Monday, November 17, 2008

58. ~ Pig ~

Pigs have four toes on each hoof. They appear to tiptoe because they only use two toes to walk on. The family names are; a group is a herd, a father is a boar, a mother is a sow, or a hog. They are descendants of the wild swine. A virgin female is a gilt, after weaning gilts are called shoats. The castrated male adult is a stag. A young castrated male is a barrow, and you thought they were just pigs! Farrowing means to give birth to pigs. The babies are called piglets, which are born in a litter. Baby piglets are called shoats, farrow, or sucklings. They are usually born ten to twelve piglets at a time, but sometimes there can be as many as thirty. Pigs roll in the mud to cool off their bodies because they have no sweat glands. Pigs can smell so well that some are even used by law enforcement to sniff out drugs. They live to be about fifteen years' old. Pigs are the fourth smartest animals and they are extremely insistent on keeping their eating and living quarters clean. These are thick-skinned mammals, and for those humans who understand them, they make a good pet. There are even miniature pigs! These are so cute. You'll just have to research them for yourself. A pig can scream at one hundred and fifteen decibels, which is two decibels above a jet engine plane. Pigs are highly trainable. Pigs do not shed. The boars have two rows of nipples, but unlike the sow, the boar's nipples are useless. They have 15,000 taste buds. Pigs eat an average of a ton of food per year. Their nose is called a snoot. Some pigs have curly tails. Pigs will squeal and squirm before being slaughtered.

Medicine:

Pig medicine teaches us not to believe everything we hear. The pig teaches us to learn about people and things for ourselves, before forming an opinion. Pigs teach us to live in a clean environment. Pig medicine reminds us to be on our toes, to poke around for the true facts, and to squeal loudly about injustices.

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