Common Swine Terms All Hog Farmers Should Know
Once you have made up your mind to make a small swine farm, it is very important that you first try to learn all the necessary aspects related to it, such as the proper care of the animals and the correct farming techniques. Below are some of the terms that you should know.
The most basic thing is that you know how to distinguish pigs according to their sexes even if most people do not really care about this and often call them by their generic names. Shoats or piglets are those that are very young still and have not been weaned yet. If the piglet has just been born, it could be called a sucker pig.
It is when the pig has matured that other terms are given to differentiate it according to its gender. Male pigs that could already start breeding are called boars. Some farmers opt to castrate a male pig even before it reaches puberty and this makes the animal a barrow. Castrated male pigs have alterations in their hormonal makeup. Because of this, they tend to be less temperamental and are quieter and they turn out to have better meat and scent too.
Female pigs also have their own terminology. For instance, a young female who has not yet been mated or has not yet given birth to a litter is known as a gilt, although sometimes this term is still used when a female pig has had only one litter. A sow is the term used to describe a female pit once she has given birth to a litter and is now used as a breeder.
Aside from the terms that categorize pigs according to sex, there are also terms used for them based on the types raised for market purposes. A suckling pig, for example, is one that is slaughtered even when it is still very young because of its quite tender meat. A pig that weighs 65 pounds at least and 120 pounds at most is called a porker while a baconer is one that is bigger, with weight between 150 to 180 pounds. Apparently, the differences in the terms are meant to identify pigs according to their market value.
Knowing how to call pigs based on their market value and sexes is not enough if you are a farmer. You should also learn some swine management systems that you could use. There are two basic types; the waste lagoon and the deep pit. You should know how to build and maintain these properly so that you could deter problems such as sludge buildup, foaming, and crusting. In order to do this, it may be prudent to use Agra Sphere, a natural product that effectively prevents such issues.
The most basic thing is that you know how to distinguish pigs according to their sexes even if most people do not really care about this and often call them by their generic names. Shoats or piglets are those that are very young still and have not been weaned yet. If the piglet has just been born, it could be called a sucker pig.
It is when the pig has matured that other terms are given to differentiate it according to its gender. Male pigs that could already start breeding are called boars. Some farmers opt to castrate a male pig even before it reaches puberty and this makes the animal a barrow. Castrated male pigs have alterations in their hormonal makeup. Because of this, they tend to be less temperamental and are quieter and they turn out to have better meat and scent too.
Female pigs also have their own terminology. For instance, a young female who has not yet been mated or has not yet given birth to a litter is known as a gilt, although sometimes this term is still used when a female pig has had only one litter. A sow is the term used to describe a female pit once she has given birth to a litter and is now used as a breeder.
Aside from the terms that categorize pigs according to sex, there are also terms used for them based on the types raised for market purposes. A suckling pig, for example, is one that is slaughtered even when it is still very young because of its quite tender meat. A pig that weighs 65 pounds at least and 120 pounds at most is called a porker while a baconer is one that is bigger, with weight between 150 to 180 pounds. Apparently, the differences in the terms are meant to identify pigs according to their market value.
Knowing how to call pigs based on their market value and sexes is not enough if you are a farmer. You should also learn some swine management systems that you could use. There are two basic types; the waste lagoon and the deep pit. You should know how to build and maintain these properly so that you could deter problems such as sludge buildup, foaming, and crusting. In order to do this, it may be prudent to use Agra Sphere, a natural product that effectively prevents such issues.
About the Author:
Lianne Derocco enjoys blogging about products used in livestock waste treatment. For further information about waste water hog maintenance, or to find out more about products such as hog pit cleaner, please check out the BioverseAG.com site now.
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