Our goal, as preservationists, is to remember the roots of these amazing animals. We can’t lose sight of the mild tempered, fecund, pasture pig that thrived alone and wild for many years in East Texas. As such, we have a special place in our hearts for those of you who, like us, run your pigs on native pasture. But please remember the RWPP is inclusive. We fully support, and tip our hats to, commercial breeders, as well as those that only have a few head of stock. Hand in hand with the goal of preservation is promotion and growth, which makes us all partners with each other and with our hogs.
All RWPP registrations must meet these standards and will be registered as “Recovered” or “Purebred”, depending on their level of documentation.
While these requirements are subject to updates, they will only be applied moving forward.
No registration requirements will be applied retroactively to animals already registered, although it could affect their produce.
While we do due diligence in processing registrations, we are dependent on the honesty and integrity of breeders and owners in their record keeping, observations and submission of information.
Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or comments.
While we take all concerns seriously, haters and trolls will not be tolerated.
Any show of support is, of course, greatly appreciated.
Purebred Registrations
Trusting to the integrity of owners, breeders, and the quality of existing registries, stock meeting the criteria and providing documentation of registration with other red wattle/waddle hog associations or listed with approved documentation in an established herd book with at least six generations, may be registered as Purebred.
Recovered registration’s registered produce may apply for Purebred registration after G3 with 1) DNA parentage verification and 2) proof of consistent produce.
Once recovered breeding stock has been approved as purebred, their produce will be entered in the registry with purebred designation.
Recovered Registrations
These are the good ol’ East Texas hogs we fell in love with back in the day, and still love, in the pasture as much as on the table. They meet the registration requirements regardless of lack of documented parentage.
And what about the PLUS?
The Plus is for documented quality and simple, solid integrity. Both Recovered and Purebred registrations can earn a “+” for having a combination of two of the following:
- permanent ID in the form of a microchip, freeze branding, notching, or other permanent ID,
- DNA markers on file or parentage verification,
- other approved genetic testing or process that helps to provide confidence in the quality of your stock.
This is a way to recognize owners and breeders who are going the extra mile in identifying their stock with permanent records, showing who they are and where they came from, as well as inspiring confidence in the buyers that they are getting a quality pig.
Breed Standards and Registration requirements:
Breed Standards detail our ideal, what we are breeding for.
Registration Requirements list the minimum of the standards that must be met for registration.
Additional information, details and examples can be found here: Breed Standards, Ideals, and Registration Requirements.
As realists living in a fact-based world, we know that as much as we love them, there are no perfect pigs. Our registration requirements reflect that while we understand stock may be weak in one area and strong in another, the whole animal must have an overall positive balance of characteristics meeting our requirements in order to obtain registration. It behooves the discriminating breeder to fight “barn blindness”, to look for weakness in their stock and strive for improvements in the progeny.
Requirements:
- At least two photos are required with each application for registration.
- Photos must include:
- Face/head showing wattles, snoot, and ear set
- Body showing structure and overall outline, including legs and hoofs
- Unique identification, tag, notch or other accepted method.
- All registered stock must be uniquely identified
- Preferred: photo of teat line
- Photos must include:
Primary Criteria
- Wattled: (Required)
- Our beloved, wagging, flapping namesakes.
- Must have two, well-formed, well-attached.
- Our beloved, wagging, flapping namesakes.
- Color: (Required)
- We are documenting and registering visually red pigs.
- As color tests become available for swine, we will begin tracking color inheritance, but no pigs will be unregistered based on color, and no visually red pigs will be denied registration without changes being noted far in advance.
- Red comes in many shades from light to dark and we accept all of them.
- We know these pigs carry dilutes and modifications, as we see in the creamy gold and tan coats, copper highlights and deep burgundy bodies. We embrace these beautiful differences.
- Being that red wattles/waddles are a recently recovered landrace, while we strive for consistency, we understand and accept their varied genetics, knowing we will see occasional socks, spots, belts, lightened snoots, smudge marks, black ‘points’, or a sprinkling of darker spots. While we don’t discriminate against these purebreds as feeders, if the variation distracts from their overall, distinctive ‘redness‘, we discourage using them as breeders.
- Colorful distractions such as socks or white markings, or large or excessive black or blond markings should be considered excessive and will disqualify the pig from registration.
- More subtle variations such as fewer, smaller black spots, “bird catcher” spots, or blond or faded markings may be deemed less distracting and registration approved if the hog is overall superior.
- We recognize that there are black genetics under many of our red coats and while purebred “black wattles” may be born, they can not be registered.
- We recognize that many completely red piglets develop darker “points” (stockings and primitive barring on the ear tips, shoulders and tail) as they age and this should not be counted against a mature hog applying for registration.
- We are documenting and registering visually red pigs.
- Teat Lines (Required)
- Teat lines must be comprised of enough functional teats to nurse those large litters of chonks.
- Boars and sows both must have 12 functional teats: meaning able to produce milk, well-spaced, large enough and shaped correctly for the piglet to latch on and suck.
- Midline teats, teats on the thighs, or too far back between the thighs, are not likely to be functional. Care must to taken to critically evaluate piglets with longer teat lines to determine if the hind teats appear to be functional or blind buttons.
- Boars and sows both must have 12 functional teats: meaning able to produce milk, well-spaced, large enough and shaped correctly for the piglet to latch on and suck.
- Teat lines must be comprised of enough functional teats to nurse those large litters of chonks.
- Size:
- These are large pigs, with our breed standard setting the expectation of individuals reaching 600-800lbs by the end of their 4yo year, with mature boars sometimes topping 1,000lbs. They may reach 4′ at the shoulder, with a body length of up to 8′.
- Growth rates are expected to be on track to exceed 300lbs live weight in 12 months.
- These are large pigs, with our breed standard setting the expectation of individuals reaching 600-800lbs by the end of their 4yo year, with mature boars sometimes topping 1,000lbs. They may reach 4′ at the shoulder, with a body length of up to 8′.
- Meat quality is key to both preservation and commercialization.
- Our breed standard looks for rich, red, marbled meat.
- We understand growth rate and meat qualities will vary depending on environment and feed, but these variables can not negate the overall faster growth and rich, red meat compared to many other heritage breeds.
- Our breed standard looks for rich, red, marbled meat.
- Structure
- As heritage hogs, our breed standard calls for solid, functional structure that lends itself not just to production, but to longevity, requiring both structural and breeding soundness through maturity.
- Superior stock must stay functional and sound long enough for a comprehensive evaluation of their progeny, and then to reproduce themselves or better for future breeders.
- Required:
- Legs should be correctly angled with large joints and stout bone that can be expected to soundly support their mature weight.
- Longer legs rather than shorter allow the pastured heritage red wattle to travel varied terrain, allows the boar to more easily breed and gives the sow more leeway in the nest.
- External genetalia should be age-appropriately mature and prominent with clean lines. Sows should have an appropriately high-set tail.
- The body’s overall outline will be smooth, wide through the ribs and chest, broad-backed and short-coupled. There should be a slight arch of the back toward the rump with a steeper drop back to the tail.
- The head and jowl must be clean, the nose medium to short with a slight curve to the snout, and the eyes bright.
- Ears are large and may be upright with drooping tips, softly semi-erect, or outstretched, but never stiffly erect and pointed in adults.
- As heritage hogs, our breed standard calls for solid, functional structure that lends itself not just to production, but to longevity, requiring both structural and breeding soundness through maturity.
- Temperament
- Red wattled pigs are known for their intelligence, mild temperament and gentle nature, and should be manageable in a family farm environment.
- While this may not be a prime consideration for commercial breeders, it should be a priority for pastured operations and family farms.
- Consider the consequences of a bad tempered animal of this size and power.
- This criteria can not negate the strong maternal instinct required for pastured stock, but the sow and boar alike should have the intelligence to build a trusting relationship with their human caretakers.
- While this may not be a prime consideration for commercial breeders, it should be a priority for pastured operations and family farms.
- Red wattled pigs are known for their intelligence, mild temperament and gentle nature, and should be manageable in a family farm environment.
- Additional qualities include an overall robust and healthy animal, tolerant of various environments and extreme weather when provided with appropriate feed, water and shelter.
Purebred+ ELITE
These meet all the criteria above with additional due diligence and documentation provided by the owner.
- Purebred+ ELITE are your superior breeding stock and must be proven before they are awarded this honor.
- Owners of Purebred+ pigs who qualify may submit a request for ELITE designation.
- The form is PENDING updated criteria and submission form: .
- Required documentation may include:
- Overall superior structure and type and consistently produces the same.
- Average of 8 weaned per litter over a minimum of three litters.
- Growth rate of produce must show to be on track to make 300lbs live weight by 12 months.
- DNA markers on file, available for parentage verification of produce. Additional genetic testing is preferred.
- Photos of litters to show consistency of produce. Photos of sows “in milk” – we want to see those swollen, milk-filled mammary glands, or photos of boar’s daughters in milk.
- Required documentation may include:
- Note: Registration of Recovered stock, Generations to Purebred:
- Recovered to Recovered adds one generation to the lowest G
- Recovered to Purebred adds two generations to the lowest G
- R to R = R G1
- R to R G1 = R G1
- R-G1 to R G1 = R G2
- R G2 to R G1 = R G2
- R G3 to R G3 = May apply to Purebred
- Purebred to R = R G2
- Purebred to R G1 = R G3
- Purebred to R G2 = May apply to Purebred
- While these requirements are subject to updates, they will only be applied moving forward.
- No registration requirements will be applied retroactively to animals already registered, although it could affect their produce.
- While we do due diligence in processing registrations, we are depend on the honesty and integrity of breeders and owners in their record keeping, observations and submission of information.
- Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or comments.
- While we will take all concerns seriously, haters and trolls will not be tolerated.
- Any show of support is, of course, greatly appreciated.