Who's who
Pigs
The pig, also called swine or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus Sus.
Learn more
- What do they weigh?
Pigs are approximately the weight of 5 adult humans (380kg).
- What do they eat?
Pigs have the most varied diet of any animal on the farm. They are omnivores, which means they can eat both plants and animals. However, our pigs are mainly fed a diet of grains, vegetables, fruit, bread, grass and leftover goats' milk.
- Why are they used on farms?
Pigs were first domesticated in West Asia over 11,000 years ago. Today, pigs are farmed all over the world, with an estimated 1 billion domesticated pigs on the planet. Pig farming has mostly always been for meat and leather production.
- Why do pigs love mud?
One of the first things you might think of when you think of pigs is mud, but do you actually know why pigs like to spend so much time rolling around in it? Pigs gain a lot of benefits from rolling in (or "wallowing") in mud. Like sunscreen for us, it protects them from getting sunburnt. It also helps them cool down on hot days. You may also notice the pigs shoving their nose into the mud – this is called "rooting" which is a natural behaviour that pigs display to explore their environment, dig up food with their snout and communicate to each other.
- Fun facts
Pigs are often considered to be dirty animals but it is actually quite the opposite. Unlike some of our other farm animals, pigs prefer to go to the toilet far away from where they sleep and eat. They also do not have sweat glands, so cannot produce sweat.
Pigs are able to digest so many different foods that they often become a bit like a big compost bin. From leftover goats milk to cracked eggs and donated vegetable from local businesses. Our pigs won't let any food go to waste.