able to offer a range of cuts, from traditional larger roasting joints, to smaller options such as pork loin, chops, belly pork, and of course, sausages.
We are hoping to be able to diversify our produce to include more charcuterie, which we are currently experimenting with various recipes. Our next project would be to add to a fixed structure, on the farm, for us to be able to process the produce ourselves and develop a more diverse range.The OSB Charity has been fundamental in helping us achieve all we have so far. We are still constantly learning and making decisions on the future.
We are hoping to continue to evolve and grow, with our piggle journey being far from over.
From Natalie andAlan Lewis - Oinks of Uffington.
NATALIE and ALAN LEWIS - OINKS OF UFFINGTON
Mike Thompson of Dumblehole
So tell us how have you ended up selling to the public?
Hmm, the first thing I would say is that we never intended to sell to the general public, probably like many of you reading this article we were interested in the provenance of our food. We were buying our food from a local farm shop but it turned out that the produce wasn't always local. If they or their suppliers were short they would buy at market and because it was butchered and packed locally it could be classified as local. That wasn't what we were buying into!Around about the same time I was saying to my wife that I wanted somewhere with a bit more land, her response was you're not a gardener what do you want more land for! Rather sensibly she thought it might be one of my harebrained schemes and to test my resolve we rented a couple of acres at an extortionate rate and looked to source a few lambs and weaners to fatten.
I didn't want mules or hill sheep as they have a habit of escaping, so we were looking for downland sheep and found a young couple with Rylands not far from us.Turns out they had Berkshire pigs as well so we ended up coming away with four lambs and four weaners and that's pretty much how we got started.
Now of course it seems extremely obvious but the Berkshires are porkers and hence need to go to the butcher at six months. Four porkers equals 200 kilos of pork to deal with, what do you do with all that meat? Sell to family and friends as you all know. Occasionally I’d make the odd salami, but the results were very unpredictable. Other than a mincer and sausage stuffer I didn’t have any equipment so the environment wasn’t controlled at all; just go with the flow hence the results follow the same pattern. So this was all going pretty well, we'd get a few weaners and lambs to fatten, run them on for a few months, get them butchered, sell to family and friends. What's not to like.Again like many of you, the next inevitable step was can we find a house with a few acres so that we can have everything onsite rather than a few miles down the road.The search was on, we looked in south Oxfordshire, down theThames Valley into Dorset through to Devon on to Cornwall but we didn't really find anything that would work or could afford. I was still working in ITand needed to be in theThames Valley/ London area in reality.
Valuing OSB Pork - doing what we do best
To cut a long story short in 2012 we moved into Dumblehole. Now we had the space we started to get into breeding in a bigger way with a Berkshire sow.The Berkshires were nice pigs but they are a pork breed and need to go to the butcher at 6 months or they’ll get too fat.This wasn’t ideal for us as we’d rather take a pig or two each month. We had had a couple of Berkshire OSB crosses which we’d run on, they weren’t too fatty and had a nice nature, so the search was on for OSBs.After a couple of false starts we picked up a trio and got piglets a plenty. Some we sold as weaners and the remainder ended up in the freezer. Whilst we sold to family, friends and villagers it was always touch and go if all the pork would get sold.The on tap supply probably kicked off the Charcuterie production. For as long as I can remember I’ve eaten charcuterie, Parma ham, salami, speck, saucisson sec I love them all. I had dabbled with making salamis and air dried ham from our own pork. In the early days it was all very ad hoc and results were mixed.
Now that I had a ready supply of pork on hand, I started to make salamis on a more regular basis. I bought more books, a set of Inkbird controllers and a small humidifier, we had an old dehumidifier from our sailing days and swiped a heat lamp from the lambing cupboard and popped everything into an old upright fridge freezer and we were in business! The results were much better, no failures, good flavour, but inconsistent, each batch was different. With better note taking, practice, and critical feedback from my wife and friends the consistency came. To this point I’d only made the occasional air dried ham. To make a Parma ham type takes a year or so, first you bury it in salt for weeks then wrap it in muslin and hang it up in the barn for at least 9 months. On occasion I’d have a failure and other times the results weren’t consistent and sometimes I’d like the
flavour and other times I wouldn’t so Parma ham style hadn’t got any traction. However I had all these books with umpteen recipes for air dried Coppa, Lonza and with a steady supply of pork I started to experiment.The results were good from the outset so good that my consumer research group, aka friends, transitioned to repeat customers.
At this point we still hadn’t sold to the general public, as I said at the start that was never the intention. During Covid we had demand from the village, post Covid that fell away a little plus we’d got into a rhythm with the OSBs, and we were getting to the point of having too many pigs.The feed bill was significant, so we either had to cut back or sell to the public. I quite fancied selling at the markets, and made enquiries at the local markets. We’re very lucky to have a butcher that will do all our packing and pricing, so we didn’t have to buy kit, although I did buy an exTesco van to use as cold storage. We signed up to a small monthly market and we were away. Environmental Health were happy as all the butchery, packing etc was happening offsite at an existing business, and we had our own refrigeration.
Tell us more about the Charcuterie?
I was getting a lot of requests for charcuterie from villagers and friends, plus even though we were selling pork and sausages at market, there was still a plentiful supply of pork. So it seemed like a no brainer, well to me at least, to ramp up the charcuterie. I contacted my EHO and she visited in March 2023 to check out the setup.At this time I was using the village hall kitchen, our kitchen and an ex upright fridge freezer out in the barn as a salami cabinet.The EHO wasn’t obstructive but wasn’t familiar with charcuterie production. EHOs are used to food either being refrigerated or cooked. When I said that the salamis spend 4 days at 24°C to get the fermentation going she was surprised to say the least, but we talked through the process and checks I had in place, and all was good.Although the EHO was OK with using the fridge freezer as a salami cabinet she didn’t like it being in an open barn, it needed to be in an enclosed room, you have to pick your battles! I showed her the old dairy in the house and she said that with a bit of remedial work it would be OK. One minor problem, the fridge freezer was too tall for the dairy, so I had to make a cabinet. No big deal or expense as I had a few sheets of ply lying around.The EHO arranged for several products to be sampled at no cost to me.The results were good which was very reassuring for both of us. So there we were selling raw meat and charcuterie at one market a month.
The charcuterie really helps level out the supply chain; previously if we had too much pork we’d have to freeze it. Selling frozen pork and sausages isn’t so easy and you can only eat so much yourselves! Charcuterie production is a slow process though, however once finished it has a long shelf and can sit in the fridge until you need it.
One market wasn’t enough; well it probably was but there’s always the temptation to do more and I succumbed. We were introduced to another market, unfortunately they had a butcher and possibly a charcutier as well. We got lucky, the charcutier wasn’t a producer and couldn’t commit so we got in. For the first couple of months we were selling just charcuterie and then the butcher retired due to ill health which meant we could sell pork and lamb as well. We were on a roll now.
In July 24 I retired and so the smallholding would have to pay its way rather than me propping it up, hence 2 markets were not enough!The temptation is to always do more, and I succumbed again.To be fair it’s not just financial as I need to keep busy. We’ve added another couple of farmers markets where we’re selling charcuterie.The feedback has been very positive and we’re getting plenty of repeat customers which is reassuring.
Salami Finocchiona, a traditional Italian fennel salami, was the first salami recipe I mastered. I’ve tweaked the recipe to make it my own, and have consistent results both of which are important for repeat business. On occasion I’ll make a garlic salami, it’s not saucisson sec which was what I was aiming for originally, but it proved popular so I’ve stuck with it. I do a chilli version and also Bergamo salami which is quite plain although it has a tiny amount of nutmeg and cinnamon in it.Tying off salamis is really time consuming, but they look great on the stall and sell. For the Christmas markets last year I made a few large salamis which sold surprising well as they were around £35 each. Folks were buying them as presents or as party food.
As for the air dried ham I have quite a range of cures as I keep experimenting and they’ve gone down well. I normally have six cures to sell at the market and at the last count I have 11 different cures. For anyone starting out I’d say start with the air dried hams rather than salami.Although it’s a lengthy process, it’s a simpler process and the hams are more tolerant of temperature and humidity fluctuations than salami.
Working out of the kitchen is a pain, it takes ages to get all the kit out from wherever it’s stored, and it takes just as long again to put it all back. Plus the kitchen is out of action for a day, which isn’t conducive to matrimonial harmony. Solution, get a shipping container and fit it out as my preparation unit. It was a big investment, around £7000 in the end even though I fitted it out myself, but it has been worth it.
Everything is to hand, I can stop for lunch without having to clear anything away. It’s sad I know but I’m really chuffed with it. It took longer to fit out than I anticipated, as I was fitting it out over the winter and the temperature was too low for sealants, glues and paints to work. Second I had quite a bit on at the time, so time was limited. However byApril we were up and running, the EHO visit went well and gave us a 5 hygiene rating so all good.
To wrap up how would you summarize where you are today?
I really enjoy the markets; people are far more into the provenance of their food these days and it’s a pleasure telling them how we farm. We are selling at five farmers/producers markets, I have sold wholesale to delis, but don’t as a rule as it means reduced margin.
It’s more time consuming than I anticipated, the other smallholding work is taking a back seat! We are on very long lead times as we breed everything we sell; it’s part of our story. The charcuterie itself can take up to 6 months before it’s ready and pigs are around 8-12 months old before they go to slaughter. This means planning future farrowing is quite important and you can’t ramp up production quickly.
OSBs are ideal for our setup, why? OSBs have a steep linear growth curve that doesn’t tail off until they are over 12 months.This means they gain weight quite quickly and the lean meat to fat ratio is pretty consistent from a 5 month old porker right through to a baconer at 12 months.This is perfect for a small operation such as ours where we’ll send 1 or 2 pigs each month.
There’s no set age for a charcuterie pig. I’ve made charcuterie from porkers on up.The eldest was a 3 year old sow where the quality of the meat was superb with marbling throughout.This flexibility makes it so much easier to smooth out the supply spikes.
Not only are the OSBs flexible the quality of their meat is superb and our aim is this comes through in our produce. Whilst genetics are important, I believe that diet and environment are as important. Other than customer feedback I don’t have anything quantitative to back this
belief up, however our customers are interested to see and hear how we raise our stock.
To finish off, the good news is that the smallholding is paying its way plus a bit.
OSBPG Farrowing Update
Farrowing Report - Second Quarter 2025
The second quarter of 2025 has brought again strong results for the Oxford Sandy and Black breed, with an overall increase in both the number of litters and litter sizes. Primarily, June closed the quarter with an impressive 205 piglets born alive, including the largest recorded litter to date with 18 Piglets, 16 born alive in the Dorset.
Despite variable weather patterns across the UK, fertility levels have remained strong, with no evident decline. This is a positive reflection of the efforts our breeders are making in selecting compatible pairings, demonstrating the success of ongoing improvements in breeding practices and stock management.
Total Farrowings and Piglets Born – Q2 2025
BetweenApril and June 2025, a total of 58 farrowings were recorded across 16 counties, including regions in both Wales and Scotland.
Overall Totals:
● Gilts Born: 246
● Boars Born: 298
● Total Piglets: 544
These figures again, as in the first quarter of 2025 demonstrate a strong period of productivity, indicating that demand for Oxford Sandy and Black litters remains high. Breeders continue to meet this demand with confidence, reflecting both the vitality of the breed and the effectiveness of exceptional breeding practices. .
Geographical Breakdown of Farrowings – Q2 2025
The following chart illustrates the regional percentage distribution of farrowings across the UK during the second quarter of 2025. It showcases the strength and dedication of Oxford Sandy and Black pig breeders throughout the country.
This geographical reach reinforces the collective effort behind sustaining and enhancing the breed
Litter Variability
This quarter has seen encouraging variability in litter sizes, with several notably large farrowings recorded. In Dorset, a standout litter of 18 piglets was farrowed in June, sired by Clarence and out of Cynthia bloodline.
Similarly, litters of 15 piglets were recorded in Somerset, sired byAlexander, out of Gloria bloodline and in Warwickshire sired by Jack, out of Gertrude.
These steadfast litter sizes are a correlation of the careful planning by our breeders who are prioritising fluid compatible pairings punctuated with strong key indicators of sound genetics. In addition, improvements in feed quality and balanced nutrition have played a vital role in supporting sow condition, fertility and piglet viability, contributing significantly to the successful outcomes recorded this quarter.
Sow and Boar Performance
Sow Performance
The Gertrude sow line was the most widely used across the quarter, particularly strong inApril and May. Cynthia, Duchess, and Clare followed closely behind, showing excellent reproductive reliability and genetic desirability. The diversity of sow lines used demonstrates breeders’awareness of maintaining genetic balance while favouring proven maternal performance.
Boar Performance
Jack was the dominant boar line this quarter, especially prominent inApril and May, being used in over 30% of all recorded litters. Clarence remained consistently popular across all three months, while Alistair saw strong use particularly in the South West and North.These lines have continued to demonstrate strong fertility traits, temperament, and high piglet survival rates.
Regional Observation
● Scotland & Wales: Strong presence in both sow and boar diversity.
● South West (Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset): High farrowing frequency and larger litters.
● Shropshire & Warwickshire: Notable for balanced sex ratios and repeat use of top-performing boars.
ROUND-UP
The second quarter of 2025 reflects a period of robust farrowing activity and strong breed performance across the Oxford Sandy and Black Pig breeding network.Atotal of 58 farrowings were recorded betweenApril and June, resulting in 544 piglets born298, boars and 246 gilts, across 16 counties, including activity in both Wales and Scotland.
ROUND-UP cont…
This period has highlighted key areas of growth, with larger-than-average litters observed in several regions, including a litter of 18 in Dorset. Such outcomes are indicative of sound breeding strategies, strong maternal characteristics and effective use of high-performing boar lines such as Clarence, Jack,Alistair, andAlexander. Sow lines including Gertrude, Cynthia, Duchess and Clare have also proven highly productive, contributing to the maintenance of diverse and resilient genetic foundations within the breed.
Importantly, the correlation between good litter sizes and the provision of high-quality nutrition and feed management has been evident throughout this quarter. Breeders who prioritised condition scoring, balanced rations and tailored nutritional support have reported more consistent farrowing outcomes and improved piglet viability.
In summary, theApril – June 2025 data demonstrates that the breed is performing well across multiple regions, supported by thoughtful breeding decisions, effective husbandry practices and increased awareness of the genetic and environmental factors influencing productivity.These outcomes place the breed in a strong position as we move into the second half of the year, with continued focus on genetic integrity, welfare and sustainability.
Soya Free Planet Range - Harpers Feed. Tried and tested on OSBs with great results
For more information and to set up an account (without immediate commitment to order), please enquire about this exciting OSBPG Charity initiative Email: hello@oxfordsandyblackpiggroup.org.
Louise Blenkhorn
Vet Chat
Louise Blenkhorn, BSc(Hons), BVM&S, MRCVS, is an independent pig veterinary consultant and the owner of Emerald Veterinary Health, based in EastYorkshire.Apig farmer’s daughter, Louise combines deep-rooted agricultural knowledge with specialist veterinary expertise.
Outside of her professional role, Louise leads a busy family life as a mother to Emma andAva.Alongside her husband Neil, she also manages a successful herd of Limousin beef cattle and a thriving flock of BlueTexel sheep, further reflecting her commitment to British farming and livestock welfare.
Water Sources
Water and its various sources; mains water must be potable and non-mains water (i.e. borehole or spring) should be tested annually to ensure it is within the acceptable parameters for livestock.There are kits available for water sampling from your veterinarian.
Acceptable drinking water parameters are:
Coliforms levels less than 100 Colony Forming Units (CFU) per 100ml TVC levels less than 1000CFU per ml
Water requirements are related to the feeding system in operation.
Awet feeding system requires a minimum of one fresh water drinker per 30 pigs.
For water provided in troughs the space requirements are as follows:
The flow rate and height of the drinker should be appropriate for the age and type of pig, outlined in the table.
Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Foundation Charity - OfficialApp
The FREE application from the Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Foundation Charity #1190469 (England & Wales) SC052662 (Scotland) .
Our app gives you access to all our key info and tools whilst you're on the move.Tools such as:
- Pig WeightTool
- Farrowing DateTool
- Standstill Calculator
- Feed Calculator
-Abattoir Checklist
-Access to our Breeders Map
- GSAProgram
- and loads more
Helping our Independent Producers, the OSBPG charity provides valuable support
The OSBPG Foundation Charity is always thinking of ways to help our independent pork producers.
Our pork is first and foremost as it is representative of our breed, its flavour, its texture, its colour and its versatility. The OSBPG Charity recognise the hard work and dedication from our independent producers, breeders and keepers of the Oxford Sandy and Black pig. Furthermore, we see the value in what you do, and as such Kathryn Green-Smith has designed the OSBPG Charity Pork labels. The labels are free, personalised and are in recognition of the value that you show in producing OSB Rare Breed pork.
Just like Mr. & Mrs. Edmond of Poppyfields Fine Produce, you can also own your free 150 OSB Pork Labels here .
Fricassee of Pork with Baby Onions and Button Mushrooms
Ingredients
● (4 portions)
● 600g OSB pork shoulder cut into neat dice approximately 10mm
● 200g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
by Chef Willie Pike MBE
Method
● Cover the meat with cold water and bring to the boil.
● Strain through a colander and rinse under a cold tap to remove all scum.
● Place the meat in a clean pan and cover with the chicken stock, add the carrots to the pan along with the onion and thyme.
● Bring slowly to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 90 minutes until the pork is quite tender.
● Strain off the cooking liquid, and reserve place the pork in a dish and cover, discard the herbs and vegetables.
● Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring.
● Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the strained cooking liquid and season well.
● Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
● Simmer the sauce gently for 5 minutes and check the consistency.
● Prepare the garnish by cooking the onions in butter until golden, add the mushrooms (add a little stock to prevent burning).
● Strain the sauce and add the cream, correct the seasoning and consistency and add the cooked pork.
● Spoon pork into suitable dish and add garnish, finish with chopped fresh parsley.
● 1 onion, skinned and cut into quarters
● small bunch fresh thyme
● 600ml chicken stock or cube with water
● salt and freshly ground pepper
● 30g butter
● 30g plain flour
● 120ml single cream
Garnish
● 50g butter
● 120g button onions
● 120g small button mushrooms
● pinch freshly chopped parsley
OSBPG Breeders and Producers
If you’re looking for weaners, wonderful OSB Pork, breeding stock, or boars to hire, then look no further than our Interactive “Breeders and Producers Map” We have over 100 breeders and producers located all over the United Kingdom and Ireland. So if your looking pop on over to our website and see who is near you.
If you’re an OSB Pork Producer or Breeder yourself, then why not get yourself listed for “FREE” on our map. Our website has over 3,000 visitors every month, with hundreds looking for OSB Pork, Breeding Stock and Weaners.
Click here to add yourself to our map for “FREE”
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