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| Jamie Wyeth. Switcher. 1977 |
Oink!
Unknown to most, domestic pigs have not lost their wild behaviours despite years of being bred in captivity. They are highly social beings and their groups are hierarchical, with newly born piglets forming dominance relationships within hours.
Pigs spend approximately 75% of their waking time rooting for food; they are opportunistic feeders (they'll eat almost anything!). Contrary to popular belief, pigs are extremely clean animals.Their habit of wallowing in mud to cool off or get relief from parasites led to the erroneous perception of them as somehow 'dirty.' In the wild they select places to urinate & defecate far from where they lie. In intensive farming conditions, however, they do not always have this 'luxury.'
Aggression is the top concern for animal welfare specialists researching domestic pigs since they form stable social groups of sows & piglets. Mixing & introductions of pigs from outside the sounder (group of pigs) can provoke fighting, which is not only psychologically stressful, but can have physical repercussions in the form of lesions or tail damage, as well as compromising their immune systems & reproductive functions.
Good Reads: Any research from Drs. Temple Grandin or Francoise Wemelsfelder
Good Vibrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=387ZDGSKVSg
