DID
YOU GUESS IT??
The
Ear of a Sleeping Baby Pig
 
This
baby pig was enjoying a peaceful moment at the 2005 Lancaster
County Fair in Lincoln, Nebraska. A special petting area was
set up at the fair so children could view and touch different
animals.
The
following is an excerpt from Ag
in the Classroom lessons.
Pigs
and hogs are part of the swine family. Male swine are called
“boars.” Female swine are called “sows.” Baby bigs are called
“pigs” until they reach a weight of about 240 pounds. Then
they are called “hogs.”
A
sow gives birth to a litter of pigs about twice a year. A
litter usually has eight to 12 baby pigs.
Some
people think pigs are greedy because that is how baby pigs
look when they are competing for food from their mothers.
But pigs never overeat. Once a pig is full, it stops eating.
Swine eat corn, wheat and other grains.
Did
you know?
-
Pigs were among the first animals to be domesticated,
probably as early as 7000 BC. Forty million years ago,
hoglike animals roamed forests and swamps in what are
now Europe and Asia. By 4900 BC hogs were domesticated
in China. By 1500 BC they were being raised in Europe.
In 1539 Hernando de Soto landed at Tampa Bay, Florida,
with 13 pigs, the first in North America. By the time
of deSoto’s death, three years later, his hog herd had
grown to 700.
-
The
heaviest hog in history was "Big Bill". Bill
weighed 2,552 pounds.
-
A
pig's squeal can range from 110-115 decibels. Compare
that to the Concorde jet, which is usually under 112 decibels.
-
A
pig can run a seven-minute mile.
-
Bacon,
pork sausage, pork chops and ham all come from swine.
Byproducts made from swine include adhesives, plastics,
shoes, paint, glue, crayons, chalk, and chewing gum. Pig
heart valves are used to replace diseased or damaged human
heart valves. Hog skin is used as a dressing in treating
serious burns, and hog pancreas glands provide insulin
to treat diabetes.
Source:
Ag
in the Classroom. Oklahoma State University.
More
Resources:
Nebraska
Pork Central
Production
Agriculture - Swine
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This Can You Guess It?? photo appeared in the 