Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
area has the facilities and abilities to care for swine. If you plan to maintain a herd, you prob-
ably will have to give up the idea of family vacations for a while. Raising livestock requires
you be there every day to administer their needs, monitor their health, and remove manure.
Even pastured pigs require too much attention to be left alone for long.
Do not be discouraged: raising pigs is fun, rewarding, and profitable. Like any undertaking,
though, it is important to start with your eyes open so you know what you are getting into.
Characteristics and Behavior
Domestic pigs have changed a great deal over the last century or so. The dwindling use of lard
in cooking has led pork producers to breed a leaner animal to satisfy consumer demand. The
round, fat pigs of the past, called “chuffy” pigs or “cob rollers,” are no longer as prevalent.
Wild pigs, which are termed “leggy” or “rangy,” do not quite meet the needs of the modern
pig breeder either because they lack the meat quality consumers want. Instead, the contempor-
ary swine falls somewhere in between the two, favoring a larger loin eye area.
A pig's anatomy is remarkably similar to that of a human being. Pigs have a respiratory, cardi-
ovascular, and digestive system so much like ours that it is common for them to be used as
test animals in laboratories. This is important because it helps pig owners understand these
animals and how to care for them. Essentially, pigs need the same things humans do. If your
diet, climate, and shelter seem comfortable to you, it is safe to assume that it is suitable for
your pig as well.
Like human beings, hogs are omnivores, which is probably a big part of their success, both as
a species and as a complement to humanity. Omnivores are extremely adaptable, which allows
them to survive more readily in new environments and ecosystems. Like many omnivores,
pigs are extremely intelligent, using their exceptional brainpower to hunt out new food
sources and opportunities. According to the National Pork Producers Council, pigs are the
fourth smartest animal after humans, apes, and dolphins.
Often, they are friendly, sociable creatures, but at the same time, they tend to be individualist-
ic — each pig has a unique characteristic. Some pigs, especially boars (adult males), may ex-
hibit aggressive or antisocial tendencies, though most are gregarious, curious, and playful.
Most males are castrated when they are a few days old because they are destined to be feeder
pigs instead of being used for breeding. If you are considering raising pigs, they should be
raised in groups, or at least with some form of companionship. Most pigs bond readily with
