Our Heritage Breeds

Large Black Pig

The term Large Black Pig is not just a description - it is the registered name of a specific breed of endangered Old World English hog that was once very common.

The Large Black is an orchard pig developed from the black pigs of Devon and Cornwall and the European pigs found in East Anglia. This hardy breed was developed by our ancestors to be raised outdoors, preferring to graze on a variety of grasses and vegetation in open pastures. The Large Black is ideally suited to small farms and sustainable agriculture operations - this is a pig that can produce a quality product for an ever increasing niche market. Thanks to micro-marbling of intra-muscular fat, the Large Black is extremely moist, juicy and flavourful.

Our pigs live well - we do not ring their noses, dock their tails or clip their teeth at birth - there is no need when raised in open pastures.

The Large Black Pig is recognized as a critically endangered species, not only here but worldwide. When pork production became industrialized in the 1950s, this slow-growing foraging breed was not suitable for the close confinement of factory farms. In spite of its docile temperament and exquisite taste, its numbers have dropped to about 200 registered hogs in Canada today.

At Upper Canada Heritage Meat, we are dedicated to the re-establishment of this valuable breed.

Lincoln Red Cattle

The Lincoln Red is a slow maturing, traditional British cattle breed introduced to Canada in the early 1900s. Its origins can be traced back to the cattle brought to England by the Vikings. Extremely hardy and easy-care, this low input breed ideally suits the harsh Canadian climate.

Our animals are naturally reared and fed a grass diet with no additives and no growth supplements. The cattle lead a calm and contented life on our pastures, which ensures they are rich in Omega 3, conjugated lineolaic acid (CLA) and Vitamin E. When fed on grass, cattle ingest about 15 times more vitamin E per day than they do on a typical commercial diet, and levels in the meat can be between two and three times higher than grain-fed cattle as a result.

The Lincoln Red is our heritage breed of choice because the quality of the beef is superior, offering traditional marbling, texture and superb flavour that can’t be found in supermarket beef. And we're not the only people who think so. The quality of Lincoln Red beef is internationally recognized and was voted Britain’s Best Beef by U.K. Country Life magazine.

Commercial beef may produce a more economic, quicker-to-mature product but not one that can provide such a rich taste. The fat is within the fine-grained meat of the Lincoln Red rather than around the carcass, hence longer hanging periods can be achieved, adding to the flavour and tenderness of all cuts.

Only 8 farms in Canada are currently raising purebred Lincoln Red Cattle. We are proud to offer both the breed and our customers a guarantee for their future survival.

Heritage Chicken

Upper Canada Heritage Meat has recently acquired breeding pairs of two heritage breeds of chicken - the Chantecler and the Silver Grey Dorking. Though both are traditionally dual purpose breeds, we are raising them for meat.

Chantecler Chicken

Of more than 100 different purebred types of poultry worldwide, the Chantecler is the only true Canadian breed, originating in Quebec in the early 1900s. A Trappist monk from Oka developed the breed to suit the Canadian climate, with small combs and wattles to minimize frostbite in winter.

The breed is noted for being calm, gentle, and personable - a quiet dual-purpose bird with an abundance of breast and thigh meat. The chicks grow fast on a low food intake. They are very good layers year round, with an average egg production of 200 a year.

The Chantecler has been nominated to be added to Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. In December 1999 the Quebec government officially designated the Chantecler as a provincial heritage animal.

There are an estimated 1500 birds in existence today, most living on small hobby farms with an interest in the preservation of heritage breeds.

Silver Grey Dorking

This English fowl is considered ideal for general purposes. The Dorking is also one of the most hardy and durable birds in existence. It can live in some of the coldest of climates.

The Dorking is considered the oldest of domestic fowls. The supposition is that it was carried to England by the Romans.

Though rare, the Silver Grey Dorking with its broad, deep and projecting breast is popular for its white flesh and delicate texture.

Dorkings are exceptionally sweet birds that are somewhat docile and shy, and they need the support of small backyard flock owners to ensure the continued integrity of the breed.

Cayuga Duck Eggs

According to lore, the Cayuga Duck is a breed developed from a pair of wild ducks that a New York State miller caught on his mill pond in 1809. The miller was reported to have pinioned the birds’ wings so they could not fly away and they promptly settled into life on his pond in Duchess County. The ducks became popular as a table bird and were noted for their ability to lay numerous eggs. They were named “Cayuga” after the native people of that area. By 1874 the Cayuga duck was accepted into the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection.

The Cayuga is an easy bird to keep because it rarely wanders from home. It is not able to fly well because of its heavier body weight compared to smaller breeds of duck.

The Cayuga is a prolific duck and can lay 100-150 eggs per year. Eggs are initially black in color, but as the season progresses egg color lightens to light gray, and then to white by the end of the season. Cayuga duck eggs have a very mild flavor and they are very dense and rich. Duck eggs have less water than a chicken egg and hence a thicker white, and about a third more fat, hence a larger, darker and richer yoke.

The Cayuga is recognized as one of the hardiest of the domestic ducks and are easily tamed if hand-raised. They tolerate the harsh winters of the northeast U.S. and Canada and can produce many offspring. The Cayuga averages 7-8 lbs. and has the ability to obtain much of its diet from foraging, when given appropriate areas to explore for food.

The Cayuga duck is listed as Threatened on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy Conservation Priority List. This means there are fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the US, with ten or fewer primary breeding flocks, and they are globally endangered.