JOB VACANCIES

Experienced Stockman wanted must be local person as no accommodation available.

Volunteers welcome, no experience necessary

Livestock for Sale:

Cattle:

Traditional Hereford Suckler Cow    £1000.00

  "                    "        Heifer yearlings £700.00

Chickens:

Layers                                          £15.00 each

Ixworth Cockerels (for breeding)   £10.00 each

Aracana Cockerels                       £10.00 each

Marsh Daisy Trio (2 hens plus 1 Cockerel £50.00

British Lop Pigs:

British Lop Weaners              from £50.00

Breeding boar                         £150

The British Lop is a west country breed which originated around the Tavistock area either side of the Cornwall/Devon borders. For most of its history from the early years of the twentieth century, it remained a local breed undiscovered by farmers outside its native territory. It suited the locality well and was in strong demand there so there was little incentive for breeders to go shouting its merits beyond the far south west.  In those days it was registered and known as the National Long White Lop Eared breed – certainly descriptive if not very snappy. In the 1960s, the name was changed to today’s British Lop.

The Advantages of the British Lop:

• The British Lop is docile and easily managed.
• The Lop is an excellent mother pig.
• Suitable for both small-scale and extensive commercial systems.
• The pork and bacon from a well-finished Lop is a high quality product that attracts niche market opportunities.
• Unlike some rare breeds, the Lop does not tend to run to excessive fat if poorly managed.

                                                                                      British Lop breeding sow

Keeping pedigree British Lops helps to conserve one of the rarest British breeds.

The British Lop is unique in being the only native British pig breed to maintain its own independent breed society dedicated to looking after its interests and fostering its development as the breed for every need.

When the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) was established in 1973, the Lop was listed as one of the six rare pig breeds recognised by them. The inclusion of a breed as officially listed as ‘rare’ generally increased interest in all such breeds and indeed the Lop is more populous now than at any time in the last 30-odd years. However, it suffered, in comparison with the other rare breeds of swine, by not looking particularly distinctive. It is, after all, as its earlier name says, a white lop-eared pig and to the non-specialist, could be confused with the Welsh or the Landrace. Instead, enthusiasts flocked to pigs with short snouts, spotted or ginger hogs but not so readily to the pig that looked quite normal.

The above information was obtained from the British Lop Pig Society