Pigs
Pigs were first domesticated in China at least 9,000 years ago.
There are references to pigs in Biblical writings as early as 1500 BC.
Both Greeks and Romans ate pork and historical and legendary accounts refer to the keeping of swine in Britain as early as 800 BC.
During the agricultural revolution, people moved into towns and at first their pigs moved with them. As living conditions for people improved the pigs were moved out of the city. The modern breeds of today emerged at this time when Robert Bakewell crossed the indigenous European pig with a Chinese strain.
Modern Farming
In the maternal state, pigs divide their time between foraging for food and sleeping. They are clean, intelligent animals which keep their areas for dunging and sleeping separate. These traits mean that they are well suited to modern farming. By providing a regular supply of food and shelter in the form of modern housing, pigs thrive and are highly productive. Today's consumer demands lean meat with minimum fat. (Delete extra full stop) Farmers have therefore selected the leanest animals for breeding. In this way pigs have become progressively less fat to the extent that lean pork is
96% fat free. British pigs are sold between 20 and 26 weeks of age when they weigh 70-100 kg.
Breeds
Large White and Landrace cross females are the most popular because they are efficient in producing a high yield of lean meat and are most prolific. The most popular breed of boar is the Large
White. However, crossbred females and males which include the
Duroc or Hampshire are used particularly on outdoor farms. Artificial
Insemination is used on about one fifth of all pig farms.
Indoor Systems
This refers to pig housed entirely within buildings. Pregnant sows are kept either in groups in yards, which may be environmentally controlled, or most often have open sides and natural ventilation.
Individual sow stalls for pregnant sows are banned in the UK. Sows give birth in a farrowing house which contains individual farrowing crates. This is to protect the piglets which weigh a little over 1 kg at birth, about one 250th of their mother's size. After weaning at around 28 days the piglets are kept in batches and fed a carefully balanced diet which ensures

rapid growth and high quality lean meat. Feeding meat and bonemeal to British pigs has been banned. Fresh drinking water is piped to each pen so that the pigs have access to it at all times.
Outdoor Systems
This describes pigs kept outside in an open field. Since the pigs must withstand extreme conditions, particularly in winter, more sturdy, often slightly fatter breeding stock is used. Sows are fed similar diets to those kept indoors but in the form of large nuts so that little is wasted, particularly during wet weather. In summer pigs must be provided with plenty of water to form wallows in order to keep cool. It is also essential to provide shade so that they do not get sunburnt. Pigs sleep in groups in huts with straw bedding and at
farrowing are provided with individual arks for each sow and litter.
Further reading:
Outsider's Guide to Animal Production. 1995. Published by
Agricola Training Ltd, Ryelands, Stow, Lincoln LN1 2DE. Tel: 01427
788 905. ISBN 0 9525061 0 6.
Pig Enterprise (interactive training package). A multimedia training package for the British Pig Industry. Copies available from the Meat and Livestock Commission, tel: Lindsay Tapp on 01908
677577
Outdoor Pig Production by Keith Thornton. 1990. £13.95.
Published by Farming Press, Miller Freeman Professional Ltd,
Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4LG. Tel: 01473 241 122. ISBN 0
85236 178 5.
Further information about the Meat and Livestock Commission and its publications can be obtained from: MLC, PO Box 44, Winterhill
House, Snowdon Drive, Milton Keynes MK6 1AX. Tel: 01908 677
577 www.mlc.org.uk.