wikipedia stub

Wikipedia stub (Pig)
Pigs, also called hogs or swine, are ungulate, which means that they have hooves as feet. The average growing pig weighing between 40 and 125 lbs have a curly tail, course hair, and a snout (name of pig’s nose). Throughout much of time pigs have been used as sources of meat, leather, and even bristles for brushes. More recently, they have been involved in biomedical research, used for medical products, and medical treatments. Pigs have commonly been known as gross and/or stupid, but recent intelligence tests have shown that not only are they intelligent but that (domesticated) pigs are more intelligent than all domestic animals even more intelligent than domesticated dogs. The reputation of pigs being gross is not completely true either, the reason they wallow in mud holes is because their sweat glands are ineffective in lowering their body temperature, and the best place for a pig to find relief from the heat is by wallowing in mud or shallow waterholes. If placed in clean environment sheltered form sun they are clean animals.

The pig’s closest relative is the peccaries, which is just a wild pig that tends to be smaller and is native to Mexico and South America. Pigs are also distantly related to hippopotamuses. All pigs are omnivores, meaning that they eat plants and small animals. Pigs also are a non-ruminant animal which means they have a single stomach, un-like animals such as cattle and goats that have more than one stomach. To grow rapidly and efficiently, swine need a high energy, concentrated grain diet that is low in fiber (cellulose) and is supplemented with adequate protein. Most domestic pigs however are fed diets of corn, grain, root, and tuber crops, dairy by-products, and commercial feeds. Pigs that are grown for livestock are feed diets of farm grains, added somewhat with corn because it is an energy food but can not be used solely as the source of the pig’s food. Barley, oats, and wheat are also used but just like corn they must have vitamins and proteins added to them because they cannot be used as the sole source of nutrition for the pig. Throughout the growing process pigs should be self-fed, given all the food they can eat, to ensure proper growth. Water is the single most important aspect to a pig’s diet. One-half to two-thirds of a pig’s body is made of water. Pigs should always have a clean and plentiful source of water. They can make it longer with out food than they can without water.

Male pigs are called boars, castrated boars are called barrows. A female pig is a gilt until she has babies then she is called a sow. There have been at least 377 breeds of pigs raised. Some of the main types of domestic pigs are Landrace, Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, and Yorkshire. All pigs belong to the family Suidae. Pigs are found all over the world on every continent and in most countries.
There have been two major ways that pigs have been raised over the years. One way is pen rearing, the keeping of pigs enclosed in pens. Pen-rearing is usually done by people who are raising the animal to show or sell to slaughter. The second way of raising pigs is where the pig is allowed to roam free, where it can scavenge for food and root wherever it wishes. This method is usually used more by farmers who are raising the animals for their own family or to take to a market. The second method is also primarily practiced in Third World countries such as China.

Weaning although it may be stressful to the piglets must be done. It is a very important process in that it can determine how the pig will grow, genetics play a main part but proper weaning can also lead to a healthy pig. Weaning is usually done within 3-5 weeks of age, at this age the piglets are at the weight and age that they can fend for themselves. Weaning is when you take a piglet away from its mother, taking away its liquid (milk) food source. Dry food is slowly introduced to piglets in their first weeks so that when they are at the age to wean it will not be as traumatic of a change. They have to adjust to a solids diet verse the liquid one that they have been use to in their first couple of weeks. When piglets are first born their stomachs are made to handle a milk-based diet, but as they age their enzyme system changes and they become capable to digest non-milk diets. When piglets are born they have no natural immunities so they rely on the colostrums from their mother’s milk on the first few weeks, and don't start developing their immunity systems till 21-28 days of age. Castration is also usually administered close to weaning but usually before because it is a traumatic change and baby pigs may have trouble handling all the stress at once.
Pigs are social animals; they interact with one another just as humans do. When a human greets a friend they might hug or kiss and pigs have similar behaviors. Upon greeting a friend pigs may rub snouts or groom one another showing their relationship. Pigs living together become a close nit family. They even will sleep nested together in groups. Pigs are said to remember up to 300 other pigs. And over time develop social communities based on behaviors and dominance. Pigs will talk to one another they do not only oink as one would perceive they have multiple ways of communicating from chomping their jaws to snorts and snarls.


The Humane Society of the United States. About Pigs. (2008). 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. February 6, 2008. http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/animals/pigs/pigs.html
Taylor, Graeme and Greg Roese. Basic Pig Husbandry - The Weaner. February 2006.
NSW Department of Primary Industries. February 1, 2008. http://www.thepigsite.com/articles/1/health-and-welfare/1616/basic-pig-husbandry-the-weaner
4-H Market Hog Project, Iowa State University, University Extension. Pigs. January, 1992. http://www.goats4h.com/Pigs.html#sources