HAPPY NATIONAL PIG DAY!!!!! Yup, March 1 is National Pig Day (yes, it's an actual holiday!). I'm sure you are all celebrating according , but I decided to dedicate a post about how BA pigs. This holiday probably tops Christmas as my favorite holiday, so naturally this is going to be super cheesy and maybe a little stupid. But who doesn't like pigs?!
1. They eat corn and soybeans and make bacon. And they just don't make a little bit of bacon. Oh no. The average 260 lbs. pig will produce between 35-40 lbs. of greasy, fattening, delicious meat candy. There are two types of people in this world: people who like bacon, and liars.
2. Pigs can feed us every meal of the day. We can start our day off right with some bacon or sausage. We then open our lunch boxes and eat our ham sandwiches. Finally, we can end our day with pork chops, pork roast, pork loin, pork tenderloin, ham, pork burgers, and about a dozen other pork cuts.
3. Pigs give back to the environment. Hog manure is super rich with nitrogen and phosphorus. This manure can be spread or injected into soils that lack these elements and is an excellent fertilizer for many row crops.
4. They are smarter than the average 3 year old. They pretty much potty train themselves by urinating and defecating in the same area of their pen every single time. Crazy part is, pigs tend to urinate and defecate on the exact opposite side of the pen from their feed and bedding. I have a 2 year old niece and I always like to joke my sister that my pigs are smarter than her kid. I would not recommend saying this to the average consumer with toddlers.
5. Pigs have a great memory, even at a young age. During farrowing and nursing, a piglet will go back to the same exact teat on the sow every time it eats. Pigs know where their pens are, and always seem to be able to find out how to get out of them (at least at our place). Our pigs can easily identify the marshmallow bag, and know if they squeal loud enough they will get marshmallows to shut up (we have very pampered pork chops).
6. Pigs save lives. Pigs are built very similar to humans. Therefore, pig valves have been used in many human heart transplants for years.
7. According to the Chinese Zodiac tradition, pigs represents fortune, honesty, happiness, and virility.
8. Pigs are used for more than their meat. Pig by products can be found in make-up, footballs, paintbrushes, china plates and cups, medicine, explosives, antifreeze, marshmallows, musical instruments, and so much more! We use everything from pigs but the oink.
9. Pigs are freaky efficient. A pig will be market ready at 6 months of age, and each pig will produce 371 servings of pork. The average commercial pig will gain between 1.7-2.0 lbs. of weight per day and have a dressing percent of about 72% which is higher than both cattle and sheep.
10. Piglets are freaking adorable and nobody can deny it.
Like I said, this post was going to be extremely cheesy, but what can I say? I love pigs and just needed to share with everybody! I hope you all will celebrate National Pig Day by first thanking a pig producer and then enjoying a juicy pork tenderloin :)
1. They eat corn and soybeans and make bacon. And they just don't make a little bit of bacon. Oh no. The average 260 lbs. pig will produce between 35-40 lbs. of greasy, fattening, delicious meat candy. There are two types of people in this world: people who like bacon, and liars.
2. Pigs can feed us every meal of the day. We can start our day off right with some bacon or sausage. We then open our lunch boxes and eat our ham sandwiches. Finally, we can end our day with pork chops, pork roast, pork loin, pork tenderloin, ham, pork burgers, and about a dozen other pork cuts.
3. Pigs give back to the environment. Hog manure is super rich with nitrogen and phosphorus. This manure can be spread or injected into soils that lack these elements and is an excellent fertilizer for many row crops.
4. They are smarter than the average 3 year old. They pretty much potty train themselves by urinating and defecating in the same area of their pen every single time. Crazy part is, pigs tend to urinate and defecate on the exact opposite side of the pen from their feed and bedding. I have a 2 year old niece and I always like to joke my sister that my pigs are smarter than her kid. I would not recommend saying this to the average consumer with toddlers.
5. Pigs have a great memory, even at a young age. During farrowing and nursing, a piglet will go back to the same exact teat on the sow every time it eats. Pigs know where their pens are, and always seem to be able to find out how to get out of them (at least at our place). Our pigs can easily identify the marshmallow bag, and know if they squeal loud enough they will get marshmallows to shut up (we have very pampered pork chops).
6. Pigs save lives. Pigs are built very similar to humans. Therefore, pig valves have been used in many human heart transplants for years.
7. According to the Chinese Zodiac tradition, pigs represents fortune, honesty, happiness, and virility.
8. Pigs are used for more than their meat. Pig by products can be found in make-up, footballs, paintbrushes, china plates and cups, medicine, explosives, antifreeze, marshmallows, musical instruments, and so much more! We use everything from pigs but the oink.
9. Pigs are freaky efficient. A pig will be market ready at 6 months of age, and each pig will produce 371 servings of pork. The average commercial pig will gain between 1.7-2.0 lbs. of weight per day and have a dressing percent of about 72% which is higher than both cattle and sheep.
10. Piglets are freaking adorable and nobody can deny it.
Like I said, this post was going to be extremely cheesy, but what can I say? I love pigs and just needed to share with everybody! I hope you all will celebrate National Pig Day by first thanking a pig producer and then enjoying a juicy pork tenderloin :)