Pig Terminology

While I'm not a big livestock farmer, I do need to be aware of basic terminology so that I can correctly communicate with other livestock owners."A" asked me to explain some of the basic terms used. So here it goes...,,,,

PIGS

Porcine -- scientific term pertaining to pigs

Swine -- pigs 

Herd -- the name for a group of pigs

Hog -- an older pig usually usually from about 100 lbs and up. 

Barrow -- castrated male pig

Boar -- not castrated male pig

Stag or stag hog -- a male that was castrated after he was used for breeding. Sometimes also an older boar that is castrated as a mature adult even if he hadn't been bred. 

Gilt -- young female that has not yet birthed piglets or come to birthing age. 

Sow -- female who has had piglets. Also refers to an adult female even if she has never been bred. 

Piglet -- a young pig with an age ranging from birth to normal weaning age

Shoat -- a young weaned piglet. Some people call them a weanling or weaner. 

Feeder Pig -- a pig being specifically fed for slaughter 

Butcher pig or butcher hog -- a pig ready for slaughter.

Lard pig -- a breed known to produce a high percentage of fat on the carcass. 

Heat or estrus -- the reproductive cycle of the female during which time she is receptive to a boar for breeding.

Farrow -- to give birth to piglets.

Farrow to finish -- where you raise the pig yourself from birth to slaughter. 

Finishing feed -- feed used to feed a pig that last month or so before slaughter.

Taint -- an offensive smell associated with boars which gives an unpleasant odor and flavor to the meat.

Hog ring -- a metal clip or ring placed through a pig's snout to keep it from rooting.

Wallow -- a depression or structure that holds water for the pigs to lie in. This is a means for them to cool down when overheated. Did you know that pigs cannot sweat effectively to cool down? Thus they use a wallow for cooling off.