Pig Facts for Kids

Oink, oink! Have you ever seen a pig? Pigs can be pink and cute or brown and scruffy. There are wild pigs that live in the United States and other countries and also domestic pigs in these countries, which are typically raised by pig farmers. Believe it or not, pigs are relatively popular pets that are increasingly domesticated. They are smart animals who make great companions, so the question is, who wouldn’t want a pig? Would you want a pet pig? Find out if you could handle it by reading these pigs facts for kids. You can download a FREE activity packet at the bottom of the post too!

Pig Characteristics

1. Pigs are intelligent animals and can be trained to perform tricks. They can jump through hoops and create many different sounds. What would you train your pig to do?

2. Pigs have a set of fixed, natural behaviors, such as exploring their surroundings and rolling around in the mud. What sort of things in your house do you think a pig would enjoy? If you have a lot of food and muddy bog, your pig would love you! Pigs will eat almost anything from solid food to liquids and they love rolling around in the dirt! They do this to protect themselves from the sun on hot days.

3. Pigs can also swim! They might enjoy taking a dip in the pool with you if you let them.

4. Pigs are social animals and enjoy the company of other pigs. Factory farms often have several pigs living together is one pig community. Would you be willing to raise multiple pigs at once? Count me out!

Pigs Facts for Kids – Appearance

5.Pigs are found in many different colors including black, white, brown, red and spotted. Have you ever seen a spotted pig?

6. With such small eyes, pigs have poor eyesight, but they make up for it with an excellent sense of smell. Pigs have a large snout that they use to dig for food and root around in the dirt.

7. Pigs are considered toed ungulates. They have four toes on each foot and the two middle ones are longer than the outer ones. Pigs also have very short legs, which makes their toes even more distinct.

Pig Communication

8. Pigs communicate with each other using a variety of vocalizations and body language. They use their tails to express how they are feeling. If they have straight tails, they are happy, but if their tail is curled under then they are scared or nervous.

9. When pigs are angry or threatened, they will sometimes charge at an opponent and attack with their sharp tusks. A big pig would have more success attacking than a smaller pig. Because of this, small pigs may just squeal or make distinct grunts in an attempt to call out for help from a larger pig.

10. A pig’s squeal can reach up to 115 decibels – that’s as loud as a rock concert!

Pigs Facts for Kids – Piglets

11. Pigs reach sexual maturity at around 6 months old. Adult pigs will reproduce during mating season and females with give birth to a litter of piglets. The average litter size for pigs is six piglets.

12. Newborn piglets are born pink and hairless. Have you ever seen baby pigs?

13.Mother pigs develop very close bonds with their young. Female pigs, also known as sows, produce milk to feed their young. This characterizes pigs as mammals. What other mammals can you think of?

Read more Piglet Facts for Kids here.

Pig Names

14. Wild pigs are also known as boar or feral pigs.

15. The scientific name for a domestic pig is Sus scrofa domestica. Woah, try saying that three times fast!

16. Pigs are members of the Suidae family, which includes other animals such as warthogs, peccaries and wild boars. They are thought to have descended from a wild boar species known as Sus scrofa.

More Interesting Pigs Facts for Kids

17. Pigs have good long-term memory and can remember things for up to 4 weeks. That’s a long time compared to other wild animals!

18. Pigs can live for up to 15 years!

National Pig Day

National Pig Day is March 1st! Will you be celebrating it with a new pet pig? A pig will bring lots of fun and a lot of new experiences to your home, so get ready for one if you want it. Make sure to share all the pictures (even the messy ones)!

WANT MORE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS?

Check out these fun facts for kids here and browse all the other topics at the bottom of the post.