The sow lines both past and present.
Please remember for pedigree breeding purpose the sow must have 14 evenly (or more) spaced and parallel teats as well as all the other attributes as per our interactive map on our website. Good temperament is a MUST as well as ensuring the compatibility of our pedigree breeding whereby our OSBPG Register will be of help.
The Oxford Sandy and Black sow line origins, are a little more complicated than the boar lines. There are relatively small number of main sources. All the present day sows are related to the four surviving boar lines.
The SOW bloodlines as they appeared in Volume 1 & 2
Alice, Buttercup, Clare, Clarissa, Cynthia, Dandy, Duchess, Elsie, Gloria, Henrietta, Lady, Mary, Pippi, Polly, Sandra, Sandy, Sarah, Sybil
Today’s CURRENT SOW Bloodlines:
Alison, Clare, Clarissa, Cynthia, Dandy, Duchess, Elsie, Gertrude, Gloria, Iris, Lady, Mary, Sybil
The bloodlines explained
CLARE AND CLARISSA BLOODLINE: These derive from the two sows from Mrs Watts at Don North’s Donmar Herd. Both Donmar Clarissa 1013A and Donmar Clare 1012A were by Aristotle. Clarissa was a litter sister of the line boar Donmar Clarence 4FS. The Clare bloodline was out of the other sow by Mrs Watts.
MARY AND DANDY BLOODLINE: These two bloodlines were both bred in the Dean Grove Herd of J & K Blackwell and from the same origins as the line boar Dean Grove Jack 1FS. Dean Grove Dandy 1004A is in Vol 1 (1985). There were 8 daughters from Dean Grove Mary all of which are in Vol 1 as well.
CYNTHIA BLOODLINE: All the Cynthias’ descend from Blackwood Cynthia of unknown pedigree and her daughters by a boar called Alfred bred by AG Lyman-Dixon. There are numerous daughters and granddaughters of Blackwood Cynthia registered in Volumes 1 & 2.
IRIS BLOODLINE: The original Iris was one of 4 litter sisters, Elmwood Enid 1127A, Elmwood Izy 1128A, Elmwood Norah 1129A and Elmwood Iris 1130A. All of which registered in Vol 2 (1986-7) by SP Croxford-Adams. Information shows that they were bought from WG Batchelor with Pedigree unknown.
HENRIETTA BLOODLINE: Mrs JE Loggin registered three Henrietta sows in Vol 1 all of which were litter sisters to the boar Edgehill Henry’s Cavalier. There was no further registrations of this bloodline. In the 1970’s there was a sow with piglets at the Smithfield Show and found later belonged to Hedley Le Bas at his farmpark up at Dartmoor but did not appear to be related to Mrs JE Loggin line.
ELSIE BLOODLINE: The foundation Elsie sow was Clockswood Elsie 1017A. Elsie 1017A was bred by John Backhouse who had followed the prick eared type after the disastrously wrong comments on the breed by RBST Technical Consultant, Lawrence Alderson, published in the “The Ark”
GLORIA BLOODLINE: The Gloria came from Gloria of Wiscombe from unknown pedigree. Her two daughters Wiscombe Gloria Sage 1001A and Wiscombe Gloria Onion 1002A were the oldest sows in Vol 1 (1985). They were both by Farway Boris and put back to him and went on to produce many daughters, granddaughters and the boar Happyhogs Boris Caesar 3FS. The Happyhogs Herd was owned by Nancy Howard from Devon. They were based on the Wiscombe Gloria and Farway Boris and then bred back to him. Unfortunatley Mrs Howard refused to be part of the herdbook and would not register her pigs. She later emigrated.
SARAH BLOODLINE: This line was based on Cobthorn Sarah, one of the two gilts purchased from Derek Dunstan in 1982. Cobthorn Sarah was the grandmother of Cobthorn Alexander Brigadier III. Her influence remains via Alexander and Alistair boars but the Sarah bloodline sadly is no longer.
THE CHASEWOODS LINES: Mr Sheppy talked of The Chasewoods and their influence of the lines they upheld at the time. They were as follows: Alice bloodline came via Bemborough Alice 1015A. The Alison bloodline was daughter of Alice. Chasewood Buttercup1007A. Duchess came via Cobthorn Duchess 1022A. The Lady Bloodline came via Chasewood Lovely Lady. Chasewood Polly 1016A, Chasewood Polly 1016A. Chasewood Sandra 1023A and Sybil came via Bemborough Sybil.
SANDY BLOODLINE: This bloodline came from Edgehill Sandy 1021A purchased from a dealer unknown pedigree. This line is now extinct.
PIPPI BLOODLINE: This was from Tanglewood Pippi 1003A who was a known Tamworth cross – line extinct.
GERTRUDE BLOODLINE: This bloodline is unknown in the early herdbooks but is shown in the later herdbooks from the Longash herd.
Tomorrow we will discuss the THE GENETICS AND NAMING OF THE LINES.
Footnote: All information was directly given to Kim Brook by Mr Sheppy. This information was also shared at a talk Mr Sheppy attended by invitation of the #OSBPigGroup in March 2016. Therefore subject to copyright to the #osbpiggroup Permission will be granted if asked as long as credit is given to the OSBPG.
Photos: at source