Pigs and hogs

Pig Facts

Classification:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Class: Mammalia
• Subclass: Theria
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Family: Suidae
• Subfamily: Suinae
• Genus:Sus
• Geographical location: There are no true wild pigs in the Western Hemisphere, but there are feral hogs, except in Antarctica; the javelina (also called peccary), native to North and South America, is not a true pig and belongs to the Tayassuidae family; wild pigs are found in Southeast Asia and Eurasia
• Habitat: Wide range, from swamps and rain forests to dry lands and mountains
• Gestational period: A little less than four months (111-115 days)
• Life span: Domestic pigs generally have a life span of from six to ten years, with an occasional occurrence of more than twenty years
• Special anatomy: Pigs have an excellent sense of smell and exceptional hearing, but their eyesight is weak

Pigs are estimated to have evolved about 38 million years ago in central Europe, and about 25 million years ago to have become established in Africa and Asia. Pigs became domesticated in China about 5000 BCE The reason for the delay in agricultural domestication is believed to be that pigs were unwilling to adapt to a nomadic lifestyle, as dogs, sheep, and goats did. The domesticated pig is thought to have descended from two different lines of wild hogs. It is believed that the banded pig (Sus vittatus) has had major influence on the swine of China and the surrounding region. The European wild boar has probably had major influence on the rest of the various breeds of pigs in the world.

The domestic pig is a compact, solid-looking animal with a large head, short, fast-moving legs, a rough coat, and a small tail. The color of a pig can vary greatly, from white or black to brownish-red, and any combination thereof, including spotted, solid colored, and banded. Some may reach a height of only twelve inches at the shoulder, others may reach all the way to four feet. The weight of a pig also can vary, with some weighing only about 60 pounds, where others can weigh more than 900. The average meat pig falls in the range of 225 to 300 pounds.

Humans use pigs in many different ways. From the point of view of the percentage of the carcass used, the pig is the most utilized of all domesticated animals. The hair is used for brushes because it is very strong, yet flexible. The hide is used for numerous products, from shoes to purses; in general it is lightweight and durable. The blood and offal are used for fertilizers, soaps, and medical supplies. Domestic pigs have been used by mankind for centuries as a main supplier of dietary protein.

Types of Pigs

Pigs are cloven-hoofed ungulates, and are closely related to the hippopotamus. As mentioned, the domestic pig (Sus scrofa) is now found worldwide. They are omnivorous, eating almost anything. However, pigs generally prefer to eat soft tissue plants, especially roots and tubers, which they dig up with their noses. They will also eat leaves, seeds, bugs, and anything that is found on the ground, including bird eggs, baby birds, snakes, and carrion.

There are hundreds of different breeds of pigs in the world. Most of the breeds that the various departments of agriculture recognize as major contributors to current swine production come from the United States or Europe. The pigs can be identified as being either meat, lard, or bacon types. Lard types have lost a great deal in numbers over the past fifty years and have been bred into a style more like meat. The pig population in the world is large, with China having the largest number.

The largest consumer of pork per capita is China, followed by the European Union, Montenegro, Taiwan, Serbia, and South Korea. In the United States, the state of Iowa leads in production of hogs, followed by North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana.

Pigs are very smart domesticated animals. Their abilities are thought of as being greater than those of the domestic dog. Indeed, pigs make fine pets, as is evidenced by the pot-bellied pig of Southeast Asia.

Principal Terms

barrow: a castrated male pig that has not produced any secondary sexual characteristics

boar: male pig

gilt: a young female pig that has not produced a litter

hog: the general name applied to a pig over three months old

pork: the meat of the pig used for food

shoat: an immature pig of either sex that weighs between 35 and 160 pounds

sow: female pig that has produced a litter of babies

swine: the general name applied to the domesticated pig

Bibliography

Briggs, Hilton M., and Dinus M. Briggs. Modern Breeds of Livestock. 4th ed. New York: Macmillan, 1980. Print.

Holden, Palmer J., and M. E. Ensminger. Swine Science. 7th ed. Danville: Interstate, 2005. Print.

Klober, Kelly. Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs: Care, Facilities, Management, Breeds. North Adams: Storey, 2009. Print.

Porter, Valerie. Pigs: A Handbook to the Breeds of the World. Ithaca: Comstock, 1993. Print.

Taylor, Robert E., and Thomas G. Field. Scientific Farm Animal Production: An Introduction to Animal Science. 11th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2015. Print.