Pigs are formally known as swine. They come in many different breeds and the breed of a pig plays a role in the weight and size of the animal when it is grown.
Swine can also be domestic or feral. Feral animals are the wild ones, and domestic ones are raised and fed by people. Feral pigs are generally much thinner than domesticated ones.
How Much Does A Pig Weigh
When these animals get full grown they can weigh between 300 and 700 pounds.
How Much Do Piglets Weigh At Birth?
Piglets are born 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days after their mom conceives. When the babies are delivered each one will weigh between 2 and 3 pounds. Mom will have as many as 12 to 13 piglets at one time.
Before a female pig gets pregnant, she is called a gilt. After she has delivered her first litter of piglets, she is called a sow.
The mother nurses the wee ones for three weeks. In those three weeks, the piglets will grow from a 2-pound baby to about 13 to 15 pounds.
The piglets of feral hogs are often striped or spotted to help provide them with natural camouflage from predators.
Did You know?
They Are Not Dirty Animals
Pigs are often thought of as dirty animals. This is a myth because these are very clean animals.
They are one of the cleanest animals. A pig will not poop where they sleep. If they are in a pen the animal will choose one corner of the pen to do their bathroom business in.
Even a newborn piglet will get up and leave the area where they are sleeping to have a bowel movement.
Mother Pigs Constantly Talk To Their Young
A sow will be able to make several different grunts and squeals. When her piglets are nursing you can hear her making distinctive grunts and squeals combined so it sounds like she is singing the song to her babies.
The animals can make different sounds according to what they are trying to communicate. They can call their young, they call their mates, they alert each other of dangers, and express hunger and anger through their vocalization.
They Are Smart
Piglets can learn their name by the time they are two weeks old. When you call the little piglets’ name they will come to you.
There have been studies conducted where research scientists taught pigs how to play video games. Pigs learned the techniques of play faster and did better at the games than many of the primates the researchers work with.
Pigs can run about 11 miles per hour and it is almost impossible to get a pig lost. They have an excellent sense of direction. Even when you take them a long distance from their home. they will be able to find their way back.
Pigs Are Social Creatures
Pigs do not like to be alone. They are social and they like to be in groups.
When they go to sleep, they will position themselves so that their noses are touching.
Even wild hogs like to live in groups.
When people raise them, they are very easy to become tame and they love a good belly rub. Pigs also love to be sprayed with a water hose and they will play in the water as children play under a sprinkler.
They have Memories like an Elephant
Pigs have great memory recollection. Object location is one of their strong points.
If a pig finds a place that has something they like to eat they will return to that place over and over again by memory.
They also recognize their human friends.
You thought that Wilbur in Charlottes Web was a spectacular pig, but actually, he was pretty normal.
They are often used to hunt truffles because they have excellent olfactory glands. When you combine their ability to sniff and their memory you get a truffle hunter that cannot be beaten.
They Can Be Aggressive
Feral hogs can be mean. They are territorial and they will protect their territory if you encroach upon it.
They also are very protective of their young and if you get too close, or heaven forbid if you pick one of them up the momma will attack you.
FAQs
How Much Did The Largest Pig In The World Weigh?
The largest recorded pig was Big Bill and he is entered into the Guinness World Records as weighing 2,552 pounds.
Are Pigs Dumb?
Pigs are actually very intelligent animals.
How Long Do The Tusks On A Pig Get?
The lower tusks can grow to over 3 inches and they are as sharp as a razor blade.