953 nut 58,160 #1 Posted March 1 National Pig Day, celebrated annually on March 1, is the perfect time to celebrate how much pigs have become part of American culture. We see pigs in art, costumes, stuffed animals, collectables, piggy banks, movies, books and, of course, on the dinner table. Pigs have lived throughout the country on farms and in zoos for many years and even in our homes as pets! It’s only fitting to have a day dedicated to this easily recognizable, endearing creature and learn more about how they are part of our culture and history. As with dogs and cats, potbellied pigs have made great pets and there are over 1 million of them throughout the US and Canada today. For most people, the most frequent interaction with pigs is indeed at the dinner table. Pork is the most popular meat worldwide with over 80 million tons produced each year making up 40% of all meat consumption. We would be remiss to not mention our appreciation for all things pork as we celebrate National Pig Day. People begin using the Chinese zodiac as a predictor of the future, dividing into repeating cycles of 12 years with each year represented by an animal, the pig joined the manager about 200 BC. Spanish explorer, Hernando DeSoto, “father of the American pork industry”, first introduces domesticated pigs to the U.S. in 1539, bringing 15 to Tampa Bay, Florida. Porky Pig debuted on the big screen in 1935 and is the longest standing Looney Tunes character of all time. In 2021 a New Guinness World Record was set by 23 year old, Baby Jane, the oldest pig in captivity ever. 4 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beap52 1,215 #3 Posted March 2 Mom got into Vietnamese pigs in the 1980's. They went to Kenya, Africa on a mission trip to help build churches. Mom and dad made a nursery, if you will, in the work shop for the momma pigs and babies because it was January. One of the pigs knocked over a heat lamp that started a fire. I received a call from the fire department and when I arrived at the farm, all of the pigs were dead, the fire self-extinguished (the shop was air tight enough the fire died out). Odd that gasoline did not ignite but vinyl siding warped to the point it wasn't usable. I buried the pigs who were mom's pets. They even had taken a litter of pigs in their motor home to Quartzsite Arizona and sold them. I didn't know if the pigs were insured or what I needed to do to document their death. So, I called the missionary in Kenya to seek my folks advice. The missionary found it odd that I would make an expensive call all the way to Africa about some pigs. I asked the nice lady if she had seen pictures of the pigs and she assured me she had seen pictures. I asked if she had seen pictures of me and of course she hadn't--enough said. And no, they didn't have insurance on the pigs and they were considered pets and not livestock as one would think. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beap52 1,215 #7 Posted March 3 I guess feral hogs can be quite a problem. We have Texas friends whose land is really damaged by feral hogs. Not only does their rooting destroy land, they carry disease that can spread to domestic animals they can be hard on quail and turkey by eating eggs. Those suckers can be pretty mean as well. Missouri dept of Conversation discourages shooting the hogs because they believe it just scatters the hogs into smaller groups. The Conservation agency wants to trap the herd but some folks claim the agency is slow to respond. If I had feral hogs running across my property, I'd contact local conservation agent but be prepared to utilize the tools suggested above. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 10,397 #8 Posted March 3 Interesting you have feral hogs in Pa. They are certainly a problem in a lot of Texas areas. They are also very smart. If you have the money you can pay a helicopter guide and hunt then on large ranches with a machine gun. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
