Piglets are usually kept on farms for no more than one and a half years, after which they are slaughtered for meat. An exception in this plan are only producers who can be used to replenish herds on farms for several years, after which such pigs are also usually slaughtered. Meanwhile, piglets, of course, can live much longer. How many years do pigs of various breeds or varieties live? This will be discussed in the article.
Pig ancestors
Piglets came from wild boars, as you know. Outwardly, pigs and boars are very similar. However, wild boars, unlike human-raised piglets, have long hair that forms a mane on their backs. Also characteristic of the boars are fangs and longer legs than pigs.
Wild boars live in forests, swamps, forest-steppes. Like domestic pigs, boars are omnivorous. Wild boars can reach a weight of up to 200 kg, and body lengths of up to 2 m. Female forest pigs live with cubs, and males live one at a time. At the moment, wild boars are, among other things, a subject of hunting.
Wild pigs do not live too long. Their body quite quickly wears out due to the need to constantly obtain food and the effects of adverse environmental factors. Usually wild boars live no more than 8-10 years.
What determines longevity?
The answer to the question of how many years live pigs depends primarily on the conditions in which they are kept. Farmers breed domestic piglets for meat and lard. And therefore, in most cases, the owners provide the pigs with good conditions. If the farmer does not take good care of his wards, they will begin to hurt and will gain weight poorly. And consequently, the economy itself will become unprofitable.
Due to the fact that pigs are kept in spacious, light sheds on farms, warm and eat quality feed, their lifespan can be much longer than that of wild boars. Of course, piglets on farms are slaughtered at a fairly young age, but in principle, pigs can live up to 15-20 years or more. The longevity of these animals depends not only on the conditions of detention, but also on the breed.
At the moment, the most popular varieties of piglets among farmers are:
Vietnamese Whiskers;
Duroc;
barbecues;
white Russians.
How many duroc pigs live?
Farmers breed these pigs mainly for meat. Duroc came from African red pigs. The body composition of these piglets is large, strong and slightly lean. Such pigs are never too fat. The main distinguishing feature of duroc is a dark red color. Outwardly, these pigs are very similar to wild boars.
Duroc can reach a weight of 360 kg. The breed enjoys popularity for its unpretentiousness, endurance, resistance to disease and rapid gain in muscle mass with not too much feed consumption.
How many years do Duroc pigs live in the household? The health of representatives of this breed is usually very good. They rarely get sick. And therefore, with good care, Duroc can reach the age of 15-19 years.
How long have Vietnamese pigs been living?
Such piglets in Europe and America have become popular relatively recently. These animals are bred on farms to obtain bacon. Appearance Vietnamese fold bellied pigs are very unusual. Their coat is dark and rather long, while adult males grow fangs. So the pigs of this breed are also very similar to wild boars.
A characteristic feature of the Vietnamese paw-bellied pig is early maturity. Females of this breed reach puberty by the age of 4 months, and males by 6. These piglets do not grow too large. Their maximum weight is 100 kg, commodity - 50-60 kg.
Despite the fact that Vietnamese piglets reach puberty very early, they live a long time. In this regard, they are superior to most other breeds. Age of such pigs can reach up to 20-30 years. There are even cases when the Vietnamese whiskers lived up to 45 years. Moreover, the fact that they are able to reproduce almost until their death is very interesting.
Russian white pigs
These pigs are bred on farms to obtain both meat and lard. In Russia, this breed is currently the most common. Initially, white pigs were bred in England. They were brought to Russia at the end of the 19th century.
A distinctive feature of these pigs is a very light skin color, and the main plus is considered to be quick weight gain. Already at the age of one, such pigs can reach a body weight of 200 kg. The maximum weight of white pigs is 370 kg. Also, the advantages of these animals are early maturity and genetic flexibility.
A certain disadvantage of piglets is considered to be obesity and the development of related diseases. Also, Russian white pigs because of the rare bristles do not tolerate severe frosts too well. It is supposed to contain them in heated rooms.
Owners of such piglets may also be interested in the answer to the question of how many years a pig lives? On average, white Russians can live 16 years, but due to obesity such a pig can die much earlier. That is, the life expectancy of white pigs, in comparison with many other breeds, is low.
Barbecue breed: how many years live pigs at home
These pigs are bred on farms for the most part to get quality meat. The breed was bred by crossing Hungarian mangalits with wild boars. At the moment, such pigs are quite widespread in Europe. Some Russian farmers also breed them. The barbecue breed is quite new, and has not even been officially registered yet.
A distinctive feature of such piglets is the presence of thick, thick, long hair. At the moment, this breed, in comparison with others, is most similar to the wild ancestors of pigs - boars. Like boars, the brazier’s ears are upright, and the legs are quite long. These piglets are also subject to seasonal molting.
These pigs are very strong in health, and there is practically no lunge in their herd. A feature of this breed, among other things, is longevity. How many years do barbecue pigs live? The answer to this question is 19-20 years. Some representatives of this breed can reach the age of 26 years.
Dwarf piglets
Pigs with good care can live quite a long time. However, longevity, unfortunately, is not the most important feature that determines the popularity of a particular variety. Since pigs are raised on farms for lard or meat, keeping them too long for farmers is simply unprofitable.
The situation is different with dwarf piglets. People often get such pigs as pets. And it is precisely the lovers of such decorative four-legged ones who are usually interested in the answer to the question of how many years a pig lives. The average lifespan of dwarf piglets is 8–9 years.
Pigs of this variety are not cut into meat or fat. But to the centenarians of these pets can not be attributed. In most cases, dwarf pigs die at the age of 9 years. However, under very good conditions, such a pet can live 18 years.
Are there any record pigs?
Thus, we found out how many years a pig lives . The life expectancy of piglets depends primarily on the conditions of their maintenance and variety. But are there any record-breaking pigs in the world in this regard?
In addition to dwarf breeds, pigs are kept extremely rarely at home. Accordingly, information about record-breaking pigs in terms of longevity, unfortunately, is practically not available. However, some such cases are still known. For example, in the Bahamas, a local wild pig Babe lives with a local family. At the moment, this pig is about 14 years old, and it boasts excellent health. In any case, Babe is not going to leave this world yet.
The popular dwarf pig Max, being a pet of the Hollywood star D. Clooney, lived to the age of 19 years. This record holder died in 2006