Common terminologies used in Pig

Boar: An uncastrated adult male pig

Sow: An adult female pig used for breeding

Hog, Sag or Bar: A castrated male pig

Runt: The smallest piglet that is farrowed at the last.

Backfat: A term used in production that refers to the amount of fat deposited along the back in animals of either sex. An excessive amount of backfat is considered to be an undesirable trait.

Farrowing pen: A specially designed pen in which sows are placed at the time of farrowing. These pens contain guard rails to prevent the sow from laying one newly born pig.

Cryptorchid: A male animal in which one or both testicles fail to descend into the scrotal sac. This defect is heritable hence should not be used for breeding.