Pigs
Dot- Gilt
mixed breed
Born 7/3/2022
Miss Piggie- Sow
mixed breed
Born 1/6/2020
Frost- Gilt
mixed breed
Born 7/3/2022
Dink- Barrow
mixed breed
Born 7/3/2022
Edna- Gilt
miniature pig cross
Born 8/18/2008
Swine Facts
Pig Terminology:
Female pigs that have not yet had a litter are called gilts.
Female pigs that have farrowed at least once are called sows.
Intact male pigs are called boars.
Castrated male pigs are called barrows or stags.
Baby pigs are called piglets.
Freshly weaned pigs are called shoats.
Reproduction and Lifecycle:
Gestation length for pigs is about 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days).
Birthing is known as farrowing.
Domestic pigs average 10 piglets per litter.
The average weight of a piglet is 3 pounds.
The typical lifespan of a domestic pig is six to 10 years.
Physical Characteristics and Breeds:
A group of pigs is called a herd.
Pigs come in different sizes and colors depending on the breed.
Fully grown, pigs grow to between 300 and 700 pounds, sometimes more.
The world record for the heaviest pig was Big Bill, a Poland China breed that weighed 2,552 pounds in 1933. He had a shoulder height of 5 feet and was 9 feet long.
Pot-bellied pigs are a smaller type of pig that has become popular house pets.
Behavior and Physiology:
Pigs do not sweat. They like to roll in mud to cool off on hot days, which is where they get the reputation of being a dirty animal. If they are in a cool, covered place, they will stay clean.
Pigs have very poor eyesight but a great sense of smell.
Pigs are known to be intelligent animals.
Wild and domestic pigs are found on every continent except Antarctica.
There are approximately 840 million pigs on farms throughout the world.
The average pig eats five pounds of food each day or one ton of food every year.