Did You Know?
A sow’s gestation period (pregnancy) is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days long.
The average litter has 9-12 piglets.
Four common breeds of pig are the Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire.
Want To Know?
What’s the No. 1 pig-producing county in the nation? What’s the leading pork item on restaurant menus? Ever wondered about the carbon footprint of the U.S.pork industry? Find all the answers in Pork Quick Facts.
Quick Facts offers a wealth of current information, including:
• The history of pork
• Pork production today
• The environment (including manure and nutrient management, water quality and odor management)
• Pork safety
• Frequently asked questions
• Statistics on the number of U.S.hog operations, market share, exports, Canadian statistics and more.
See For Yourself
Watch The Amazing Pig video to learn pigs and how they are raised.
Pig Talk
Barrow: male pig that has been neutered
Boar: adult male pig kept for breeding purposes
Farrow: to give birth
Feeder pig: piglet after it’s weaned from the sow, also known as ‘weaner’ pig
Gilt: female pig that has never farrowed
Litter: group of piglets born at one time from the same sow
Market hog: barrow or gilt raised for meat production, weighs up to 250 pounds
Piglet: newborn pig, weighs approximately 1 ½ pounds
Pork producers: the farmers that raise pigs
Runt: smallest piglet in the litter
Sow: adult female pig