The question of how long a domestic pig lives is difficult to answer unambiguously. Each livestock breeder has his own opinion on this matter. Domestic piglets are allotted by nature 10-15 years of carefree existence, but their life usually ends at the age of 1.5 years, when adult animals are sent for slaughter.
The question of how long a domestic pig lives is difficult to answer unambiguously.
There are many cases where pigs lived to old age. Representatives of the pot-bellied breed celebrated their 15th birthday, and some of their relatives lived up to 35 years. As you can see, the answer to the question of how long pigs live is not so easy to find. Weak animals can live less than 1 year. Farmers solve this problem by vaccinating against various quarantine diseases. Pets that live in normal conditions and receive various healthy supplements along with high-quality food will delight their owners with their existence for many years. But, as a rule, pigs are sent for slaughter at the age of 1.5 years, so it is difficult to understand how many years a pig lives in a household plot.
According to scientific research, the age of an adult female can reach 15-25 years. During this time, she is able to bear offspring 20 times. Males live longer - 35-45 years.
Wild pigs are luckier. They can live in the wild much longer than their counterparts. Their life expectancy is dictated by reality. Wild pigs can become prey to wolves or bears. In addition, they can be shot by hunters. An old wild boar or pig is rarely found in nature. But in zoos, animals live 2 times longer than in the wild. Under normal conditions and a balanced diet, their average life expectancy is 25-30 years.
About feed and raising pigs for beginners (video)
Gallery: domestic pig (25 photos)
What determines the longevity of a pig?
The life expectancy of a pig is influenced by the following factors:
- nutrition;
- conditions of detention and hygiene;
- the sex of the animal and its breed;
Any pig can live longer if it is provided with high-quality feed and normal living conditions. The animal must be fed with concentrated feed, high-quality grain meal, fresh juicy grass and vegetables. Do not forget about premixes and various vitamin supplements.
For animals that live in a home barn, you need to prepare hay from your favorite plants and chopped grain for the winter. In order to maintain healthy bones and joints, you need to add minerals and calcium to the food. High-quality nutrition for pigs must be combined with favorable living conditions.
Let's consider the basic requirements that a pigsty must meet:
- good ventilation;
- purity;
- lack of dampness;
- regular change of litter.
In winter, the room must be heated. Warmth is especially important for a newborn piglet. If you want to get strong and healthy young animals, install infrared lamps or any other heating devices in the pigsty.
Hygienic measures:
- To maintain immunity, each piglet is vaccinated;
- To walk one animal you need to allocate 10 square meters. m area;
- there should be no drafts in the pigsty;
- you need to carefully monitor the condition of the skin, eyes and ears of animals;
- The bedding in the pigsty must be clean and dry.
How long does a pig live? This question can be answered both from a professional point of view and from a humorous point of view, for example, as long as nature has given, that’s how long a pig can live. Well, seriously, a lot here depends on the content of this animal, its thoroughbred. An important factor in the longevity of pigs is also the issue of nutrition, timely vaccination so that the pigs get sick less and from many other factors.
Any pig breed lives its life path laid out by nature itself. For example, the life of wild boars directly depends on natural selection, while domestic pigs live longer, depending on the technological process. The dwarf pig can please its owners the longest. But even then, this process depends on many factors: maintenance, proper care, feeding and other points.
Let's get acquainted with the life expectancy of pigs of various breeds.
If a person does not interfere with the life process of wild animals by shooting prey while hunting, then there is a possibility that such a wild boar can survive for more than 20 years.
This may not be a very long life path, but wild pigs in their natural habitat have many ill-wishers in the forest. Today, in pristine nature, you can hardly come across an aging boar or an elderly pig uterus, burdened with pregnancy.
Domestic pigs
On average, a domestic sow or boar can live for 9-16 years, but for this to happen, ideal conditions must be created for their keeping. But today it is not economically profitable to keep pigs on home plots for many years; they are usually slaughtered for meat already in the second year of life.
Representatives of large breeds can live for a long period if the owners do not kill them ahead of time. They have fairly good health, so with proper care, such pigs can live more than 34 years.
Large breeds of pigs are similar to dogs in some ways. They can live through their natural cycle for as long as nature has determined for them. There is a popular interpretation: the fatter the pig, the longer its life span.
This is the most popular type of pork on farms. Such pigs are valued for their good fertility. One pregnant sow in a litter can produce 15-20 pink piglets.
If this breed is provided with good care and nutrition, then such pigs will die of their own death in 15-20 years.
This breed has a significant disadvantage; in particular, pigs often experience an inflammatory process in the nasal mucosa (rhinitis). For this reason, they have a runny nose and their health worsens.
The breed is difficult and not profitable to keep due to the fact that they constantly need to add protein to their diet. If protein supplements are not enough, then pigs gain weight slowly. Representatives of this breed can live up to 19 years.
Pigs easily adapt to new nutrition and other climacteric factors. They all gain weight quite quickly, they have strong genetics, so the sows are very fertile. They can even live up to 16 years.
The disadvantage of this breed is that they are afraid of low temperatures and do not tolerate sultry, hot summers. The length of the life cycle depends entirely on the purpose for which these pigs are raised. For example, among villagers, the White breed is valued for its meat products, which is why people raise it.
Video - Raising pigs at home
Pigs of this breed are distinguished by their cleanliness. They can be trained to relieve themselves in a certain place, just like dogs. If such a pig wants to urinate at night, then it will bravely endure it until the owner takes it for a walk in the morning, where it will urinate.
Vietnamese pigs love their sleeping area to be clean and dry. In the summer, they are thirsty, so they increase the amount of water they consume. This breed can live on average 20-30 years.
Farmers call this breed nothing more than “cute pigs.” Their average lifespan is 20 years, but some specimens even live up to 25 years.
History tells that at the very beginning, breeders bred this breed so that the pigs could be members of the family. Little owners are simply delighted with the cute pranks of the mini pig. In principle, babies are not for the production of meat products or breeding offspring.
Table No. 1. Life expectancy of different types of pigs
Factors influencing life cycle length
No matter how long-lived the pig breed is, its life expectancy is always based on important factors. Let's look at them in more detail.
Nutritional regime
The diet for pigs should be well balanced and varied. This is one of the important factors for a pig to live a long life. The condition of its internal organs and overall health depend on what a pig eats.
The appearance and behavior of the pig also depends on the feeding process and the variety of the menu. If the food is nutritious and the food is tasty, then the pig feels normal, well-fed and cheerful. The duration of her life depends on this.
Nutrition is the basis of everything
Owners should remember that they shouldn’t be too zealous either. Due to an overabundance of food, pigs can simply become fat, which in turn can lead to illnesses and irreversible consequences.
For the normal development of a pig, it, like any living creature, requires mineral complexes and vitamins.
Living conditions
The lifespan of pigs is also influenced by a calm state and comfort. They are no less important than the nutritional process. Pigs must be kept in a dry and clean room in a warm climate. There is a spacious area for walking.
An important factor is hygiene. The shed should be well ventilated. By creating the necessary living conditions for a pig, its life span can be extended.
Disease Prevention
Pigs should be raised in a separate room from other domestic animals. To do this, you can build a pigsty yourself, where, first of all, decide on the development of a drawing of the future structure, selection of materials, and draw up a work plan.
Instructions for building a pigsty
Step 1
Calculate the number of pigs. For example, you need to keep one boar and 10 sows, and this is where you start when making calculations. One sow gives birth to up to 10 piglets; all piglets can have up to 180 piglets per year.
Step 2
Decide on the size of the room. Remember about internal partitions. The space for one pig is up to 3x3m. The passages are built up to two meters wide, as is the height of the external walls.
Step 3
Selection of materials. Everything here depends on a person’s financial condition. The key materials are sand, cement, boards for partition walls, slate for roofing.
Step 4
Choose a place to build. A dry place is best, as the piglets will get sick in the humidity, and this will affect their survival.
Step 5
The foundation for a pigsty is built from stone, reinforced concrete blocks, and concrete. Its lower part is up to 0.5-0.7 m, and the upper part is up to 0.2-04 m.
Step 6
External walls are erected from brick, wood, rubble stone or gas silicate blocks. The inside is insulated with boards. Concrete and boards are used for the floor of the pigsty. To comply with relevant standards, slatted floors are constructed for independent manure removal.
Step 7
Ventilation is necessary for normal air exchange. Lighting is also important.
Video - Arrangement of a pigsty
Do pigs have longevity?
It is very difficult to keep statistics on pig life expectancy and record record numbers. Most often, decorative pigs that are provided with excellent home care have this chance. Families keep them as pets. For example, these are dwarf pigs.
Cases have been recorded of pets living their lives for over 35-36 years. But this is not a rule, just exceptional cases. Only a small part of the population agrees to keep pigs, even decorative species, in the house as a pet.
There is a known case in history when the famous Hollywood actor George Clooney lived with Max, a dwarf boar. He lived with him until a very old age and died at the age of 19. In recent years, he had difficulty taking him for a walk because his joints hurt.
The next case of pig longevity was recorded in the Bahamas. The information here concerns Babe the wild boar. The local population was able to tame the pig and he lived near people for about 4 years. Well amenable to training. He's only 13 for now, but that's not the limit.
Life period in different conditions of detention
In nature
Wild pigs living in the wild have a much shorter lifespan than their captive counterparts. The variety of species is simply amazing: it can range from huge wild boars weighing up to 300 kg to miniature Javanese pigs, whose height is less than 30 cm.
Under natural conditions, individuals can live even more than 20 years. Here everything depends on some factors. For example:
- external enemies (hunters, wild animals);
- is there a special base for feeding;
- various diseases;
- natural disasters such as floods and fires.
Wild boars are distinguished by their physical development and endurance, but sows are more vulnerable, so they live less. Fleeing from predatory animals, a wild boar can reach running speeds of up to 40 km/h. Although many predators are also afraid of the formidable fangs, which they wield very well.
In addition to running, the boar swims and jumps well, which is difficult for a sow to do, since she is responsible for her offspring. For this reason, she, along with the piglets, can become easy prey for external enemies.
In zoo
When feeding pigs, zoo workers usually try to take into account their taste preferences. Let's consider how exactly food is selected according to the types of these animals:
- for pigs living in the wild in Asia and Europe, acorns, various rhizomes, mice, large quantities of apples, and earthworms are added to the diet;
- The warthog most often lives in Africa, so its menu includes the mineral salts that it so needs;
- The sour-eared pig from Madagascar loves bird eggs and subspecies of small rodents. At the zoo she gets it with interest, just have time to chew.
In addition to a balanced diet, the pigs at the zoo are pampered with mud baths and showers so that the living conditions are as close as possible to those in nature. This helps pigs live up to 25 years.
In the household
Domestic pigs are primarily raised for lard and meat. For this reason, it is difficult to calculate the life span of animals. If a sow is kept to produce offspring, then she can live 25-30 years or more. After which it is taken to the slaughterhouse and meat is obtained.
During its existence, one sow can give birth to more than 200 piglets. A domestic boar lives even longer - up to 40 years. In order for the boar to live as long as possible, farm workers provide him with a balanced diet, his pigsty is always clean and tidy, and hygiene here must be at a high level.
Lifespan of mini pigs
This will depend on the specific breed characteristics. Let's take a look at some of them - the most popular.
These pigs have long been considered the first mini-pigs. It was with them that selection work was carried out at one time in order to reduce their numbers. Pigs of this breed are quite large animals, some specimens can reach a weight of up to 50-100 kg.
It is not customary to keep this breed in apartment conditions. The most optimal place is a well-maintained pigsty located on a home yard or plot. According to experts, Vietnamese pigs can live up to 18-20 years.
This breed of pig is very similar in appearance to the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, but they are slightly larger. Their carcass weight is in the range of 70-110 kg. The living conditions are exactly the same as those of the previous breed.
On average, such a pig can live 15-25 years.
These cute pinkish pigs are tiny in size. They can be safely kept as a pet.
An adult of this breed reaches a carcass weight of up to 13-15 kg. Their life span is up to 8-20 years.
This breed is microscopic in size. When she reaches her “coming of age,” she weighs no more than 8-10 kg. How many years she can live a full life depends on the conditions in which these pigs are kept. This includes diet and daily walks in the fresh air, compliance with hygiene rules and other points. On average, babies can live up to 25 years.
In order for pigs to live longer, their owners can try and prolong their lives in any way. And not for one year, but for decades. What needs to be done to extend the life of your pet:
- Monitor your pig's diet. It must be fully balanced and include the necessary microelements. If the food is monotonous and tasteless to the animal, then this is unlikely to prolong its existence;
- Some amateur livestock breeders with little experience give the following recommendation - do not saturate the mini-pig too much so that it recovers more slowly and does not grow up. Well, with such a diet, the pig may not gain weight, but its life will be significantly shortened;
- a pig kept in an apartment, pigsty or zoo requires a bath to get rid of the foul odor. In addition, washing will save the animal from the possibility of contracting any illness;
- if the pig lives in an apartment, then you need to monitor the covering. The flooring should not be slippery, because pigs are playful and active animals. When running on a slippery floor, an animal can injure its limbs;
- Every day you need to take your pet out into the fresh air so that he can move more.
Properly organized care for pigs will make their maintenance easier, and will also help prolong the life of the animals, get healthy offspring from them, and tasty and environmentally friendly meat.
The lifespan of animals is always different in the wild and under human care. Do you want to know how long pigs live and what can affect their lifespan? Then we’ll look at all the details together!
The average lifespan of a pig is 10-15 years under good housing conditions. However, pigs rarely live more than 2 years, since they eat a lot, and keeping such a large animal (and more often than not one) is unprofitable in terms of feed and financial costs. Usually a pig is slaughtered at a maximum of 1.5 years of age.
In wild nature
In wild conditions, the lifespan of a pig should theoretically be longer than on a farm, but this is not the case. A pig lives for about 10 years, mainly due to numerous natural enemies in nature. Wild boars are more warlike and often live to be 20-25 years old.
The wild boar rarely lives longer than the wild boar, since she is more vulnerable due to offspring and the need to be close to the cubs. In fact, few people know how many large predators can threaten the lives of wild pigs. Among them are bears, wolves, and even foxes (they hunt wild boars).
In the household
In household conditions, the life expectancy of a pig (without slaughter) can be very long. Large breeds in good health and with quality care can live up to 35 years. In general, a pig is very similar to a dog; domestic pigs live as long as nature and the natural cycle of an animal of such mass allows. The statement that the larger the animal, the longer it lives is absolutely true.
Do pigs have longevity?
Indeed, there are also long-lived pigs whose life expectancy is over 35 years. But there are very few such cases, primarily due to the fact that a very small number of people keep an ordinary (not) for the sake of company and as a pet. For example, an ordinary dwarf pig can live 8 years, but there are cases where pot-bellied Vietnamese pigs have lived for more than 15 years. For example, Hollywood star George Clooney had a dwarf boar, Max. The animal lived for 19 years and died of old age in 2006.
Another well-known long-lived pig is the Bahamian island wild boar named Babe. This miracle of nature is already 12 years old, and it seems that it has no intention of leaving this world. The pig was tamed by a local family, and since then, for more than 5 years, they have been inseparable. Babe bathes, eats tropical fruit and behaves like a real trained dog.
What factors influence longevity?
Basically, the life expectancy of pigs depends on the quality of maintenance, favorable or negative treatment, nutrition and whether everything is in order with the animal’s health. To live safely for many years, a pig should not get sick. An additional factor in longevity is the composition of the diet. You can feed a pig abundantly, but monotonously, and this will prevent it from living for more years.
Diet
If you want domestic pigs to live longer, for example in the case of a purebred boar, the first criterion is nutrition. A breeding female with a good diet can produce offspring about 20 times! So, it is necessary to introduce high-quality nutritious foods, feed concentrates, vitamins, and special mineral supplements into the pigs’ diet.
For pigs that live in a barn and graze mainly in the summer, it is imperative to stock up on high-quality hay from their favorite plants, such as nettles and alfalfa. Calcium and protein supplements are also helpful, as are iron or magnesium and potassium supplements (for bones, brain and heart).
Conditions of detention
No matter how much we talk about nutrition, its usefulness in combination with good living conditions will provide double benefits. Mandatory housing conditions for pigs are cleanliness, ventilation, dryness, absence of fungi and dampness. Pigs also love warmth very much; it’s not for nothing that baby piglets bask under lamps or sleep in a “huddle.” Remove manure in a timely manner, change bedding, heat the barn in winter, and your pets will always be happy.
Absence of diseases
Any living creature lives less if it is sick. Regular vaccinations and treatment against worms, as well as control of skin diseases and, if necessary, even quarantine, guarantee good health and immunity to pigs. Do not rush to buy cheap piglets; perhaps they are only good for their price. Choose well-fed, purebred piglets whose parents are in good health.
Video “Bahama pigs swim in the ocean”
The video shows a couple feeding pigs in the water. Bahamian pigs love to swim in the ocean and communicate with people.
Pigs are more often used as farm animals. However, there are often cases when a cute domestic pig lives in the house instead of a dog or cat. And even on private farmsteads, the owner can become attached to a good-natured pet. Therefore, the question of how many years pigs live is not an idle one. Moreover, they are not only domestic, but also living in the wild.
average life expectancy
Domestic pigs are still exotic. Dogs and cats are much more familiar. Nevertheless, they are gradually becoming part of our everyday life. At least the pig on a leash no longer causes a stir on city streets. Depending on the conditions of detention, their life expectancy differs.
Exactly the same as in the case of wild boars. The lifespan in nature is influenced by the environment.
At home
It is believed that large pigs, with a balanced diet and a comfortable life, can easily live about 35 years.
True, animals kept for pork production are unlikely to live longer than two years. As a rule, slaughter begins at six months of age. The maximum fattening period is 1.5–2 years. Then the costs do not justify the benefits received.
Productive animals - boars and sows are of interest in the reproduction of pigs. They are used to the maximum: until healthy and viable offspring appear. A pig can have up to 20 farrows. 5–6 is considered the most optimal, then it is not advisable to keep it.
Small domestic pigs live on average 10–15 years. The lifespan of dwarf pigs is shorter - up to 8 years.
In wild nature
The lifespan of a pig in nature must constantly be adjusted for the presence of natural enemies. If it were not for the threat from predators and hunters, wild boars would live unhindered until they reach 25 years of age.
However, in the natural environment this age is a record. Only a cunning and aggressive boar, which can stand up for itself and avoid external threats, has a chance to live for such a number of years.
Most of the population dies at a young age. Not only from predators, but also from diseases. Females forced to protect their offspring are also at risk. They are more vulnerable than wild boars and live up to 10 years.
Factors influencing longevity
Whatever the natural reserve of a pig’s lifespan, its longevity rests on three main pillars:
Even taking these factors into account, a lot also depends on the breed. One rule applies here: the smaller the pig, the shorter its life expectancy. Small domestic pigs live shorter lives than their larger relatives.
Among farm animals, pigs with high immunity are of great value. For example, numerous Asian herbivores, known here as Vietnamese or Korean pigs, can boast of good health; some breeds of large pigs, the breeding of which is preferred in Europe, often suffer from viral infections and lung problems.
Longevity pig records
Keeping statistics on life expectancy records among pigs is difficult. In the home environment, it is primarily decorative, dwarf pigs that have a chance to live to a ripe old age.
Among the minipigs, the oldest and most famous long-liver is considered to be George Clooney's favorite. The extraordinary domestic boar Max died at a respectable age - 19 years old, despite the fact that the average lifespan of dwarf pigs does not exceed 8 years.
Among wild boars, Babe became famous. A native inhabitant of the Bahamas has chosen to adopt a family of local residents and willingly poses as a family dog. He is fed fruit, and exercise is supplemented by swimming in tropical waters. Therefore, Babe’s age already claims to be a record. It is 12 years old.
These examples only confirm the fact: having provided your pet with comfortable housing, you don’t have to worry about how long the pigs will live, but enjoy the company of good-natured and very curious pets. Moreover, they are willing to train and will keep company on any walk, without experiencing the stress of changing their place of stay.
In general, in Russia and adjacent territories the rut is extended and lasts from October to February. It is most intense in November-December, when up to 80% of females are covered. By the beginning of the rut, the preputial gland produces a thick yellowish liquid, which the males spray along the trails. Cleavers rub against tree trunks and make peculiar notches on them with blows of their fangs, which, together with the smell, serve to mark the territory and signal females and opponents about the location of the cleaver. Females also mark trees by rubbing their head glands and secreting salivary, lacrimal and other glands, in this way informing males that they are ready to mate.
Having found a herd of pigs with young animals, the male drives away the gilts and begins to pursue the females (most often in a circle). If another cleaver approaches the herd, which consists of 3-8 females, the owner enters into a fierce fight with him, filling the surrounding area with roars and squeals. The fight lasts 1-2 minutes, during which the males inflict serious wounds on each other’s bodies. The “skin shield, or Kalkan,” protects from wounds. During the mating period, males hardly eat and quickly lose weight, losing up to 20-25% of their weight.
The wild boar is a monocyclic species. In Western Europe, cases of the appearance of two broods per year have been noted. In Russia, the hunting period for females is in October-January, the duration of estrus is 2-3 days, the next one appears after 21-23 days. All members of a family group are covered at the same time, 1-8 days apart. Pregnancy lasts 114-140, on average 120 days.
Due to the extended rut, piglets are born between March and June. Occasionally, newborns are found in February and July-October. Pigs piglet in specially constructed nests made of grass, weeds and brushwood. At first, the nest has a roof and one entrance. Subsequently, the integrity of the nest is compromised. If the nest is poorly constructed, early broods often freeze to death.
The number of piglets is 3-12, usually 4-6; Young pigs have fewer piglets than older ones.
The size of the litter varies depending on the availability of food. In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in the year following a good acorn harvest, the average number of piglets in a litter was 6.6, and in the year following a poor acorn harvest, it was only 2.9.
The weight of newborns is 500-900 g. Their coloring until 2-3 months of age is striped from alternating dark brown and light reddish-gray longitudinal stripes. In May, the weight of piglets is already 2-4.5 kg, in August 12-20 kg.
The lactation period lasts 2.5-3.5 months, but already at the age of one month the piglets begin to feed on their own. During the period of milk feeding, females with piglets again gather in herds and pigs experience “piglet communism”, when piglets, while grazing together with another litter, suck milk from other people’s mothers. Often it looks like a game, because this squealing and pushing striped horde of piglets from two or three litters at the same time can suckle for 20-30 seconds one female, and then another and a third, and they do not drive them away (at the same time, the females rummage muzzle in the ground in search of food).