The Large Black was developed from pigs of Devon and Cornwall in England and the European pigs found in East Anglia. The pigs of East Anglia were believed to have been developed primarily from Chinese breeds brought into England in the late 1800's. Conversely, the breeds of Devon and Cornwall were mostly influenced by European breeds, primarily those from France. After 1900, the Large Black became well known outside of its native region and spread throughout Great Britain.

The Large Black Breed Society was formed in 1899 although the breed had been a pure breed for many years before that. It was imported into South Africa about 1910 and until arrival of the white breeds it was the most popular breed in the country. Due to the progress of the white breeds, the Large Black almost became extinct in South Africa. A few purebred specimens were saved and at during the the 1980’s a concerted effort by Mr. John Havenga, a retired pig stud breeder, of Petrusville in the Northern Cape, was made to save the breed. The exact status of the breed at present is unknown, but it is unlikely that purebred specimen still exist. Large Blacks are occasionally still found in the rural areas of Transkei and Ciskei. The ears are sometimes so large and lopped that they seem to obstruct the view from the eyes.

The Large Black is an all black pig with relatively large lopped ears. They are excellent foragers, thereby being more suitable to extensive (or outdoor) production than modern indoor pig keeping systems. Due to their dark skin, the Large Black is not affected by the sun in hot climates to the same extent as the white breeds. The Large Black mother has a reputation for docility, and like the Landrace breed also make good mothers and they are reasonably prolific. The purebred pigs are likely to produce sides of bacon showing seedy cut and are therefore not popular with bacon curers. The black hair follicle is visible on the skin of the carcass, which is from a consumer perspective, a problem for pork production.

For many years the Large Black has been crossed with the Landrace to produce a superior F1 mother. Experiments done with these F1 Large Black / Landrace crosses, have proved them to be excellent outdoor pigs. The Large Black is however a fat pig and a certain amount of COLOR comes through on the first cross. It is recommended that a Large White boar be used on the F1 Large Black / Landrace crosses to produce a white slaughter generation. Availability of stock numbers and the inherent stigma to the black color of the breed are two major impediments in the future development of this breed.
 

Standards of Excellence for the Large Black

Head
Well proportioned. Medium length, wide and clean between the ears.

Ears
Long, thin, lopped and well inclined over face.

Jowl and Cheek
Free from jowl. Strong under jaw.

Neck
Medium length and smooth.

Chest
Wide and deep.

Shoulders
Relatively fine and in line with the ribs.

Back
Long and level.

Loin
Well developed and broad.

Ribs
Well sprung.

Siders
Should be deep.

Belly and Flank
Medium and well developed, with not less than six evenly placed efficient teats of soft texture on each side.

Hams
Large, filled to the hocks and well developed.

Quarters
Long wide and not drooping.

Tail
Set high and thick set.

Legs
Well set, straight with medium fine bone.

Pasterns
Strong.

General Movement
The Large Black must be docile and easy moving, with good carriage on sound feet.

Skin
Blue black, soft and pliable.

Coat
Very fine and soft with moderate quantity of straight black silky hair.

Objectional Points
1.  Excessive jowl, narrow forehead, dished or mole-like nose
2.  Thick, coarse, cabbage – leafed or flopping ears
3.  Coarse or curly hair or bristly mane
4.  Thick wrinkled or sooty black skin
5.  Coarse or collared neck
6.  Heavy shoulder and coarse shield (The shield is a protective fat covering over the shoulder)
7.  Crooked legs or feet
8.  Excessively fat condition should be discouraged at shows

Disqualifications
1.  Any color other than black
2.  Curly coat
3.  Whorl on back
4.  Visible genetic deformities or any signs of contagious diseases