I think they are highly intelligent and should be treated better.
Pigs
For discussion about the porcine animals.
I agree, they look quite smart. And little pigs look very cute, and play.
Pigs are extremely intelligent. Contrary to popular belief they're also very clean animals.
I should note that mini pigs or teacup pigs DO NOT exist. It is an unethical trend of restricting food to the point of malnutrition and stunting growth. This leads to health and behavioral problems.
The smallest breed of pig is the pot bellied pig and when healthy can grow to 200 pounds. A typical farm pig can reach 1000 pounds, they're basically as big as a horse but with stubby legs.
So some pigs are smaller than humans, but others are almost horse sized. Maybe that's why it seems like people don't have a grasp on the average pig's size.
Maybe that's why the Pokémon Grumpig is a Psychic type Pokémon, because they knew the pigs were super intelligent and wanted a smart pig like that in their setting.
A friend of mine is a veterinarian and a pig recently showed up in her clinic. I can't recall the full story, but they veterinarians are basically domesticating the pig and looking to find someone to adopt it (someone who won't transform it in bacon).
I'll get some pictures, one moment
I noticed pig meat (pork) is cheaper than fish per weight, and questioned why...
- is it because they are easier to breed (large ammount of piglets per birth)
- is the supply and production more stable than fishing?
- is their feed cheaper? I heard they eat potato mixed with plant oil?
Look up "garbage feeding"
It's horrendous.
His story is even sadder than I thought
His mom was run over by a car. She died on the spot and someone passing by saw its belly open. When they looked closer, between its guts, there they were: 8 baby pigs. 3 died right there. 5 made it to the clinic, but 4 of them ended up dying as well.
He was the only one left. A true survivor.
So what happened to him? Was he returned to the wild?
He's under her care, in a veterinarian clinic, waiting to be adopted.