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Characteristics

Weight: Male 551 lb (250 kg); female 397 lb (180 kg).

Colour: White with black spots within gray rings.

Lop ears.

The Bentheim Black Pied or Buntes Bentheimer Schwein originated in the early 20th century and is named for the district in Lower Saxony, Germany, where it was first bred. It is a cross between local breeds and the Berkshire, and was bred in its home area until the late 1950s, when tastes changed and demand for the breed declined.

Extinction loomed and the herdbook was closed. One breeder kept meticulous records, however, and the herdbook was reopened in 1964, although numbers continued to decline. In 2003, the Association for the Conservation of the Bentheim Black Pied pig came into being and things started to look brighter. Within four years, the population of the breed grew from 50 to 420 and registered breeders from 19 to almost 100. When visiting Germany, please look for Bentheim Black Pied products and help preserve this beautiful animal.