Farm
Animals - Pigs
A
third of all meat consumed in this country comes from pigs. Pork is fresh
meat; bacon (for example) is pig meat that has been preserved by salting
or smoking.
Other pig products include pork pies, sausages, luncheon meat, black pudding and leather.
Most pigs in the U.K. are kept indoors. Pigs being fattened for market
grow quicker if housed in warm, dry and draught proof conditions.
Pregnant sows (female pigs) may be housed together but are always fed
separately to ensure each receives its fair share of food.
When the sow gives birth to her litter of piglets we hope she will have at least 10. Sometimes she will produce a very small, weak piglet called a runt. This does not usually survive very long. After 5 weeks her piglets no longer need her milk and are moved to another pen where they will eat a different sort of food and grow very quickly. In only 4 months they have reached the market weight of 60 Kg.
After the piglets are weaned (no longer needing their mother’s milk) the sow returns to the boar (male pig) to be mated again. She will be pregnant for 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days!! In one year she will be expected to produce 20 piglets.
