Hampshire Hogs in the USA Midwest

I grew up in Indiana, the oldest son of a farmer. My father’s notions as to which breeds of animals and field crops were best have stayed with me, influencing my opinions to this day.

His choices of cattle were Guernsey for milk production and Holstein for meat. I realize that Holstein is not usually considered a meat cow, but my dad always had a few young Holsteins growing toward butchering day in the early winter.

As to pigs, we always had Hampshires. My dad called them “hamps”. They are a medium to large hog with black skin and a white belt around their front shoulders and white front legs. Their ears were alert-looking, standing up so they appeared to be always paying attention to what was around them.

As I understand, the Hampshire is probably one of the oldest hog breeds to be introduced to the USA. That was in the early 1800s. This breed is common in Northern England and Scotland so it probably was brought by boat by Scotsmen moving to the New World to get set up in farming.

They are good at foraging for food, making them good for a new farm in a remote area. They can find grubs and roots as they root into the ground. Their size is sometimes criticized although their butchered carcases are of high quality. There is less fat on Hampshire hogs than some other large breeds. As time passed and improvements were made to the breed, it became a very popular hog in the Midwest states.

In Kentucky, one of the first associations featuring this hog was called the American Thin Rind Association. The name was popular, especially considering that it suggests that the skin of this hog is less thick than that of some other breeds. Other names for the breed have included McKay, McGee, Ring Middle and Saddleback. In 1904, the decision was made to give this breed one name so everyone knew which breed they were referring to. The chosen name was Hampshire.

This was one of the most popular hog breeds in the corn belt of the USA as early as 1910. In my mind, this is the breed to have on your farm.