- Male – boar
- Female – sow
- Baby – piglet
It is not known when farmyard pigs first developed from the wild boar, but the term 'swineherd' was a recognised profession by the 7th
century. By the 16th century, pigs were not only on farms but in everyone's cottage garden.
The adaptable nature and omnivorous diet of the wild boar allowed early humans to domesticate the pig readily. They were mostly used
for food, but early civilisations also used the pigs' hides for shields; their bones for tools and weapons; and their bristles for paint brushes.
- All breeds here at Farming World are critically rare.
- Pigs are very hairy to protect them from the cold, and they are very clean animals that never foul their beds!
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There are many similarities between pigs and humans: we have the same sized organs; we are both intelligent mammals; we share cleanliness traits;
they also can become sunburnt easily in the summer; and pigs also suffer from heat exhaustion, as they have no sweat glands. This is why pigs wallow
in the mud in the summer – to cool down and to protect them from the sun.
- Most sows have great maternal instincts, and their gestation period is 114 days – three months, three weeks and three days.
Products
The domestic pig is mostly used for its meat: pork. Other products made from pigs include sausage, bacon, gammon, ham and pork scratchings.
The head of a pig can be used to make a preserved jelly called head cheese (brawn). Liver, chitterlings, blood (black pudding) and other offal from
pigs are also widely used for food.
Breeds
Gloucester Old Spot Pig (rare breed)
This breed originated in Gloucestershire, where it is known as the 'cottager's' or 'orchard' pig, as it would survive on whey from cheese making and
fallen apples. It is a large, white breed with black spots, although they now have only two or three spots. The sows have large litters.
Kune kune
These pigs come from New Zealand, although they probably originated in the South Pacific. Their name is pronounced "Cooney Cooney", and means 'fat and
round' in Maori. These pigs look like a cartoon version of a pig. It is not a rare breed, but there are only 2,000 of these pigs in the world.
They are 20-30 inches high, and weigh 50-60kg. They are completely covered in long, curly hair, and they are either cream, ginger, brown, black or
spotted.
The most unusual feature of kune kune pigs is a pair of tassels, called piri piri, under their chin, like a goat. They have a placid and very friendly
nature and thrive on human company. Kune kunes were imported into the UK in 1992 when their numbers became drastically low (only 18) in New Zealand.
The population in New Zealand is now in a healthy state, and it is in great demand as a smallholder's pig.
Saddleback pig (rare breed)
This is a large, lop-eared pig with a 'saddle' of white colour upon a black background. They originated by combining the Essex and Wessex breeds.
They are docile and easy to handle. The sows are good mothers, producing large litters. Saddlebacks are very hardy and are often used in cross-breeding,
although commercial herds are still found today.
Vietnamese pot-bellied pig
The pot-bellied pig is a breed of domesticated pig originating in Vietnam. They are considerably smaller than standard American or European farm
pigs – most adult pot-bellied pigs are about the size of a medium- or large-breed dog, although their bodies are denser, weighing 8-136 kg (20-300lb).
Pot-bellied pigs can easily be told apart from other breeds by their size, upright ears and straight tail. Because pot-bellied pigs are in the same
species as ordinary farmyard pigs and wild boars, they are capable of interbreeding.
Most Pot-bellied pigs have been crossed with various farm pig species, which is why many are outsized in comparison to a true purebred Vietnamese
pot-bellied pig.
Facts
- Sows produce about 10 piglets per litter.
- The largest litter born in this country was 37.
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Pigs have 12 teats, and the front teats have more milk. Piglets always return to the same teats, so the smallest piglets always gets the
least milk, hence the saying “tail-end Charlie”.
- The smallest piglet is called a 'runt'.
- Pigs are very lazy – they can sleep for 13 hours a day, just like a cat.
- Pigs are omnivores – they eat both meat and vegetables.
- Pigs have an excellent sense of smell – they can sniff out truffles as deep as 30cm underground.