Tullnerfelder Schwein

 
Record Number: 131
 
Disclosure Date
Ham was probably already produced in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region as early as the 1^st  century AD.  
 
 
 

Photo: BMLFUW/A...

Title
Tullnerfelder Schwein
(Tullnerfeld pig)  
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Breeding of Tullnerfeld pigs is the result of traditional knowledge of husbandry and livestock farming in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region of Lower Austria.
The breeding herd consists of females of the breeds Large White, Landrace or Duroc and boars of the breed Pietrain, which have been born and raised in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region.
This crossbreeding guarantees pork with just the right ratio of lean meat to fat layer.  
 
Name of product, Product class
Pork, fresh meat  
 
Name of region
Tullnerfeld, Lower Austria, Austria  
 
Field of search
Food and agriculture
 
Name of information provider
Thomas Mattes
Niederösterreichische Rinderbörse (Lower Austrian Cattle Exchange)  
 
Name of applicant for title
--- 
 
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
About 65 farmers of the region  
 
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---  
 
Descriptors
- History:
Pigs are one of the oldest animals used in livestock farming. They were first domesticated in Asia around 8,000 BC, with their use developing independently in a number of different regions, after which they came to Europe.
 
There has been a long tradition of pig farming in the area surrounding the city of Tulln.
 
In the first to fourth centuries AD the Roman settlement of Comagena was situated there.
The Roman fort of Comagena near Tulln was a cavalry and fleet garrison for a long time. The settlement of this area by the Romans in the first century AD suggests that pigs were kept and pork was eaten in the region.
 
Until the eighteenth century, pigs had to search for feed in the forests, and were only fed household waste in addition to this. Pigs would have looked similar to wild boars at this time.
Improvements in agriculture led to higher yields, however, and subsequently to better feeding of the animals. It was also at this time that targeted breeding began to develop in England. Global trade brought breeds from Asia and other countries to Europe. The crossing of native English pigs with breeds from Asia and Naples produced their first modern pig breed, the Leicester, in 1770.
 
Since the establishment of the VÖS (Verband Österreichischer Schweinebauern, The Austrian Association of Pig Farmers) in 1984, pig farmers of the Tullnerfeld Plain Region have taken part in the Austrian pig breeding programme.
 
The term “Tullnerfelder Schwein” was created by Berger Fleischwaren (Berger Meat Products) in 2006/2007.
 
- Region:
The Tullnerfeld Plain is in Lower Austria in the southern part of the Tullner Basin on both sides of the Danube. It extends from the Wachau (Krems) in the north and the Wiener Pforte (Vienna Gate) (Korneuburg) in the east, or in other words, between the northern edge of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) and the Alpenvorland (foothills of the alps) and the Wagram.
 
Landscape:
The Tullnerfeld Plain is 48 km long and up to 14 km wide. It is divided by the Kleinen Wagram, a 2 to 3 metre high terrace, which is very pronounced in the western part. In the eastern part of the Tullnerfeld Plain, this terrace is washed out and barely visible.
 
Climate and soil conditions:
The Central European/Oceanic and the Pannonian/Continental climates converge in the Tullnerfeld Plain. The average yearly temperature is 9.5 °C and the yearly precipitation is 610 mm.
 
There are a variety of soils in the Tullnerfeld Plain, from sandy gravel layers to deep loess soils to heavy raw wetland soils. The extensive fertile terraces are home to intensive agriculture (wheat, corn, potatoes and sugar beets).
 
- Tullnerfeld pigs:
Pigs are kept on two different types of pig farms.
There are farms where the piglets are born and raised on the farm. Then there are other farms that buy piglets of Austrian origin and fatten them on their farm. Piglets of foreign origin may not be fattened on the farms.
 
The breeding herd consists of females of the breeds Large White, Landrace or Duroc and boars of the breed Pietrain, which have been born and raised in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region.
 
Method of production:
About 65 farmers in the region produce Tullnerfeld pigs.
The pigs are kept in indoor pens year round.
 
Breeding/fattening:
Young sows mate for the first time at the age of about 220 days. After the first litter, the sows will be inseminated again.
The average litter consists of about 10 piglets, which are suckled for 28 days.
 
In addition, special easily digestible feed (pre-starter) is set out for the piglets.
 
After 28 days, the piglets are separated from the sow.
 
After rearing the pigs, that is, when they have reached a live weight of 8 to 30 kg, they are fattened until they reach a live weight of around 110 kg.
 
The pigs are fattened with corn silage, whole grains mainly from the farm’s own fields, soy meal and mineral supplements.
The preventive use of antibiotics is forbidden.
 
Transport and Slaughter:
About 40,000 -50,000 Tullnerfeld pigs are slaughtered each year in 4 regional EC-approved slaughterhouses.
The journey to the slaughterhouse is kept as short as possible to reduce the stress on the animals, thus ensuring the highest meat quality.
 
Tullnerfeld pigs are slaughtered at an age of 28 - 30 weeks and at a live weight of about 110 kg. The carcass weight is about 90 kg.
 
After slaughtering, the carcasses are refrigerated in a cold storage room of the slaughterhouse and are then cut in the cutting room of the respective slaughterhouse.
 
Living pigs and pig halves are inspected by veterinarians on the basis of legal regulations.
 
Meat and carcass description:
The meat comes exclusively from pigs born in Austria and fattened in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region.
 
The crossbreeding of Large white- Landrace- Pietren or Landrace- Duroc- Pietren (three-breed crossbreeding) guarantees pork with just the right ratio of lean meat to fat layer.
 
Meat and carcass description:
The meat comes exclusively from pigs born in Austria and fattened in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region.
 
The crossbreeding of Large white- Landrace- Pietren or Landrace- Duroc- Pietren (three-breed crossbreeding) guarantees pork with just the right ratio of lean meat to fat layer.
 
Proof of origin:
The pigs are identified by official ear tags in accordance with the Tierkennzeichnungs- und Registrierungsverordnung 2007 (Austrian Animal Identification and Registration Ordinance).
 
The origin of Tullnerfeld pig can be clearly identified.
The sus delivery note (sus = the voluntary pork labelling system of the AMA Marketing) guarantees that the pork can be traced back to its origin.
 
- Marketing:

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

Tullnerfeld pigs are marketed directly on the farms, in restaurants, and by the Berger company in the wholesale and retail food industry.
 
Tullnerfeld pork is available year round.
 
- Quality control:
The pork of Tullnerfeld pigs achieves the S and E classes of the SEUROP grading scale.
 
The labelling during the coarse cutting and the labelling and the correct cut during the fine cutting are strictly controlled.
The classification service labels each half-carcass four times with its own stamp.
 
Vacuum-packed meat contains information about origin (farm), slaughter date etc. on the enclosed label.
 
The meat is also inspected by the Gut Streitdorf (Streitdorf Estate) producers’ association.
 
Connection between the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- The pigs are fed corn silage, whole grains mainly from the farm’s own fields
  and traditional rearing systems in indoor pens. This type of husbandry
  produces pork with just the right ratio of lean meat to fat layer.
- The breeding and production of Tullnerfeld pigs is the result of traditional
  knowledge, which has been passed down from generation to generation:
  the traditional knowledge and experience of the pig farmers (adapting the
  keeping of herds to the environmental conditions), the know-how of the
  breeders, the know-how of the butchers (animal transport, experience in
  slaughtering, cutting, and maturing the meat) and the processors.
 
- Utilisation:
Besides selling fresh meat, the farmers process the Tullnerfeld Schwein into sausage products, lard, greaves, salted and smoked pork etc. and sell it on their farms.
Particular specialities are Tullnerfeld Kaiserblunzn (black pudding) and Fragnerschinken (smoked, air-dried ham seasoned with marjoram, thyme and special local meadow herbs.
 
- Protection:
-   
 
Key Words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Lower Austria, region, Tullnerfeld, Tullnerfelder Schwein, Tullnerfeld pig, pigs, hogs  
 
Bibliography / References
  http://www.weinviertel.at/magazin/00/artikel/14699/doc/d/Weinviertler%20Geschichte.pdf
- Tullnerfelder Schwein
  www.genuss-region.at
  http://www.rund-ums-schwein.at/
- Tullnerfeld
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tullnerfeld
- Zur Gliederung des Tullner Feldes. Von Ludwig PIFFL, Tulln
  http://www.biologiezentrum.at/pdf_frei_remote/ANNA_75_0293-0310.pdf
- Tullnerfeld
  http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.t/t912556.htm
- Tullnerfeld
  http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.t/t912556.htm;internal&action=_setlanguage.action?LANGUAGE=en
- Lysimeter und Landwirtschaft
  http://www.lysimeter.at/News_Events/4_WS_Gumpenstein/Vortraege/cepuder.pdf
- BIOBAUER
  http://www.grand.at/index.php?con=biobauer&news=news
- Das Fragnerland
  www.fragnerland.at
- Unser Fragnerschinken
  www.pfiel-abhof.at
 
All internet references last accessed on 24 February 2009.  
 
Language Code
German
 
Product of www.genuss-region.at 
Yes  
 
Regional contact 
Anton Fischelmaier
Fa. Gut Streitdorf, 2004 Streitdorf, Streitdorf 40
Phone: 0664/4431313
Fax: 02269-2501-40
a.fischelmaier@gutstreitdorf.at  
 
Franz Rauscher
Chairman of the “Tierhaltungsausschuss BBK Tullnerfeld“
Eggendorf 15
3454 Sitzenberg-Reidling
Phone: 0664-4450927
rauscherfarm@aon.at 
 
Authors: Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus
 

30.12.2011, Lebensministerium III/4