If you turn to the lexicology of the Russian language for help, then the difference between the words boar and hog is small. Most authors of book sources believe that these concepts hide the same character - a castrated male pig. In fact, the solution to this problem lies in the ability of the animal to reproduce future generations: the boar has a similar gift, but the hog no longer has. The topic of this article: “Boar and hog - the difference.”
Boar and hog - the difference
- 5.1 Video - How to castrate a piglet
A little history
Scientists believe that man tamed the pig back in the era of primitive communal society. Archaeological finds prove that these animals began to be “domesticated” by people 13 thousand years ago. At first, pigs were semi-wild; no one thought about breeding or feeding them. Nowadays, these animals live like this next to the Papuans of New Guinea. Villagers feed them, but wild representatives are raided. Caught piglets most often go to the table, but some of them take root next to humans and are gradually domesticated.
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According to historical data, in the third millennium BC. e. tribes living in the basins of the Dnieper, Dniester, and Southern Bug raised pigs for food. Likewise, the peoples of developed powers - Egypt, India, Greece - were engaged in pig farming. During the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the Russians actively raised these animals, since the Tatars did not touch the latter due to a religious prohibition.
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It is not known whether the difference between a hog and a boar was clear in those days, but the meat of both was already actively used for food.
Historical reference
The relevance of domesticating wild pigs arose during the existence of primitive communities. Numerous archaeological excavations indicate the emergence of a new economy about 13 thousand years ago. In those days, control of animals took place exclusively on pastures, in which the pigs were provided with independent fattening, and selection issues were still unknown. Meanwhile, it is quite difficult to establish in what exact time period ancient people began to distinguish between meat products obtained from a hog and a boar. We can say with confidence that this happened a long time ago. There is indirect evidence that there were concepts of difference, which are the different roots of etymological terms. Most likely, a full assessment of the qualitative and quantitative indicators of meat occurred after the complete domestication of pigs.
The need to understand the difference
The Russian language clearly distinguishes between these two concepts - hog and boar. The difference between the two is extremely important in animal husbandry.
As soon as pigs were completely domesticated by humans, they required special housing facilities - pigsties. This, in turn, led to an increase in costs, and obtaining quality meat in larger quantities than before became a priority. At this time, people begin to monitor the number of pigs, so boars are limited in the process of fertilization. There is a difference in the quality of boar and hog meat. The difference is that the latter has a more juicy meat taste. It is gentle and does not give an unpleasant aftertaste.
The largest domestic pigs
There are quite a few breeds of large pigs.
These include:
- landrace;
- English white;
- large white;
- Duroc;
- Latvian white.
Landrace
This is a large meat-type breed, originally from Denmark. Obtained by crossing local Danish breeds with a large white. The animals have a powerful build and a long body. They grow up to 2 meters long, with a chest girth of 1.5-1.6 meters, and reach a weight of 300-350 kilograms. Very fertile and early ripening, but capricious and demanding of food.
English white
One of the largest breeds of domestic pigs appeared in the 19th century in England. Initially it was called Yorkshire. One of the ten most popular breeds. How much does an English White weigh? An adult boar has an average weight of 380 kilograms and a length of 175-180 centimeters. They are slightly inferior to pigs, which gain a little more than 250 kilograms.
Important! Piglets gain weight very quickly, and at the age of 5-6 months they already reach a weight of 100 kilograms.
Large white
Appeared as a result of selection work on the English white breed. Bred in England, but gained enormous popularity in Russia. Representatives of the breed weigh approx. By the age of one, a boar can gain more than 200 kilograms. The large white pig is unpretentious in food and adapts to almost any living conditions. Pigs are very fertile, have a calm disposition and excellent health.
Duroc
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The breed originated in the early 19th century in America. The material for it was red Guinea and Berkshire pigs. These are quite large animals, with strong bones and powerful muscles. At maturity, boars can grow up to 360 kilograms, and sows - about 300 kilograms. Duroc is a meat type of pig. It is distinguished by endurance, good adaptability and rapid weight gain.
Source: ferma-nasele.ru
Boar and hog - who are they?
So, we come to the main question. As soon as a person became aware that if a male pig is castrated, his growth will increase and the meat will become tastier, this knowledge began to be actively used. A hog (castrated male) gave more meat than a boar.
What is the procedure? To “transform” a boar into a hog, the gonads are removed from a male piglet at the age of 10-45 days. During this period, the cub is still with the mother, which means it will be easier to undergo surgery and survive the stress from it. True, it happens that a sow, smelling blood, can harm her offspring. Therefore, the responsibility and choice lies with the breeder.
Experienced animal lovers advise not to delay the procedure, since at an older age the operation is more difficult for males to tolerate, and at six months it may no longer help.
After castration, the piglets are given a special diet and regimen. In appropriate conditions, young animals quickly fatten up tasty and soft meat.
Sometimes there is confusion between the concepts of castration and sterilization. Their difference is simple. Males are castrated and females are sterilized.
Thus, a boar is a male from whom offspring can be obtained. They are also called producers, since it is the boars that can fertilize the female. Whereas the hog goes exclusively to obtain the most delicious meat. It is also worth noting that hog and boar are the names of male representatives of domestic pigs, wild males are wild boars.
Reasons for different names
Pig farming is considered one of the most popular and profitable areas of agricultural production. Healthy pigs can bring good weight gain, having the ability to gain the desired weight characteristics in a short time. Upon reaching the age of 10 months, the size of piglets is almost the same as that of adults. If a small pig is castrated, it subsequently becomes possible to obtain more meat products. It is known that the genital organs, which are responsible for procreation, secrete sex hormones called androgens. Such substances provoke self-harvest when the pig is 5-7 months old. The absence of genital organs contributes to rapid weight gain and the predominance of calmer behavior.
It has been proven that meat products obtained from a castrated male pig are characterized by the absence of a specific odor and the presence of a more delicate structure. The transformation of a boar into a hog occurs by removing the testes from a pig whose age has exceeded the 3-month threshold. Provided proper nutrition and good care are selected, the castrato will gain weight over a short period of time.
A boar, capable of reproducing offspring, can cause quite a lot of trouble for farmers. The boar's growth changes with the onset of puberty. Thus, the male remains very small in size compared to a castrated boar. Excessive strength and high mobility of males determine their increased aggressiveness, which often causes damage to pens and subsequent escape from the farm. This factor becomes decisive in the susceptibility of such males to slaughter immediately after performing their direct functions. Boar meat products may be inferior in taste to hog meat, but the quality remains at the proper level. In order to eliminate the unpleasant smell of meat, it is important to adhere to the correct technique for cutting the carcass. Great importance is given to careful removal of the accumulation of sexual secretions, which should not damage the camera.
More about the boar
So, a boar, or a knur, or a producer - this is what they call a male domestic pig who is directly involved in breeding work. Representatives that give excellent results in producing offspring and have good hereditary qualities are highly valued by the owners of pig farms.
It is living producers who are needed by breeders working to create new pig breeds and improve existing ones.
Of course, the conception of offspring is often performed using artificial methods, but do not forget that high-quality seminal fluid can only be obtained from a living boar. And the artificial insemination procedure itself is not cheap, for this reason owners of medium and small farms prefer to use old natural methods of increasing livestock.
Giant wild boars
Usually, only domestic pigs are huge in size. But even in the wild, quite large specimens are sometimes found.
Wild boars are very dangerous and aggressive animals. They can reach a weight of 200-250 kilograms and a length of about 2 meters.
The largest wild boar was killed in America, in the state of Georgia, in 2004. It weighed more than 300 kilograms and had a length of about 3 meters. However, scientists who examined the body concluded that the animal was a cross between a wild boar and a domestic pig, and was raised on a farm.
Another wild giant also comes from America. The boar weighed 480 kilograms and its length was more than 3.5 meters. The beast had terrifying 13-centimeter fangs. It is noteworthy that he was shot by an eleven-year-old boy. Also, a rather large wild boar named Attila lived in Turkey and weighed 350 kilograms.
What about the hog?
Continuing to analyze the differences between a boar and a hog, let’s focus on the second. As already mentioned, castrato produces high-quality meat, and in greater quantities than boars (about 25-30%). The consumption of feed in quantitative terms is no higher for the hog. This explains the benefits of keeping castrates when compared, for example, with sows that do not produce offspring (infertile).
If you compare the meat of a hog and a boar, the difference will be noticeable in taste, aroma and consistency. In a castrated pig, it is juicy, tender, and has no unpleasant aftertaste. Knur meat is tougher and has a unique smell and taste. The difference is explained by changes in the hormonal background and behavior of piglets.
Most often, on pig farms, most males go to slaughter, while only a few representatives are left for the tribe.
How it all began?
Pig farming traces its roots back to ancient times. According to evidence from archaeological excavations, people have mastered and began to actively practice pig farming since the times of the communal-primitive system. That period is characterized by semi-wild animal breeding and, of course, a complete lack of selection.
In the process of complete domestication of animals, people began to limit the ability of boars to impregnate females in order to control the number of livestock. In this process, a difference and qualitative difference between the meat of an active boar and a representative deprived of the opportunity to lead a full life was discovered.
It is worth noting that changes in hormonal levels and the general activity of the latter led to the accumulation of fatty tissue and an improvement in the quality of meat. It became more juicy and tender. Whereas an active boar has an unpleasant taste and aroma - this is a significant difference. Based on these discoveries, it gradually became the norm to leave a few representatives for the tribe, and deprive the rest of the opportunity to continue the race and fatten them for slaughter.
In russian language
In speech, both concepts are denoted by different words, and since ancient times. The word form “hog” goes back to the language of the Proto-Indo-Europeans. They had a word “borus”, meaning “cut”.
Dahl's dictionary also defines a hog as an animal intended for slaughter, while a boar is intended for breeding, and this is their main difference.
The substitution of these concepts in modern speech is explained solely by their synonymy and lack of understanding of the exact meanings. Of course, these days few people are aware of the difference between these animals, so often both words refer to a male pig.
Who is who?
So which of the listed options is capable of reproduction and which is not?
- A boar is a boar capable of procreation.
- The concept of hog defines a castrated boar that is raised for meat. The word form of this name comes from the Proto-Indo-Europeans; in their vocabulary there was the word “borus”, which in modern translation means “cut”.
This division of concepts is confirmed by V. Dahl’s dictionary, which also defines a hog as an animal for slaughter, and a boar as a breed, and this is where their difference is indicated.
The situation with frequent substitution of concepts in colloquial speech is due to their relative synonymy and incomplete understanding of the meaning. Currently, few people fully understand the difference between these animals and the concepts are often not only used simply to identify a male pig, but also replace each other without feeling the difference.
Summing up
So, if we summarize the above and once again answer the question, what is the difference between a hog and a boar (the photo in the article shows these animals), then we should highlight this:
- A boar is a male pig capable of fertilizing a female. A hog is a castrated pig that is raised for meat.
- The hog produces more tasty meat in larger quantities than its fertile brother the boar, whose meat does not have such high rates.
- In behavior, the boar is more active, and sometimes even aggressive, which can cause a lot of damage to the farm of its owner. During the period of sexual heat, a boar in pursuit of a female is capable of destroying fences and running away from the yard. The hog is inactive and calm, and does not cause any special problems in its maintenance. Hormones do not play a role in a castrato; he slowly gains weight. All he needs is an established regime.
So, we looked at the differences between castrated and uncastrated piglets - hog and boar. The difference is also visible in the photo. The first is more well-fed, unlike the second, which is understandable if you know the peculiarities of each person’s lifestyle.
Source
How does separation occur?
Pig farming is a very popular and profitable activity. Pigs do not require much care and are not picky about their diet. At the same time, hogs actively gain weight and reach their maximum weight before the age of one year.
A castrated piglet can produce significantly more meat, since its fertile counterpart leads a completely opposite lifestyle. At the age of 6 months, pigs begin their period of sexual activity. During this period, active boars begin to behave quite aggressively.
In pursuit of the female, they see no obstacles in front of them and are ready to overcome even high fences. Moreover, if attempts to jump over it fail, the fence will be safely broken. Breeding boars often escape from the yard and it takes a lot of effort to get the animal back. In this regard, the animal goes to slaughter after fulfilling its duties, otherwise the damage to the farm from it will be significant.
The hog, on the contrary, is a very calm, sedentary animal. Hormones do not play in him, and he easily gains weight with an established diet. Castration occurs at the age of 3 months. After the gonads are removed, the piglet begins to grow actively and its meat becomes tender and very tasty.
Lifestyle
Boars are considered very thrifty and prudent animals that take care of themselves and their offspring in advance.
Mammals, as a rule, live in small groups, or herds, uniting from 10 to 40 individuals. The herd is headed by a female, and there may be several times fewer males in the group.
The greatest activity of animals occurs precisely in the spring-summer period. In winter, they move a little, trying to retain warmth and energy.
Wild boars have very good eyesight and sense of smell. Thanks to their large erect ears, they hear perfectly. They can move through the forest silently, unnoticed by predators and humans. These mammals, despite their body mass, are excellent swimmers and can easily overcome long and difficult distances.
