The Danish protest pig , or the Husum protest pig , or the red-and-white Husum protest pig ( Husum protestsvin , German Husumer Protestschwein , Danish Protest Pig ), is a rare breed of domestic pig that is on the verge of extinction.
Content
Features
Red-painted animals with a wide white transverse stripe. The color resembles the flag of Denmark . Grown from the beginning of the XX century, since the Danes living in North Frisia were forbidden to hang the Danish flag. Hence the name of the breed.
The breed is known for its colorful stripes. They are red in color, with a white vertical belt and a white horizontal belt (see image). At full maturity, males usually weigh up to 350 kg or more, females reach a weight of up to 300 kg. Average height 92 cm. It was first officially recognized as a breed in 1954.
Breeding History
The breed was bred in North Frisia in South Schleswig, Germany. It is believed that they first appeared at the beginning of the XX century. There is no reliable information about when and by whom the breed was bred. One version says that this is the result of crossing the English breed of Tamworth pigs (TAMWORTH) and Jutlandian swamp pigs [1] . The last breed was considered extinct in 1968 and was revived in 1984 [2] . Populations of this breed were preserved in German zoos, in total about 140 pigs remained in the world.
The second version of the origin of the breed is the legend that the pig became popular in Denmark at a time when the Danish population living in the area was under Prussian rule. The population was forbidden to hang the Danish flag or even show it, as a result of which this rare breed of pigs appeared, which in their coloring resemble the national flag of Denmark.
To fight the ban, people bred and showed pigs in protest to demonstrate pride in their nation. The red and white color of the animals resembles the Danish flag. The breed has survived due to its historical significance and is called the “Danish protest pig”.
In 1954 it was recognized as a breed, but already in 1968 the last birth was noted. Since then, the breed has been considered extinct.
View Conservation History
When pigs corresponding to the phenotype of the breed were again discovered in 1984, followers appeared, circles and communities began to form, engaged in further breeding of the breed. Since 1996, the Förderverein Rotbuntes Husumer Schwein eV community has existed, which issues an official permit for breed cultivation. In particular, Danish protest pigs are raised in zoos in Berlin , Hanover , Kiel and Gilzenkirchen, and some other cities. Schleswig-Holstein officially encourages and promotes breeding and keeping the breed, despite the fact that we are not talking about the historical, but about a similar looking animal, but nevertheless, this breed has cultural value.