Hello, For those that don't me I love Pigs, This is my dedication to the Pig, hopefully in a fun way, Let's go for some Pig Facts, Go ahead read though it, you might not have known some of it.....

Pig-Hog-Swine.... All are terms referring to the same animal without regard to gender, size, or breed

Boar-A male Pig

Barrow-A castrated male

                  Gilt-A female pig who has never given birth, although there are two types of gilts, open and closed,
Closed or Bred Gilt-Is pregnant with her first litter
Open Gilt-Has never been breed

Sow-A female pig, who has had a litter of piglets

Piglet-A newborn pig

A Sow is pregnant for around 114 days, or 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days

Pigs do not have sweat glands, Now you know why they roll around in the mud, it cools them and acts as a sunscreen to protect there skin, Hey maybe we should all try this

Smell is the pigs most acute sense

Litter size can be anywhere from 8-12

Pigs are omnivores, that means they will eat anything that a human does, well actually they eat a lot more of it

Weight gain is very quick in pigs, for every 3 pounds of feed they eat they gain 1 to 2 pounds

When it comes time to sell at market, Pigs are sold by the pound

The general feed for pigs, is most often corn, others include soybean meal, barley, wheat, hay

Pigs are not very tolerant of heat, They would prefer playing in the cold and snow

Pigs if keep forever on the farm and are permitted to eat with restriction, can weight up to 800 pounds

A Mature hog has 44 teeth

Sneaking up on a pig is impossible, Pigs have a wide view, this is because there eyes on are the side of their heads

Pigs are very intelligent and can learn very quickly

Pigs are very clean animals, if you watch them you will notice they not mess anywhere near their living or eating areas, of course this is if they are given lots of space at the farm or in the home

Pigs Anatomical and Physiological features are very close to the human

When a sow gives birth, it is called a furrowing.

Sows can give birth up to twice a year

At about 6 months of age they usually reach market weight (about 250 pounds) this is when pigs are now called hogs

Heart valves from pigs are used to replace damaged or diseased human heart valves

Pig research led to the development of the CAT scan, Technology for examining internal organs without surgery

Pigs can run a mile in about 7 minutes, I always though this was much faster, have you ever tried to catch a pig ??

Some pigs have straight tails. Others have curly ones

A whole group of pigs is called a herd

Pigs have four toes on each hoof, Pigs walk on only two of their toes on each foot, that is why they look like they are walking on there tiptoes

We use almost every part of the pig

Bones and Skin are used for glue, pigskin garments, gloves, shoes and footballs

Hair is used for artist's brushes, insulation, upholstery

Dried bones are used for buttons and bone china

Pigs are a source of nearly 40 drugs and pharmaceuticals such as insulin

A Piggy Quote

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."

    ~Sir Winston Churchill

Piggy Poetry

How to be what a Pig ought to be
Is not easy for young Pigs like me.
Human beings I'm told
Talk of Pigs bought and sold
Never thinking that a Piggy should be free!

If it's Lions or a Kangaroo you meet,
If it's Dolphins or a Whale without feet,
They're protected you see
They're not Piggies like me
Who end up in a package of meat!

How to be what a Pig ought to be
Is not easy for young Pigs like me.
Human beings don't care
If we live with a scare

Never dreaming that a Piggy should be free!

                        ~Monard G. Sanford

"Pa looked up from the mice to the ground, up at his arms, and back to the mice again. A pink glow spread over his bald patch as the idea slowly grew. Now he knew what the surprise would be.
'But... but pigs can't. Pigs don't...' he said.
'But pigs might!' chorused the excited mice.

~Liz Underhill, From the book "Pigs might fly"

"The time has come,' the Walrus said,
    'To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax -
    Of cabbages - and kings -
And why the sea is burning hot -
    And whether pigs have wings."
                                   

 ~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

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