Pig Farming Terminology
When you’re a beginner in the hog industry, the lingo can be daunting. Educate yourself on this pig farming terminology and hold your own when speaking with experienced farmers.
More pig farming advice . . .
This article is part of the series The Complete Guide to Raising Pigs in Your Backyard.
- The Benefits, Myths, and Downside of Keeping Pigs
- Choosing the Right Pig Breed for Your Homestead
- Raising Pigs: Housing, Fencing and Supplies
- The Process and Timeline of Raising Meat Pigs
Pig Classifications
I still remember the first time I called to inquire about purchasing feeder pigs from a local farmer. “Are you interested in gilts or barrows?” She asked me. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about and sheepishly asked what she meant by that. I want to help other clueless homesteaders avoid embarrassment. So, I have put together a list of commonly used terms in the world of pig farming.
Baconer – a finished pig ready for market typically weighing between 150-300lbs.
Barrow – a male pig that was castrated before reaching sexual maturity.
Dam – the female parent.
Feeder– a piglet weighing between 40-80lbs that is sold to be finished.
Gilt – a young female pig that has never given birth.
Grower – a pig that is intended to be raised/sold for slaughter.
Hog – a swine weighing over 120 pounds.
Pig – a young swine
Porker – a grower pig weighing between 80-150lbs.
Runt – the smallest pig in a litter.
Sire – the male parent.
Stag – a male pig that was castrated after reaching sexual maturity.
Swine – a term for pigs or hogs.
Pig Farming Terminology: Groups
Drift – a group of young pigs.
Drove – a herd or group of pigs.
Singular of Boars – a group of boars.
Sounder – a group of feral swine.
Team or Passel – a group of hogs.
Breeding Terminology
Boar – a male pig over 6 months of age that can be used for breeding.
Breed – to allow a male and female animal to mate; a group of animals with the same characteristics and ancestry.
Castrate – to sterilize a male pig by removing the testicles.
Estrus – when a female animal is in heat and ready to mate.
Farrowing – birthing of a littler of piglets.
Gestation – the period of time between breeding and birth, approximately 114 days.
Heritage Breed – the pedigree of a purebred animal that descends from a time before industrial farming.
Heterosis – the process of cross-breeding pigs to produce more favorable breed traits such as litter size, conception rate, piglet survival rate and growth.
Litter – a group of piglets born to a single sow.
Sow – an adult female pig that has farrowed a litter of piglets.
Wean – to transition an animal from it’s mother’s milk to adult food.
Pig Farming Terminology: Behavior
Forage – when pigs attain their own food by searching their environment.
Rooting – when pigs dig up the earth with their noses in search of food.
Wallow – a muddy puddle pigs use to cool their body temperature in hot weather.
Anatomy
Belly – The underside of a pig.
Dewclaw – the small appendage just above the hoof on the posterior side.
Hock – the back leg joint.
Leg – the leg of a pig from which ham is derived.
Loin – the muscles on either side of the spine which produce pork tenderloins.
Jowl – the underside of a pig’s neck.
Pastern – the bone that connects the hoof and leg joints.
Rear Flank – located between the ribs and stifle.
Rump – the area on a pig’s back just above its tail.
Snout – a pig’s nose.
Stifle – the “knee” joint in the hind leg.
Butchering Vocabulary
Cuts – the end products of pork after the butchering process is complete. Usually packaged into individual serving sizes.
Finishing – the phase between when a pig is born and when it is ready to go to market.
Hanging weight or dressed weight – the weight of a pig carcass after it has been gutted and prepped for butchering.
Processing – preparing a slaughtered animal for packaging or storage.
More Ideas
Learn the fundamentals of raising pigs in the 6-part series The Complete Guide to Raising Pigs in your Backyard.
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Other homesteading articles . . .
- 75+ Side Hustles for Farmers to Boost Income
- My Homesteading Journey: Year One
- Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Plan
- Choosing the Right Pig Breed for Your Homestead
- Top 20 Must-Read Books for Garden Enthusiasts
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Thank you, I have a interview to be a sow birther and your post is helping me stay cought up in conversations.
Good reading