The appearance of the domestic pig today is shaped mainly by the economic expectations of us, humans. Today’s pig has superior reproductive, fattening, and carcass traits compared to its ancient ancestors. This could not be achieved without the highly effective support of scientific research aimed at revealing the genetic basis underlying the important economic traits of pigs and the involvement of novel technologies in phenotyping these animals, both in vivo and post-mortem. Yet the research is spreading beyond the biological issues connected to the production of pigs and their products. The latest developments in computer science and informatics technology enable us to collect and store information from all stages in the production of food, leading back to its origin. Questions about the breed, the way the pigs were raised, how were they managed, and how they were processed into a wide palette of products can be answered by the use of methodologies developed by data scientists and those from the fields of different “omics.” All this information can be passed along the chain to consumers in a repeatable manner. The producers can use these data to manage such complex issues as meat or product quality. And this closes the circle. Tracing the domestic pig is an attempt to present the current knowledge about this valuable animal—its origin, composition, and the food that it gives us—and to predict or foresee what can happen to this species in the time to come.

Among the first creatures to help humans attain the goal of having enough to eat was the pig, which provided not simply enough, but general abundance. Domesticated early and easily, herds grew at astonishing rates (only rabbits are more prolific). Then, as people spread around the globe, pigs and traditions went with them, with pigs making themselves at home wherever explorers or settlers carried them. Today, pork is the most commonly consumed meat in the world—and no one else in the world produces more pork than the American Midwest. Pigs and pork feature prominently in many cuisines and are restricted by others. In the U.S. during the early1900s, pork began to lose its preeminence to beef, but today, we are witnessing a resurgence of interest in pork, with talented chefs creating delicacies out of every part of the pig. Still, while people enjoy “pigging out,” few know much about hog history, and fewer still know of the creatures’ impact on the world, and specifically the Midwest. From brats in Wisconsin to tenderloin in Iowa, barbecue in Kansas City to porketta in the Iron Range to goetta in Cincinnati, the Midwest is almost defined by pork. Here, tracking the history of pig as pork, Cynthia Clampitt offers a fun, interesting, and tasty look at pigs as culture, calling, and cuisine.

The federal government wastes your tax dollars worse than a drunken sailor on shore leave. The 1984 Grace Commission uncovered that the Department of Defense spent $640 for a toilet seat and $436 for a hammer. Twenty years later things weren't much better. In 2004, Congress spent a record-breaking $22.9 billion dollars of your money on 10,656 of their pork-barrel projects. The war on terror has a lot to do with the record $413 billion in deficit spending, but it's also the result of pork over the last 18 years the likes of: - $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa - $102 million to study screwworms which were long ago eradicated from American soil - $273,000 to combat goth culture in Missouri - $2.2 million to renovate the North Pole (Lucky for Santa!) - $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in California - $1 million for ornamental fish research Funny in some instances and jaw-droppingly stupid and wasteful in others, The Pig Book proves one thing about Capitol Hill: pork is king!

Unlike other barnyard animals, which pull plows, give eggs or milk, or grow wool, a pig produces only one thing: meat. Incredibly efficient at converting almost any organic matter into nourishing, delectable protein, swine are nothing short of a gastronomic godsend—yet their flesh is banned in many cultures, and the animals themselves are maligned as filthy, lazy brutes. As historian Mark Essig reveals in Lesser Beasts, swine have such a bad reputation for precisely the same reasons they are so valuable as a source of food: they are intelligent, self-sufficient, and omnivorous. What’s more, he argues, we ignore our historic partnership with these astonishing animals at our peril. Tracing the interplay of pig biology and human culture from Neolithic villages 10,000 years ago to modern industrial farms, Essig blends culinary and natural history to demonstrate the vast importance of the pig and the tragedy of its modern treatment at the hands of humans. Pork, Essig explains, has long been a staple of the human diet, prized in societies from Ancient Rome to dynastic China to the contemporary American South. Yet pigs’ ability to track down and eat a wide range of substances (some of them distinctly unpalatable to humans) and convert them into edible meat has also led people throughout history to demonize the entire species as craven and unclean. Today’s unconscionable system of factory farming, Essig explains, is only the latest instance of humans taking pigs for granted, and the most recent evidence of how both pigs and people suffer when our symbiotic relationship falls out of balance. An expansive, illuminating history of one of our most vital yet unsung food animals, Lesser Beasts turns a spotlight on the humble creature that, perhaps more than any other, has been a mainstay of civilization since its very beginnings—whether we like it or not.

EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL PIG FARM This book is the first of its kind to offer an in-depth approach and practical strategy to pig farm record keeping. It is specially designed for pig keepers by Catherine Warren, a 15 years pig, and sheep and cattle owner to record essential activities and information of pigs. In this book, you can record and analyze your observations on feeding, medication, vaccination and supplement record, parasite control, test records, farrowing record,income record, expenses record pig care worker, and other vital information. FEATURES OF THIS LOG BOOK In this logbook, you can record important information of up to 28 pigs 1. Pig Identification Page: Here is where you will record information such as the pig ID, name, registration number, source, date of birth, color, breed, sex, breed purpose, markings, weight, pedigree chart, rearing mode, breeder, owner, date acquired, picture of the pig, and others. 2. Feed Tracking: on this page, you will record your feed combination formula for a set of periods, the brand, quantity and your observation on all growth stages. 3. Medical Treatment Record General Treatment Record: Record date, nature of illness/injury, medication, dosage, veterinarian and more. Vaccination and Supplement Record: Record every vaccine given to the pigs, including date, target disease, drug/supplement, dosage, and observations. Parasite Control Record: Date, Dewormer and Result. Test Record: Track every detail of tests carried out on each pig. 4. Farrowing | Breeding Record : Track up to Five(5) Piglets for Five(5) farrowing generation of each pig .You can record : Number of Piglets, Mate breed, Gestation period/dates and due dates. Record detail of Five 5 Piglets for each farrowing. 5. Expenses Record : Track every material/equipment you purchased on your farm.You can record : Date, Item, Unit, Category and Cost. 6. Income Record : You can record : Date, Item, Unit, Category and profit. 7. Supplier and Veterinary Doctors Record : This is the section where you can record contact information of important businesses, farm suppliers, veterinary doctors, and more. 8. Animal Care Worker: If you are rearing your pig on a large scale, it is crucial to assign a particular farm worker to care for a specific set of pigs; this enhances proper monitoring. In this section, you can record all detail of the animal care worker. 9. General Observation section: You record every other observation that you notice, which could be spectacular to a particular pig. EXTRA FEATURES 7. We have provided at least 16 good pig farm practices, on-farm location, housing, feeding, management, health, etc. 8. Additional 5 Lined Pages: Here, you can record info which are general to all the pigs in the farm or you can record other info related to your Pig farm. Much, Much more This pig record keeping logbook is a must-have for pig farmers who require proper documentation in their pig farm. This logbook is also a perfect gift for friends and family members. Please use the 'Look Inside' button to check all other beautiful features of this log book FROM THE AUTHOR I have been working with pigs and sheeps as far back as 2005. I have also helped people managed and grow their herd. During this years, I have employed several tactics in keeping record of the pigs. What you will find in this logbook is an in-depth approach which caters for most important pig information. I am certain you will find this book useful. - Catherine Warren ADD THIS BOOK TO CART NOW TO START ENJOYING THIS LOG BOOK

This booklet promotes pig production and marketing as a viable diversification enterprise for small-scale farmers. The potential of pigs provides a multitude of opportunities and benefits that can support small-scale framer development with improved diets, increased food and income security as well as reduced vulnerability. The booklet targets those who are involved in developing and enhancing revenue-generating enterprises for small-scale farmers, working for public, private and donor institutions.

The domestic pig is perceived as an animal with intelligence and character and yet, in the industrialized world, the majority of people have had little or no contact with them. Pigs are subject to a wide range of environments from the tropics to the sub-arctic, ranging from small-scale, extensive systems to large-scale intensive systems. They may spend their whole life on one farm or may be subject to long-distance transport multiple times. Not surprisingly, many aspects of their life experiences can impact their welfare. This book brings together a team of leading pig welfare research scientists to review the natural history of the pig, the welfare of pigs at different stages of life and to indicate what the future holds in terms of pig welfare. The text is aimed at researchers and teachers working in veterinary and animal science together with those working in the pig industry and for governmental and non-governmental animal welfare organizations.