Linderöd pig

Pigs are social animals, and for much of the year form groups of sows and piglets with a strong hierarchy – the herd always follows its leader sow. The pig’s natural social characteristics have made it easy to tame and keep as a domestic animal.

Round body and sturdy legs

The Linderöd pig is not as long in the body as modern breeds. It has a slightly rounded body shape with strong, sturdy legs. It is black and white against a white, grey or brown base colour. The white animals usually have large black spots, while the brown ones have many small spots instead. Its ears can vary in size, but are usually medium-sized and slightly protruding. Its snout is straight and well developed.

Happiest outdoors – all year round

The Linderöd pig thrives when outdoors, even in winter, and has retained its natural hardy behaviour. It eats plants, as well as worms and larvae, and works the soil and fertilises it.

This ancient rare breed grows much more slowly than porker pigs, but they are hardy and good at finding their own food.

Domesticated pigs have been a feature of Swedish homes and farms for thousands of years. Our domesticated pigs come from the wild boar, which originated in Europe, southern Asia and Africa. There have been domesticated pigs in Sweden for about 4,500 years. They were brought as domestic animals by people who had come to Sweden, and became highly valued.

Conservation work

The Linderöd pig originates from the old Swedish forest pig that roamed the beech and oak forests of southern Sweden until the end of the 19th century. The Linderöd pig was almost completely extinct in Sweden before the remaining pigs, a few mottled pigs of an old breed from Linderöd, were cared for by Skåne Zoo Park in 1952.