Pig
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? Pig |
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 Domestic sow with
piglet
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Species
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| Sus
barbatus Sus bucculentus Sus cebifrons Sus celebensis Sus domesticus Sus heureni Sus philippensis Sus salvanius Sus scrofa Sus timoriensis Sus verrucosus |
Pigs are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. They have been domesticated and raised as livestock by some peoples for meat (called pork) as well as for leather. Their bristly hairs are also traditionally used for brushes. Wild pigs continue to fill these functions in certain parts of the world.
Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. On a small farm, or in a large household, they can be fed kitchen scraps as part or all of their diet. In the wild, they are foraging animals. Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent sense of smell, they are used to find truffles in many European countries. They are also fattened to be eaten as ham and other types of meat, such as bacon.
Pigs are one of the most intelligent mammals, and some, such as the Asian pot-bellied pig, are kept as pets. Pigs are reportedly more intelligent and more trainable than dogs and cats.
A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 animals. Occasionally, in captivity, pigs may eat their own young.
Pigs lack sweat glands, thus they must have access to water or mud to cool themselves during hot weather. They also use mud as a form of sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn.
Pig species
- Sus barbatus Bearded Pig; Malaysia, Indonesia
- Sus bucculentus Vietnamese Warty Pig
- Sus cebifrons Visayas Warty Pig
- Sus celebensis Celebes Warty Pig
- Sus daelius Poulter Warty Pig
- Sus heureni Flores Warty Pig
- Sus philippensis Philippine Warty Pig
- Sus salvanius Pigmy Hog; NE India, Himalayas
- Sus scrofa (also called S. domesticus) Domestic pig, razorback, wild boar; Europe, Asia
- Sus timoriensis Timor Warty Pig
- Sus verrucosus Javan pig, Warty Pig; Indonesia, Philippines
Hybrid swine
Domestic Tamworth pigs are often crossed with wild boar to create "Iron Age Pigs" that resemble early domestic pigs. The piglets have stripes or blotches like young boar. "Iron Age Pigs" are a common attraction at farm parks. The hybrids are tamer than wild boar, but less tractable than domestic swine and generally become specialist pork sausages. Other domestic breeds of pig have been crossed with wild boar to produce a leaner meat for the specialist meat trade.
Various domestic pigs have been crossed with American wild hogs to produce compact, hairy hog-like hybrids.
In "The Variation Of Animals And Plants Under Domestication" Charles Darwin wrote: The European wild boar and the Chinese domesticated pig are almost certainly specifically distinct: Sir F. Darwin crossed a sow of the latter breed with a wild Alpine boar which had become extremely tame, but the young, though having half-domesticated blood in their veins, were "extremely wild in confinement, and would not eat swill like common English pigs."
Pig vocabulary
Several different words in English identify different types of pigs:
- Boar - An adult male pig
- Sow - An adult female pig
- Piglet/farrow - A juvenile pig
- Shoat - A young pig between 100 to 180 lb (50 to 90 kg)
- Gilt - An immature female pig
- Barrow - A castrated male pig
- Hog - a domestic or wild adult swine, especially one raised for slaughter because they fatten quickly; in its original sense it means a castrated boar.
- Swine - Synonym for "pigs" (plural) A terrible person, a cruel person (slang)
As food
Meat from pigs is called pork (coming from the Latin words "porcinus" and "porcus"). Their trotters are often sold as the jelly-like dish of pig's feet. Hog jowls are a popular soul food. The American pig-raising industry calls pork a "white meat" (like poultry) implying it is healthier than "red meat" like beef. Both Islam and Judaism forbid the eating of pork in any form, considering the pig to be an unclean animal: no form of pig meat can be kosher or halal (see taboo food and drink)
See also Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork.