Pig domestication and

early history
John J. McGlone, PhD
Professor
 How did we get here?

Finishing Barn

Gestation Barn
 History of the Pig
Domestication

40 million years ago:

Giant Pig
Branches into ruminants & Suidae
9000+ years ago
Indonesia (or Europe)
 History of the pig

Place in the animal kingdom:

Phylum: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Sub-order: Suina
(hippos & peccaries)

Family: Suidae
(pigs; babyrousa, warthog, etc.)

Genus: Sus
(bearded pig, pigmy hog, warty hog, etc.)

Species: scrofa
European wild boar
 German “Swine Forest”
or “Wild Housing” Hutewald
European wild boar
 History of the pig

9000+ years ago; Humans in caves/huts

with pigs nearby
by 3,000-4,000 BC Persian, Egyptian,
Chinese & desert civilizations all ate pork
& pigs were an important part of their
culture
Pig herds spread West and North
 History of the pig

Jewish, Islamic and some Hindu sects

stopped eating pork; reasons included
nomadic cultures not as suited to pigs as
to cattle/sheep/camels
pigs ate waste products and were
considered unhealthy
pork could contain parasites that made
people sick
What is the image of pigs
in today’s world?

What was the industry image in

Biblical times?
 Pigs were critical in
history

Ancient Persia
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece
Roman Empire
Celtic nations
Colonizing nations (Spain, UK, Dutch,
etc.)
Today
Pigs in Historical Art

• Greek pig sculptures

& drawing on a plate
• circa 500 BC;
Louvre, Paris
 History of the pig

The Roman Empire improved pig breeding

and spread pigs
Two types were developed:
Large, floppy ears, much lard
Smaller, erect ears, for meat
 History of the pig

By the 1500s:
In the North, Celtic people bred large-
bodied, well-muscled pigs
In Southern Europe, Iberians developed
smaller-framed, lard-type pigs
All pigs of the day were dark colored
Lighter-skinned pigs developed in
Northern Europe
 History of the pig

Sea-going explorers used pigs:

to eat along the way
to supply seedstock for new colonies
to hunt on a later visit

Explorers used pork as:

salt pork
cured pork
 USA phases of growth in
pig numbers
Phase 1 -- The early settlers
(colonial days)
Phase 2 -- 1776 to 1865
(pigs move west)
Phase 3 -- 1865 to 1995
(pigs with grain)
Phase 4 -- Now and future
a. Avoid population centers
b. Avoid waterways
c. Biosecurity
Pig numbers
 World meat situation

Pork is the #1 meat

eaten in the world
Pork 100,907 million tons
Beef 54 million metric tons
Chicken 49 million metric tons
World Consumption
World Pork Consumption 2006

Region Metric tons (millions) Per capita (kg)

People's Republic of
1 China 52.5 40
2 EU25 20.1 43.9
3 United States 8.7 29.0

4 Russian Federation 2.6 18.1

5 Japan 2.5 19.8
Others 12.2
Total 98.9
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
 U.S. Per Capita Meat
Consumption
Year Chicken Turkey Veal Lamb Beef^ Pork Total
(retail cut equiv./ lb. per person)

1950 21 3 7 4 44 65 144
1955 21 4 9 4 56 62 156
1960 28 5 5 4 59 59 161
1965 33 6 4 3 70 52 169
1970 40 6 2 3 82 55 189
1975 39 7 3 2 85 43 178
1980 47 8 2 1 75 57 190
1985 52 9 2 1 77 51 194
1990 61 14 1 1 66 49 193
1995 69 14 1 1 65 51 202
2000 77 14 1 1 67 51 211
2001 77 14 1 1 65 50 208
2002 81 14 1 1 67 51 215
2003 82 14 1 1 64 52 213
2004 85 13 0 1 65 51 216
2005* 86 17 1 1 65 50 219
2006* 87 17 1 1 65 49 220
2007* 87 17 1 1 66 51 222
World Pork Consumption
 Meat production

Product 1970 2000 % 2026

Pig meat 35.8 91.0 254 227
Beef & veal 38.4 57.1 149 87
Turkey 1.2 4.8 400 18
Chicken 13.1 56.9 434 242
Goat 1.3 3.7 285 21
Milk, fluid 359.3 484.7 135 638
 Pork production in selected
countries
Country 2004 2005
China 47,016 58,900
European Union 20,270 20,900
USA 9,402 9,591
Brazil 2,730 2,825
Canada 1,960 1,975
Russian Federation 1,785 1,900
Japan 1,260 1,240
Mexico 1,175 1,200
Philippines 1,100 1,122
Korea, South 1,050 1,010
Taiwan 910 935
Australia 420 400
Others 1,125 1,169
Total 90,678 95,167
(1,000 metric tons
carcass weight
equivalent)
 World Pig Meat
Production

100 92.5
88.7 90.7
86.5
Million 82.4 83.6
Metric Tons 80
70

60

40

20

0
1996 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
 Value of agricultural
products in the USA in 1997
60

50

40
$ Billions,
30
Market value
20

10

0 Beef Dairy Poultry Pigs Sheep O ther O ilseed &Vegetables Fruits &Greenhouse O ther
grain nuts
 Production technologies

Cattle & Sheep

are more often
grazed

Pigs & Poultry

are more
intensified
Alternative technologies
U.S. Import-Export of Pork
1000 metric tons carcass weight
1400
1200
1000
equivalents

800 Imports
600 Exports
400
200
0
01

02

03

04

05

06
20

20

20

20

20

20

Year
Hogs and Pigs: Breeding, Market, and Total Inventory
By Selected States and United States, 2007

State Breeding Market Total

IA 1,080 15,520 16,600
NC 1,020 8,380 9,400
MN 600 6,200 6,800
IL 440 3,610 4,050
MO 360 2,440 2,800
NE 360 2,640 3,000
USA 5,081 55,022 61,103
U.S. Hog Operations
 Profit & loss in recent years

Year Profit/Loss
1997 ++ 1990s: major
1998 ~ expansion of large-
1999 -- scale producers
2000 - Late 1998 and 1999
2001 - had record losses
2002 + Industry restructured
2003 + in early 2000s
2004 + Currently most pigs
2006 + produced by a small
2007 ~ number of owners
2005 pigs numbers on
large farms

Name Locations #Sows

Smithfield NC, VA, UT, 798,000

MO, OK, IL
Conti/PSF Mo, NC, TX 221,000

Seaboard KS, CO, OK 213,600

Prestage NC, MS 140,000

Regional pig numbers = 300,000 sows;
6 million pigs/year
The End!