Pigs: Common Lifestyle

Pigs, sheep, goats, and horses are very important to the common lifestyle these days. The listed animals are all used appreciatively in one way or another in our daily life. These animals all have a dad, mom, and children but the names and the way they are determined by name is much different than what humans do to classify each other. No animal has the same names for a certain gender because they are all different species.

Pigs are a member of the Suidae family, also known as swine. They are not ready for the market until they meet certain standards and then are considered hogs. Pigs have different names depending on their age and gender. A boar is an uncastrated male that is 6 months old or older. Males that are castrated are called hogs. If they are young pigs they are called piglets male or female. There are two terms for female pigs. They are either called a sow or a gilt. A sow is a female who has had her first litter of piglets already but, a gilt is a female that has not yet had a litter.

Sheep are over one year of age and have normally produced offspring. If they are less than a year old they are a lamb. A female sheep is a ewe. Male sheep are called rams and are sometimes called bucks. A castrated male, a wether, is a lot less aggressive than a ram. A yearling is between one and two years of age whether they have produced offspring or not.