This month marks National Pig Day, which celebrates these adorable, intelligent and often misunderstood creatures. In honour of this day, we have put together the ultimate guide to understanding pigs.

Are pigs intelligent?

Contrary to popular belief, pigs are highly intelligent animals with cognitive abilities similar to that of a dog and even some primates! They have the ability to experience many of the same emotions as humans, such as happiness, excitement, fear, and anxiety. They’re quick learners and have impressive memories, making them a popular choice for training and research behaviour.

Pigs have a remarkable sense of smell

Similarly to many other animals, pigs have relied on their sense of smell to locate food, avoid predators and communicate with each other for approximately 500,000 years. With their poor eyesight, they have been forced to develop an acute sense of smell that is approximately 2,000 times more sensitive than us humans.

Why do pigs have a reputation for eating everything?

Pigs are classified as omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They have an extremely complex and incredibly durable digestive system that allows them to process a wide variety of foods. They are able to digest grasses, fruits, vegetables, and even small animals, making them important contributors to many agricultural systems around the world.

The versatility of the pig

As mentioned, the pig is a key contributor to many agricultural systems around the world. Additionally, pigs are raised for their meat, leather and other products. More impressively, pigs have been used as a model for human health and disease due to their striking physiological and anatomical similarities to humans. Pigs have similar organs, tissues and systems to humans, and their immune systems and metabolism are also comparable.

Appreciate the pig!

Pigs are amazing creatures that deserve our respect and appreciation. Hopefully, after reading The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Pigs, you have a newfound admiration for the sometimes ignored and overlooked pig.

What we do as a butchers

Here at Burts Catering Butchers, we believe in respecting the animal and using every part to minimise waste. All our nominated suppliers are audited against our stringent standards, which gives you as the customer, peace of mind that throughout their life, they have been bred, fed, processed, stored and delivered in the best possible way.

We have also introduced our farm-to-fork traceability scheme, allowing you to track back the products to the farm and where they were bred. We do this to be as transparent with our clients as possible, which we believe is key in this industry. Knowing where the meat comes from, how the animal was raised, and how it was processed, prioritises ethical practices, which is what’s beneficial for all parties.

Get in touch

If you’re interested in learning more about our ethical butcher practices, or have any questions about what we offer, we’d love to hear from you. Burts Catering Butchers pride ourselves on our commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

We place great importance on our customers. We want to ensure that you feel confident and reassured when choosing to work with us, which is why we make sure that a member of our knowledgeable team is available for you to reach out to. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch via phone at 01424 730417 or fill out our contact form and we will be in touch shortly.

Happy National Pig Day 2023!