Magpie black of the Basque Country

The Pig black and white black of the Basque Country (also called more simply Basque pig ), has certainly at the beginning, an high degree of relationship with the Limousin pig. It populated extreme Pyrenean south-west formerly, as well as the provinces close to the north of the Spain.

The standard of the race was established in 1921. It is an Iberian pig of the type, runner, being able to seek its food in wood and the fields. It is characterized by its characteristic color black and white (head and " cul" are black, the remainder of the body being white). Enough early for a local race, it are cut down towards the age of 10 to 12 months. Its firm and tasty flesh made the fame of the Bayonne hams and other saltings of French South-west.

During the 20th century, because of rarefaction of the oaks, victims of deforestation, the number of individuals fell considerably until the quasi-disappearance of the Race. Since the Années 1980 it experiences a new development with the support of the programme of conservation of the local races, led by ITP. Currently one counts approximately 140 sows, at 70 stockbreeder S.

Its good resistance to the bad climatic conditions and its little of requirement as regards food (grass, sweet chestnuts, nipples, pea, fruits…), turn into to Basque pig an animal adapted very well to the breeding in mountain.

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