Pigs live on farms and roll around in mud.
That’s why many people think pigs are dirty animals. But pigs roll in mud to
cool off in hot weather, not to get dirty. In fact, pigs usually keep
themselves cleaner than most other farm animals.
Pigs are smarter than other farm animals. People
even keep some kinds of pigs as pets. But mostly, pigs are raised for food and
other products.
WHAT ARE PIGS LIKE?
Pigs are also called hogs or swine. People
raise many different kinds of pigs around the world. Most pigs that live on
farms have heavy, rounded bodies. They have long snouts and flat noses. They
have short legs, hooves, and a short tail.
The skin of a pig is thick. It is
covered with rough hairs called bristles. Pigs come in different colors. They
can be black, white, pink, brown, or covered with black and white spots.
Pigs have a good sense of smell. Wild pigs use
their flat noses to dig in the ground for small animals to eat, such as worms
and grubs. They also feed on plants. Most pigs on farms eat corn and grains, such
as barley, wheat, and oats.
WHAT DO WE USE PIGS FOR?
We get meat, a kind of leather called
pigskin, and bristles for brushes from pigs. Bacon, ham, pork chops, and pork
sausage are meats that come from pigs. Pigskin gets made into belts, luggage,
gloves, and footballs.
Lard, a type of fat, is another important
product that comes from pigs. Lard is used for baking and cooking. Lard is also
used to make soap.
WILD PIGS
Wild pigs are very different from tame pigs.
Wild pigs are fierce and can kill other animals. Wild pigs live in forests in
many parts of the world. Some wild pigs have two big teeth called tusks. They
use their tusks for fighting.
WHERE DID PIGS COME FROM?
Pigs on farms today probably came from two
different kinds of wild pigs. One came from Europe and the other came from
Southeast Asia. Scientists believe the ancient Chinese first tamed wild pigs
about 9,000 years ago.
Christopher Columbus and other European explorers
brought pigs from Europe to North and South America beginning in the late
1400s. Some of these pigs escaped from farms and lived in the wild. Wild pigs
called razorbacks live in the Southeastern United States. They are descended
from the pigs Europeans brought to the Americas.