The Curly Coat pig herd at Rectory Reserve is descended from the native Lincolnshire Curly Coat pig via cross breeding with the Austro-Hungarian Mangalitza.

The Lincolnshire Curly Coat was recognised by the formation of its Breed Society in 1906.  Known as the ‘family’ pig – good natured, easy to keep outdoors, often part of the wages and fattened for Christmas, its fleece could be woven into cloth and the hair from the back of its ears was particularly suitable for making fishing flies! Records for the Lincoln Show of 1911 show that 123 Curly Coat pigs were entered with Class 25 having five entries for “three clean washed                Lincolnshire Curly Coat               Lincoln Hog fleeces”.

 Between the 1920’s and 30’s several hundred were exported to Austria and Hungary where the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, coupled with the return of soldiers from the wars, led to increased demand for meat. The native Mangalitza curly coat pig was unable to sustain this and the Lincolnshire Curly Coat was deemed the most suitable in type, hardiness and disease-resistance to reinforce the breed.

After the 2^nd World War British farmers placed an emphasis on commercial production to meet rising demands for food. This was underpinned by the Government’s support for intensively reared leaner meats.

The future was bleak for the Curly Coat. In 1948 32 boars were registered and there were 71 members in the Breed Society. By 1958 only 8 boars were registered; the Breed Society had shrunk to just 20 members. In 1959 the Lincoln Show discontinued classes: the Breed Society closed in 1960 and by 1972 not a single Lincolnshire Curly Coat remained.

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