Hampshire Hog

This Ain't Hogwash!

Hampshire hogs are predominantly black pigs with a white belt and erect ears (National Swine Registry, 2023). The belt goes across the shoulders and covers the front legs around the body. The Hampshire is a very heavily muscled, lean meat breed, and it is the fourth most common kind of pig in the United States. The Hampshire breed is possibly the oldest breed of American hog still in existence today. They originated in southern Scotland and northern England, where they were known as the "Old English Breed" (National Swine Registry, 2023).

Hoggin' It All

Pigs are omnivores. They eat plants such as leaves, grass, roots, and flowers, and on rare occasions, even meat. They can eat pretty much whatever is put in front of them. One of their favorite behaviors is rooting, or using their snouts to push and dig repeatedly into the ground (American Mini Pig Association, 2016). Pigs root for different reasons such as comfort, communication, cooling off, or searching for food.

The Pig of the Litter

Sus is the genus of wild as well as domestic pigs. Sus includes domestic pigs and their ancestor, the common Eurasian wild boar (Sus Scrofa). These species are native to the Eurasian and African continents, ranging from Europe to the Pacific islands, and they were first domesticated about 8,000 years ago in the region known today as the Middle East. 

Sow You Want to Know Anatomy?

Pigs have a very similar digestive tract to that of humans. Many of pigs' internal organs are almost identical to ours (Miller, 2016). The video included here demonstrates some of the features of a pig's internal anatomy, such as the larynx, which allows them to produce sounds, as well as parts of the digestive tract, including the stomach, kidneys, intestines, and urinary bladder, many of which function the same way ours do and will look very familiar!

In the (Piggy) Bank

Pigs are nonruminants or monogastric animals, which means they have a single-compartment stomach, similar to other colonic fermenters such as humans, dogs, and horses. They are able to digest all of the flowers and grass in their diet because of their specialized digestive systems. They have specific enzymes located in the large intestine and cecum to ferment and break down the nutrients they consume (Kerr, 2015). 

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