What is Quality?
Uploaded January 2006

In my opinion:
After recently meeting my major customer for the first time (after years of doing business without ever meeting each other - he is a butcher from London and I am producing Berkshires in Devon) I feel that the definition of a quality BK pig is open to some debate.

When Berkshire pigs breed then I believe the majority of anyone's pigs will be 'pork' quality. In other words, every pig should have the potential to make quality pork. But some pigs will have additional qualities:

A quality show pig. Some pigs will have all of the breed characteristics; good confirmation, good underline with 14 even teats, good straight topline, well filled hocks, a nice easy walk, a pretty face and an evident personality. Ideally with white points on the feet, nose and tail tip, and nowhere else. This pig will be a quality BK show pig, and a quality breeding pig. For boars to be retained for breeding then they should be of this quality.

A quality breeding pig. Some pigs will have all or most of the above characteristics, but will not be required for showing. I suppose the most important are confirmation and underline. The confirmation is the basis for the quality porker whilst the underline is essential for feeding a litter, and there can be 14 pigs born and raised. This pig will be a quality BK breeding pig.

But a quality porker does not need a pretty face, correct white points nor a good underline. The quality of a porker is largely under the control of it's keeper who can add meat and fat to the basic carcase with correct feeding. It must be fed, enough but not too much, and it must be kept healthy to finish (mature to pork weight) economically. A quality pig to my butcher looks quite thin compared with potential breeders or show pigs. The longer the back of the pig the better for his purposes, that's more of the expensive loin meat. And to him, if the carcase can be 45 to 55Kg or even 60 Kg deadweight (60 to 80 kg liveweight) without gaming excess fat, then that is added 'quality' as it is a bigger eye in the loin and more saleable pork to sell and set against his fixed abattoir and carriage costs.

Quality porkers are essential to the Berkshire breed for it to continue, as without the pork outlets then none of us would be breeding these pigs. You have to eat them to keep them.

We must continue to produce quality pork in order to continue to produce quality breeding and show pigs. In my opinion.
 

Sue Fildes