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"Swine" redirects here. For other uses, see Swine (disambiguation).

Domestic pig
A domestic pig on an organic farm in Solothurn, Switzerland
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Artiodactyla
Family:
Suidae
Genus:
Sus
Species:
S. scrofa
Subspecies:
S. s. domesticus
Trinomial name
Sus scrofa domesticus
Synonyms
Sus scrofa domestica

Sus domesticus
Sus domestica

The domestic pig (also swine, in some areas hog) is a domesticated livestock animal, farmed for its meat, known as pork (bacon, ham, sausages, etc.).

Most domestic pigs have rather sparse hair covering on their skin, although woolly coated breeds, such as the Mangalitsa, are raised.[1]

The domestic pig is most often treated as a subspecies of its wild ancestor, the wild boar, and in this case it is given the scientific name Sus scrofa domesticus.[2][failed verification] Some taxonomists treat the domestic pig as a separate species, when it is called Sus domesticus, and wild boar is S. scrofa.[3][full citation needed] Wild boar were in human association as early as 13,000–12,700 BC. Escaped domestic pigs have become feral in many parts of the world (for example, New Zealand) and have caused substantial environmental damage.[4][5]

History

Archeological evidence suggests that pigs were domesticated from wild boar as early as 13,000–12,700 BC in the Near East in the Tigris Basin[6] being managed in the wild in a way similar to the way they are managed by some modern New Guineans.[7] Remains of pigs have been dated to earlier than 11,400 BC in Cyprus that must have been introduced from the mainland which suggests domestication in the adjacent mainland by then.[8] There was also a separate domestication in China.[9]

DNA evidence from sub-fossil remains of teeth and jawbones of Neolithic pigs in Europe shows that the first domestic pigs there had been brought from the Near East. This stimulated the domestication of local European wild boar resulting in a third domestication event with the Near Eastern genes ceasing in European pig stock. Modern domesticated pigs have involved complex exchanges with European domesticated lines being exported in turn to the ancient Near East.[10][11] Historical records indicate that Asian pigs were introduced into Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries.[9]

The adaptable nature and omnivorous diet of the wild boar allowed early humans to domesticate it readily. Pigs were mostly used for food, but early civilizations also used the pigs' hides for shields, bones for tools and weapons, and bristles for brushes.[12] In India pigs have been domesticated since a long time mostly in Goa and some rural areas for pig toilets. Though ecologically logical as well as economical pig toilets are waning in popularity as use of septic tanks and/or sewerage system is increasing in rural areas.

Pigs were brought to southeastern North America from Europe by de Soto and other early Spanish explorers. Escaped pigs became feral and caused a great deal of disruption to Native Americans cultures who had no domesticated livestock.[13]

Food

A pig is prepared for food in Viñales, Cuba.

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 (blood pudding or black pudding) and other offal from pigs are also widely used for food. In some religions, such as Judaism and Islam, there are religious restrictions on the consumption of pork.

Farming

Main article: Pig farming
A sow suckling her piglets

In developing nations, and often in developed nations, the domestic pig is raised outdoors in yards or fields. In some cases pigs are allowed to forage in woods, where they may be watched by swineherds. In industrialized nations, domestic pig farming has shifted away from the traditional pig farm to large-scale intensive pig farms where meat can be mass-produced. This has resulted in lower production costs, but more significant animal welfare concerns.

Individual farm management practices focus on, among other things, housing facilities, feeding and ventilation systems, and temperature and environmental controls. Just as producers have to determine the type of facilities and equipment for their farm, they must find the practices that best fit their farm’s specific situation. Some procedures and treatments can be short-term stressors, so producers must weigh the long-term welfare, health and management benefits to the animals.

Using the knowledge obtained from scientific study, some producers have adopted and adapted techniques and husbandry skills to protect the welfare of their animals. They feel a personal and moral responsibility to take care of their animals and ensure that the animals are safe, but they also must earn a profit from their business. They consider anything short of providing the best, most humane care possible as being self-defeating.

Pigs can be farmed in free range, being allowed to wander around a village, or kept in fields, or tethered with a simple house. In developed countries farming has moved away from traditional pig farming and now they are typically intensively farmed.

Individual farm management focus on, housing facilities, feeding and ventilation systems, and temperature and environmental controls and the needs of economic viability. Just as producers have to determine the profit margin,type of facilities and equipment for their farm, they must also find the practices that best fit their farm’s specific situation. Some procedures and treatments are known to stress the animals and producers should consider the animals welfare, health and management with accepted husbandry skills.

Pigs are particularly valued in China and on certain oceanic islands, where their self-sufficiency allows them to be turned loose, although the practice is not without its drawbacks (see Environmental impact). With managed rotational grazing techniques pigs can be raised in an environmentally sound manner on pasture much like grazing sheep, goats and cows without high grain inputs.[14]

Truffle hunting

Main article: Truffle hog

Domestic pigs are used in France and other countries to search for truffles. Truffles are an expensive edible fungus used in food preparations. The pig's strong sense of smell allows them to be trained to find them.[15] Pigs have a good sense of smell and are able to identify truffles as deep as three feet underground. It is thought that the natural sex hormones of the male pig are similar to the smell of the truffles and also pigs have a natural affinity for rooting in the earth for food. They are trained to hunt truffles by walking on a leash through suitable groves with a keeper.

Pets

Two pot-bellied pigs, a breed of domestic pig originating in Vietnam

Pigs are known to be intelligent animals and can be trained similarly to dogs, though they may excel in different tasks.[16] Asian pot-bellied pigs, a small type of domestic pig, have made popular house pets in the United States beginning in the latter half of the 20th century. Domestic farmyard pigs have also been known to be kept indoors, but due to their large size and destructive tendencies, they typically need to be moved into an outdoor pen as they grow older. Most pigs have a fear of being picked up by the stomach, but will usually calm down once placed back on the floor. Pigs are rarely used as working animals. An exception is the use of truffle pigs – ordinary pigs trained to find truffles.

Miniature pigs, also called micro or teacup pigs, which are specifically bred to be small (from 29–65 lbs) gained in popularity in late 2009 after several mainstream press articles claimed they were a popular pet to celebrities such as Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame.[17]

Breeds of pigs

Main article: List of domestic pig breeds
File:2004pig.PNG
Pig headcount in 2004

Pigs are exhibited at agricultural shows, judged either as stud stock compared to the standard features of each breed, or in commercial classes where the animals are judged primarily on their suitability for slaughter to provide premium meat.

According to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy,[18] seven breeds of swine in the US are critically rare (having a global population of fewer than 2000). Outside the US, the Auckland Island Pig (New Zealand) and woolly-coated grazing pig (Danube area) are known to be critically rare.

Pig farming terminology

"Shoat" redirects here. For other uses, see Shoat (disambiguation).
Global pig stock
in 2007
Number in millions
1.  People's Republic of China425.6 (46.35%)
2.  United States61.7 (6.72%)
3.  Brazil35.9 (3.91%)
4.  Germany27.1 (2.95%)
5.  Vietnam26.6 (2.9%)
6.  Spain26.1 (2.84%)
7.  Poland18.1 (1.97%)
8.  Russia15.9 (1.73%)
9.  Mexico15.5 (1.69%)
10.  Canada14.9 (1.62%)
World total918.3
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization

There are many terms specific to pig rearing. For a larger list, see Pig farming#terminology.

  • Shoat, piglet or (where the species is called "hog") pig, unweaned young pig, or any immature pig.
  • Sucker, a pig between birth and weaning.
  • Runt, an unusually small and weak piglet, often one in a litter.
  • Boar or hog, male pig of breeding age.
  • Barrow, male pig castrated before puberty.
  • Stag, male pig castrated later in life (that is, an older boar after castration).
  • Gilt, young female not yet mated, or not yet farrowed, or after only one litter (depending on local usage).[19]
  • Sow, breeding female, or female after first or second litter.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Royal visit delights at the Three Counties Show.
  2. ^ National Center for Biotechnology Information data page
  3. ^ Corbet and Hill (1992), referred to in Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ Alien Species Threaten Hawaii's Environment.
  5. ^ Introduced Birds and Mammals in New Zealand and Their Effect on the Environment.
  6. ^ *Sarah M. Nelson Ancestors for the Pigs. Pigs in prehistory. (1998)
  7. ^ Rosenberg M, Nesbitt R, Redding RW, Peasnall BL (1998). Hallan Çemi, pig husbandry, and post-Pleistocene adaptations along the Taurus-Zagros Arc (Turkey). Paleorient, 24(1):25–41.
  8. ^ Vigne, JD; Zazzo, A; Saliège, JF; Poplin, F; Guilaine, J; Simmons, A (2009). "Pre-Neolithic wild boar management and introduction to Cyprus more than 11,400 years ago". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106 (38): 16135–8. doi:10.1073/pnas.0905015106. PMC 2752532. PMID 19706455.
  9. ^ a b Giuffra, E; Kijas, JM; Amarger, V; Carlborg, O; Jeon, JT; Andersson, L (2000). "The origin of the domestic pig: independent domestication and subsequent introgression". Genetics. 154 (4): 1785–91. PMC 1461048. PMID 10747069.
  10. ^ BBC News, "Pig DNA reveals farming history" 4 September 2007. The report concerns an article in the journal PNAS
  11. ^ Larson, G; Albarella, U; Dobney, K; Rowley-Conwy, P; Schibler, J; Tresset, A; Vigne, JD; Edwards, CJ; Schlumbaum, A (2007). "Ancient DNA, pig domestication, and the spread of the Neolithic into Europe". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104 (39): 15276–81. doi:10.1073/pnas.0703411104. PMC 1976408. PMID 17855556.
  12. ^ Oral Care.
  13. ^ II.G.13. – Hogs.
  14. ^ Sugar Mountain Farm Pastured Pig Techniques
  15. ^ Sullivan, Walter. (1982-03-24) Truffles – Why Pigs Can Sniff Them Out. NYTimes.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  16. ^ Are pigs smarter than dogs?
  17. ^ Tiny porkers with a big price tag: £700 'micro-pigs' are the latest celebrity pet craze, Daily Mail Reporter, 7 October 2009
  18. ^ American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  19. ^ Swine Study Guide from UC Davis

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sus domesticus.

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