We have a selection of pigs for sale, from 10 weeks old, to gilts and boars ready for breeding. For more information on what we have for sale at the moment, please email –  earth@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Earth Farm has been farming with free-range pigs for over 12 years. We’ve been very successful, raising over 1 500 pigs during this period with very few problems. We don’t use any growth stimulants or antibiotics. In all this time we’ve only lost 2 sows during farrowing, and 2 pigs due to snake bites. We use the meat to make charcuterie and for our workshops, as well as selling fresh cuts directly to the public. Just before Covid, we decided to start a more structured programme. We have 3 different pig lines, all specificity selected for their hardiness in a free-range environment and good genetics. They are:

Kolbroek pigs

To preserve and grow the breed at the moment we have 5 breeding sows from 2 different bloodlines and 2 boars. The Kolbroek is South Africa’s only registered indigenous pig breed. Referred to in the old days as a Lard Pig due to its substantial covering of back fat. They are shorter than the average factory-farmed pig with droopy, floppy ears. They have squashed, plate shaped face, with up-turned nose, more prone to grazing than digging. They are extremely hardy and can survive, by scavenging. The oldest pig breed in South Africa and was, together with the Large Black/European boar, one of the front-runners of modern pig production in South Africa. It is unique with a high resilience and adaptability to a wide range of climatic conditions. Sows can maintain good condition mainly on mixed pasture – kikuyu, lucerne, clover or grain. They love milk curd, fruit, pumpkin and vegetables – making them great cleaners around the farm. During lactation, additional feed is required. The breed does not compare growth wise with commercial pigs which, over many years, have been specifically selected, fed and managed for high fertility. Whereas commercial breeds produce litters with an average of 13,5 piglets per year. A Kolbroek sow’s average litter size is ±7 piglets. On the plus side they have a very good mothering quality. The Kolbroek does not boast the strong growth traits of other breeds, taking up to a year to reach slaughter size. They are however very docile, the perfect pig for a beginner farmer. I’m an administrator on the Kolbroek Facebook page and in touch with most of the breeders around the country.

European boar

No one is sure exactly when or how this pig landed up in South Africa, but non the less, it is a wonderful free-range pig. It was possibly originality brought to South Africa for sports hunting. Like many of the indigenous domestic animals, they have a large colour variation being either black, reddish-brown, brown, black and white or spotted. They are very hardy and good scavengers for food, if need be. It can convert food with a low nutrient content very efficiently. It has been shown that the 570kg food needed by one pig of a commercial  breed to produce a litter of 10 piglets, is sufficient for two and a half European boar sows and a combined litter of 20 piglets. They however are not for the uninitiated, and can become incredibility aggressive.

Duroc

Rusty red coloured, making them ideal for outside as they do not burn due to skin pigmentation. The breed originated in the United States from four strains of red pigs. First imported into South Africa from Canada in 1980, to make available as a third breed, primarily for cross-breeding purposes in the commercial environment. The boars have good libido, and the sows commonly produce 10-15 piglets at a farrowing. The younger males make good crosses with Kolbroek but tend to get a bit too heavy after 2 years of age. They grow more quickly than the indigenous breeds and are leaner, however not very well suited to foraging and require a lot of supplementary feed.

Magalliesburger™

A Wickedfood Cross-breed. Over the last 5 years we have been experimenting with an extensive cross-breeding programme to develop a pig that will best suits the South African free-range environment. We have successfully developed what we feel is the perfect free-range pig, by selectively crosses various breeds available in South Africa.The traits we were looking for include:

• larger litter size and good mothering ability;
• thicker coat to survive both the summer heat and winter cold;
• hardy and good at utilising pasture to convert food with a low nutrient content;
• Good slaughter weight – they slaughter out at ±40kg after 12 months, perfect for fresh cuts, and 100kg+ after 18 months, perfect for curing;
• Medium fat with good marbling.

Our aim

The aim of our breeding programme at Wickedfoor Earth Farm is to develop:

• A free-range pig specific to the South African market – we have successfully developed what we feel is the perfect free-range pig for free-ranging in South Africa, by selectively crosses various breeds available, including Kolbroek, Duroc, and European boar. We also pure breed the three breeds for genetic material both for our selves and our customer base.

• A cheaper, nutritional alternative to commercial feed – there is a small, but growing market for free-range meat, moving away from intensive factory-farmed products to a more natural farming model. This has worked well for beef and chicken, but very little information exists for pork. We’re looking at different models and working closely with Simon Hodgson of agtcovercrops.co.za.  In a free-range environment most animals, including pigs, take on average, twice as long to grow than intensively-raised animals. The feed costs therefore mount substantially. A more affordable food source, in the form of pasture, could make this a reality. 

Many small-scale and subsistence farmers around South Africa have pigs as an important mix on their farms and are looking to add value to sell direct. There is very little credible information out there. It is our mission at Wickedfood Earth Farm to establish this information, and transfer it to them through the various workshops we runaround South Africa. More….

We have a selection of pigs for sale, from 10 weeks old, to gilts and boars ready for breeding. For more information on what we have for sale at the moment, please email  –  earth@wickedfood.co.za