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A group of pigs is called a herd.
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Pigs walk on only two of their toes on each feet. Pigs look like they are walking on tip toe..
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Pigs do not have sweat glands and white pigs burn easily in the sun, hence having to roll in mud to keep cool..
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Pigs are not dirty animals - they tend to soil a particular part of their pen, away from eating and sleeping areas..
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Scientists believe that pigs are one of the most
intelligent animals, ranking close behind apes and dolphins.
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Pigs are distantly related to the hippopotamus family.
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The word 'barbecue' comes from the French who called their
Caribbean pork feasts 'de barbe et queue', which means 'from beard to tail'.
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Wild or domestic pigs can be found on every continent
except Antarctica.
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There are approximately 840 million hogs on farms throughout
the world.
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China has long had the world's largest population of domestic
pigs.
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The average sow gives birth to 8 to 12 pigs at a time.
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Duroc pigs are a popular breed because they produce large
litters and gain weight rapidly.
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Cincinnati, Ohio was such a major pork processing centre
by 1863 that is was widely known as 'porkapolis'.
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Pigs do not need to be rounded up. A good yell will bring them running.
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A pig's squeal can reach up to 115 decibels, 3 decibels higher than the sound of a supersonic Concorde.
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Improved genetics and better feeding practices have resulted
in a market hog 50% leaner than it was in the 1960's.
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An average pig eats five pounds of feed each day, or a ton of food every year.
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The largest pig on record was a Poland-China hog named 'Big Bill'. He weighed a portly 2,552 lbs and was so large that he dragged his belly on the ground. He had a shoulder height of 5 feet and a length of 9 feet.
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The smallest breed of pig is the Mini Maialino. Pigs of this breed average only 20 pounds at maturity.
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The largest litter of piglets ever farrowed was 37 by a sow on a farm in Australia. 36 piglets were born alive and 33 total survived.
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The largest piglet ever farrowed was a stillborn 5lb 4oz male. Average weight for a piglet is 3 lbs.
