Recommendations for measuring the weight of pigs at different ages. Wild boar yearling is Lifestyle, nutrition

Dimensions and weight of the boar.

At present, in the delta Volga, according to a. but. Lavrovsky (1952), adult males sometimes weigh 250-270 kg. It is characteristic that at the end of the last century, when the wild boar was intensively hunted in the Volga delta, the largest males weighed only 12 pounds (192 kg, -L.S.), while most of the animals weighed 3-7 pounds (48-112 kg). ) (I. Yavlensky, 1875). It should be noted that even in the 18th and 19th centuries, wild boars of larger sizes lived there. For example, P.S. Pallas (1786), speaking of West Kazakhstan animals, notes that they were “extremely large” and weighed up to “15 pounds” ( 240 kg). According to G. S. Karelin (1875), in the 40-50s of the 19th century, two wild boars were caught on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, which supposedly weighed one 19, and the second - 20 pounds (304 and 320 kg, - A. S. .). The existence of very large wild boars in past centuries is also evidenced by archaeological finds. For example, judging by the materials from the Neolithic Mariupol burial ground (in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov), wild boars that lived in the valley of the river. Mius, reached enormous sizes (the width of the lower fangs up to 3 cm). According to Beauplan, wild boars of "monstrous growth" were found in the Dnieper valley in the 17th century. Large boar sizes in the past, they are also confirmed by the finds of their remains in the peat bogs of the Kiev and Zhytomyr regions (IG Pidoplichko, 1951) - It is obvious that under the direct and indirect influence of anthropogenic factors, the wild boar has been crushed in recent centuries. It is interesting to note that during the same period there was a grinding of bison, red deer, European roe deer and other animals. The grinding of wild boars continues at the present time, since in any area of \u200b\u200btheir habitat one can hear from many hunters stories that they used to get larger animals than they do now.

In the river valley Syr Darya, according to N. A. Severtsov (1874), males aged 5-8 years weighed 8-10 pounds (128-160 kg) and very rarely up to 12 pounds (192 kg). According to many of the hunters I interviewed, in the 30s of the current century on the Syr Darya, the maximum weight of wild boars they caught reached 240 kg. It is possible that the wild boars used to be larger here too. For example, Skorobogatov (1924), describing the hunting of wild boar in the south of modern Kazakhstan in the last century, wrote that “in the reeds there are wild boars, up to 20 pounds (320 kg). I myself once had to kill a lone man weighing 17 pounds (272 kg).” It is difficult to say how reliable this information is.

On the weight and body size of wild boars that currently live in the lower reaches of the river. Or, you can judge by the data given in the table.

In this area, 11 studied males aged at least 5-6 years weighed (without stomach, intestines and blood) from 80 to 183 kg, and on average - 106.4 kg. If we assume that the full stomach and intestines, as well as blood, all together weigh about 15-20 kg, the live weight of wild boars will vary from 95-100 to 200 kg and average 120-125 kg. In addition, I also examined several dozen billhooks, the live weight of which was approximately 80-150 kg. According to many interviewed hunters, in the lower reaches of the river. Or the maximum weight of gutted males very rarely reaches 205-220 kg; thus, their live weight was 220-240 kg. The weight of eight eviscerated females varied from 49 to 80 kg, with an average of 68.7 kg. Consequently, their live weight ranged from 65-70 to 95-100 kg, on average, a female wild boar weighs about 83 kg. For example, two queens we got in December had a live weight of one - 75, the second - 85 kg. Alive weight of adult Ili boars kept in the Alma-Ata Zoo, was in the male!

Table 1

Data on the size and weight of an adult wild boar in the lower reaches of the river. Or

Dimensions (cm)

body length
Oblique torso length
Zysota at the withers
Height at the sacrum
Height to hock

Metacarpus height
Front leg height
to the elbow
tail length
Ear Height
Head length
Bust
Pastern girth
Weight (in kg)

142 n in the female - 118 kg. Based on the above data, it can be concluded that at present, in the entire desert part of the wild boar range in Kazakhstan, the maximum weight of males reaches 220-240 "g, females - 100-120 kg. Therefore, the boars living in this large area are more or less the same weight.

In the semi-desert zone on the lake. The male Kurgaldzhin boar, taken in November, weighed (gutted) 144 kg (live weight about 160 kg), and the second animal, taken in March (very thin), weighed 100 kg (live weight about 115). Cleaver, obtained from Biysk, weighed about 150 kg.

Similar weights to those given above for Kazakhstan are boars living in Western Europe and in the European part of the Soviet Union. For example, in Germany, the maximum weight of this beast reaches 150-200 kg (W. Gaacke, 1901).

In the Latvian SSR, the largest animals also weigh up to 200 kg, and once an old billhook was caught there, weighing 236 kg (A.I. Kalninsh, 1950). In "Belarus, in the Khoiniki region, an old male weighing 256 kg was killed in 1951 (I.N. Serzhanin, 1955). Two females from Belovezhskaya Pushcha aged 4-5 years weighed 84 and 96.4 kg (S.A. Severtsov and T. B. Sablina, 1953. In the Caucasus Reserve, the weight of male wild boars now ranges from 64 to 178 kg, and on average is 166 kg (12 specimens each), females from 48 to 108, on average 68 kg ( S. S. Donaurov and V. P. Teplov, 1938), while at the time of N. Ya.

Siberia in the last century the most big boars weighed up to 240 kg and, as an exception, there were animals weighing 272 kg (A. Cherkasov, 1884). Very large wild boars live in the Soviet Far East. The maximum weight of males there supposedly reaches 300-320 kg (Yu. A. Liverovsky and Yu. A. Kolesnikov, 1949), and according to the latest data of V. P. Sysoev (1952) - only 200 kg.

The size of various parts of the body of an adult Kazakh wild boar and the features of its physique can be judged from the data given in tables 1 and 2.

Body indexes of the Kazakh wild boar from the lower reaches of the river. Or

Judging by the weight and size of adult boars, these animals have quite pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males are larger than females.

Due to the fact that wild boars grow relatively slowly, they also have pronounced age dimorphism. Young animals under the age of 12 months are called piglets (among the Kazakhs - “ggurai>). The size and weight of piglets in winter at the age of 8-11 months can be judged from the data given in Table 3. Given that the piglet has a full stomach and intestines, as well as blood, they weigh an average of 4 kg together, its live weight at the age of 8- 11: months varies in males from 21 to 30 and in females - from 20 to

Data on the size and weight of gilts and piglets in the lower reaches of the river. Or

half-mumps

piglets

Dimensions (in cm)

body length

Oblique torso length

Height at the withers

Height at the sacrum

Height to the hock

Front leg height to elbow

tail length

Ear Height

Pastern girth

Weight (in kg)

1 Weight without stomach, intestinal tract and blood.

29 kg. Thus, by the age of one year, piglets reach only about 7" of the weight of an adult animal. Their body sizes increase much faster (see table 3).

At the age of 12 to 23 months, young boars are called gilts.

The data in Table 3 give an idea of their weight and size. Considering that a full stomach, intestines and blood in a gilt weigh an average of about 10 kg, its live weight ranges from 25 to 54 in males and about 35 to 44 kg in females. . According to hunters, there are male gilts weighing up to 60 kg. Consequently, gilts weigh about half as much as adult boars. Our data on the weight of wild boars at different ages are also confirmed by the materials of other authors. For example, according to W. Gaacke (1901), the weight of wild boars living in Central Europe in the first year of life is 25-40, in the second 50-70, in the third - 80-100, and in the fourth - 100-185 kg. It is believed that wild boars reach full growth at the age of 5 - 6 years. They live 20 - 30 years.

The weight of a gutted animal without stomach, intestines and blood.

With a high fecundity of wild boars, there is also a high mortality of young animals: 2.2% of the cubs die at birth, 21.8% die in the first month, 15.3% die before 6 months. Based on observations of 831 farrowings, it was found that only 60% of newborns survive up to 8 months.

In accordance with the terms for obtaining wildlife objects classified as hunting objects, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 18 dated January 10, 2009, the hunting terms, for example, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, are as follows (excluding hunting for adult males):
. elk, all sex and age groups: November 1 - December 31 (p. 16);
. wild boar, all sex and age groups, except for females with offspring of the current year: June 1-December 31 (p. 22);
. age up to one year: from January 1 -
28 (29) February;
. Siberian roe deer, all sex and age groups: October 1-December 31 (p. 28).

"The standard for the permissible removal of ungulates under the age of 1 year, without division by gender, is established for hunting resources: elk - up to 20%, wild boar - from 40 to 80%, roe deer (European and Siberian) - up to 50% of the quota" (from the order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation dated April 30, 2010 No. 138).

The shooting of wild boar underyearlings, given the high mortality of young animals, is a biologically justified measure, replacing natural mortality for various reasons. But not everyone knows about it, and if he knows, he does not realize it.
When preparing a document approving the limit for the extraction of hunting resources, the executive body of state power of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, in accordance with orders of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia dated April 30, 2010 No. 138 and dated June 29, 2010 No. 228, determines quotas indicating (if necessary) the number of individuals under the age of one year , adults.

Part 2 of Article 333.3 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation stipulates: “In case of removal of young animals (under one year of age) of wild ungulates, the fee rates for the use of wildlife objects are set at 50 percent of the rates established by paragraph 1 of this article.”

Civil law provides for the recovery of not the alleged, but the real amount of unjust enrichment. If we calculate the amount of recovery of the value of illegally used hunting products, then the basis should be based on the real, and if it is impossible to establish it, the average weight of the meat carcasses of animals, both adult animals and underyearlings, and not overstated relative to the real average, established by the Model Hunting Rules in the RSFSR.

For example, according to the Model Rules, the weight of the meat carcass of an elk for calculating the amount of the recovery of the cost of meat should be everywhere for each elk 170 kg. Data by V.M. Glushkova, who has been conducting research on elk and other ungulates for more than 30 years, testifies that the average weight of the meat carcass of elk in the Kirov region in different seasons fluctuates around 150 kg (six seasons, a sample of 8645 elks). Therefore, the Rules for hunting in the Kirov region established that when calculating the amount of the cost of meat, the weight of the carcass is taken equal to 150 kg. Review of literary sources and own research by V.M. Glushkova present the following data regarding the weight of the meat carcass of young animals:
. elk underyearlings: females - 77 kg (plus or minus 6), males - 79 kg (plus or minus 3);
. boar-yearlings: 21-25 kg.

Even by the weight of the carcass of an elk or other wild hoofed animal skin left at the place of cutting, it is easy to establish the real weight of the meat of the animal. In other words, if the weight of wild animal meat is established in the Hunting Rules, then it must be reasonable, differentiated depending on age - young adults (Kraev N.V. Recovery of the value of illegally obtained hunting products: legal problems. Journal of Russian law, 2002).
Part 1 of Article 8.37 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides that for violation of the rules of hunting, administrative liability arises in the form of an administrative fine: on citizens - in the amount of one thousand to two thousand rubles with or without confiscation of hunting tools or deprivation of the right to hunt for up to two years; on officials - from ten thousand to fifteen thousand rubles with or without confiscation of hunting tools.

In the judicial practice of the Republic of Bashkortostan, illegal hunting of a wild boar, including a wild boar under one year old, constitutes a crime under Part 1 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: illegal hunting with causing large damage.

The above can be perceived as an analogue of the hunting minimum for a novice hunter or brief information on how hunting for ungulates, including ungulates under the age of one year, is formally “furnished”, and what should be expected in case of violation of the requirements of legislation in the field hunting and conservation of hunting resources.
I hope everyone has already understood that there are such hunting resources as elk, roe deer and wild boar.

Immediately after August 1 of the current year (from the moment the highest official of the subject of the Russian Federation approved the document on approving the limit for the extraction of hunting resources), any hunter became aware of the extent and in which hunting grounds the quotas for hunting elk, roe deer and wild boar older than 1 year were approved ( adults) and up to one year (underyearlings). Subsequently, the hunter, being aware of what kind of animal he wants to get, personally submits an application either to the hunting user, assuming hunting in the hunting grounds assigned to him, or to the executive authority of the subject of the Russian Federation, assuming hunting in public hunting grounds. That is, the moral preparation for the extraction of elk, roe deer and wild boar under the age of 1 year (of the year) begins from this moment.

But there is also a basic moral preparation for the prey of young ungulates, which is formed by the hunter from the moment of self-assessment of his actions: is he capable of killing an animal in general and a cub of such an animal in particular?
Hunters, born and raised in the countryside, are practical people. From their own experience they know that domestic pig piglets are grown up to 1-1.5 years old, young cattle - up to 1.5-2 years old, in order to have a full-fledged yield of meat products from them both for themselves and for sale.

Accordingly, the hand of a practical rural hunter will not rise to young animals of a younger age.
City hunters (not all) are smart guys by nature, it’s embarrassing to pay big money and get a “minke whale” by a team of 3-10 people: they will laugh at their own people, they won’t understand. Bring down - so on
100 kg, no less. Or, given the poor hunting experience of most hunters, just to hit a moving target, and then, they say, we’ll figure out who fell and whether it’s worth closing the permit because of some 10 kilos ...
Due to climate change, the acceleration of female ungulates, late calving in elks and wild boars is increasingly occurring, as a result of which minke whales weighing 15 kg or less (5 kg) are found in the hunting grounds of the same Bashkiria in October-November (December).

Thanks to the care of a number of hunting farms and contrary to natural selection, such babies live until spring, and then quite realistically bring the same late offspring.
Many hunters are deeply convinced that a minke whale or a roe deer the size of a cat simply cannot be shot, they are still small, they grow and grow. Some sincerely think that under the permit for the harvest of wild boars under the age
1 year (of the yearlings) it is necessary to shoot animals with a live weight of at least 30 kg, or even larger. It is impossible to convince them; with such explanations you yourself fall into the category of monsters. Sometimes state hunting inspectors out of pity support such delusions.

It is not easy to control this situation.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia, issuing Order No. 512 of 06.11.2010 “On Approval of the Rules of Hunting”, which will come into force in the near future, set the terms for hunting elk (all sex and age groups) from October 1 (?!) to January 15 ; for wild boar (all sex and age groups) from June 1 to February 28 (29) (with the introduction of a ban on hunting by driving, driving, and also with the use of hunting dogs from January 1 to February 28 (29). Everything is clear about the boar - ASF. Apparently, it's not a pity ?!

In the bottom line, we have a rather massive harvest of adult ungulates under permits issued for the harvest of ungulates under the age of 1 year (of the year), and in the future, another knockout of breeding stock.
What is this? Legal illiteracy, a deliberate violation based on impunity and insufficient control on the part of the state hunting supervision and hunting users, or the cowardice of a hunter?

The boar is a famous animal that appears in movies and cartoons and is mentioned in books. This is a coveted and difficult hunting trophy. Wild boar in heraldry means strength and fearlessness. This is a peculiar animal with interesting habits.

Description

The wild boar is an artiodactyl animal from the pig family. Some scientists believe that the species appeared in southeast Asia (in the Philippines or Indonesia). Later, wild boars came to northern Africa and Eurasia.

The boar is a close relative of the domestic pig. Outwardly, they are similar, but many characteristics are very different:

The body of the boar is shorter and stronger. The body is muscular, tapering towards the legs. The front of the body is especially strong.
Low powerful legs are longer than those of a pig.
The head of a wild boar is more elongated, wedge-shaped. Large pointed ears stick out. The animal has excellent hearing and smell, but poor eyesight and small eyes.
The neck is thick and short.
Large and sharp fangs. Especially frightening - on the lower jaw. Fangs grow throughout life. Probably, because of them, seasoned males are called billhooks - in honor of the tool of the same name (a hybrid of a knife and an ax). The fangs of males are much larger - up to 25 cm in length.
The snout is coarsened, since with its help the boar searches for food, rummaging in the ground.
The body is covered with hair that looks like coarse bristles. In winter, the protective cover becomes denser. During stress, the coat bristles, a kind of mane appears.
Coloring - camouflage, depends on the place of residence. As a rule, these are shades from whitish and gray to black with a bluish tint, more often brownish, brown. The muzzle, tail, legs (below) are darker than the main color. Up to six months, the piglet is colored in stripes: brown, yellowish and light. This enhances the camouflage.
Straight ponytail with tassel. Length - 18–25 cm.

A wild pig “communicates” with the help of squealing and grunting, it can thus give an alarm signal or a battle cry.

Weight and dimensions

An adult boar looks intimidating. In addition to fangs, impress and size. Animals have the following dimensions:

body length - 90–180 cm;
height at the withers - up to 1.2 m.

Weight - from 90 to 300 kg. Seasoned billhooks weigh more than the rest. Weight depends on gender, lifestyle, habitat, diet.

The smallest boars live in southeast Asia and India. Their maximum weight is about 45 kg. Larger than the rest of the animals that inhabit the territory between the Urals and the Carpathians. Sometimes they weigh more than 300 kg. In Primorye and Manchuria there are specimens weighing up to half a ton.

In the Sverdlovsk region, a record holder was shot four years ago. With a growth of about 2 m, the weight of the boar was more than 500 kg.

Females are smaller, sexual dimorphism is pronounced. The height does not exceed 90 cm. The maximum weight is about 200 kg.

Varieties

The boar genus is part of the pig family. Boars are its brightest representatives. Relatives are pigs - domestic, Javanese and others.

Boars inhabit vast territories on different continents. The differences are mainly related to habitats, climate, food. Among the boars, 16 subspecies are distinguished. They are divided into four groups:

Western. This includes 7 subspecies of the wild boar. A well-known representative is Central European. These are not the largest animals: the length of the male is 130–140 cm, the average weight is 100 kg. Live in Russia, Europe.
Indian. This group includes two subspecies. One of them is called Indian. These are peaceful animals. In India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, they quietly coexist with people. They have a lighter coat compared to other species.
Eastern. It has 6 subspecies, the largest among them is the Ussuri. The standard length of a boar is 170–180 cm, weight is about 300 kg. This group and the western one are the most numerous.
Indonesian. Only one subspecies was assigned here - the Malaysian wild boar. Small boar, when compared with the rest. Found from the islands of Java and Sumatra to Komodo. Probably, these places are the ancestral home of wild boars.

Ussuri

Malaysian

Habitat

Wild pigs live in different parts of the world, populating vast territories:

Europe completely;
Africa, especially the north;
different parts of Asia;
America, where animals were brought for hunting.

Wild boar hybrids with domestic pigs are a serious threat to agriculture. Fields in the states of South America are especially affected by their raids. Australia is home to runaway and feral domestic pigs.

In some countries, the population of these animals has been destroyed or reduced, for example:

In Great Britain, boars were dealt with in the 13th century. It was only about 30 years ago that a population of feral animals appeared that escaped from special farms.
In Denmark, wild boars were almost completely exterminated in the 19th century. About 50 years ago, animals began to reappear in the wild.
In Russia, there were few wild boars by the 30s of the XX century. After 20 years, the population began to recover. Today pigs can be found even near densely populated areas.

Wild pigs love the forest and water, often live in swampy areas. In Russia, oak and beech forests are preferred, but they are also found in mixed forests.

They tolerate different weather conditions, climate. Wild boars live in areas from semi-deserts to tropical rainforests. There are separate populations on the islands, for example, in Corsica, Sumatra.

Pigs do not like hills, hills, mountains, although sometimes they live there. For example, in the Caucasus they rise to a height of up to 2600 m. In Russia they are not found only in the tundra and taiga. The wild boar is one of the most widespread mammals.

Lifestyle

Wild boars try to stick to damp places overgrown with forest, bushes, and reeds. The wild pig is one of the social animals. Most live in groups. The role of leaders is performed by females. The herd consists of wild boars, piglets and juveniles. Young and weak males occupy a subordinate position. Stronger mature males live separately from the herd and approach it only for mating.

The herd usually consists of 10-30 individuals. Rarely there are "teams" of up to 100 goals. Animals often roam, but only within their territory. The area of the herd, according to some scientists, is 1–4 km².

Females mature in their second year of life, their partners in their fourth or fifth. In temperate climates, the mating season lasts from November to January. There are 1-3 females per male. Boars are actively fighting. The winners sometimes get up to 8 females.

Wild boars give birth to 4–12 piglets once a year. They hatch for approximately 18 weeks. The female boar takes care of the offspring and actively guards them. Breastfeeds up to 3.5 months. By the next autumn, each boar cub weighs 20–30 kg.

Boars are fast but clumsy animals. They run at speeds up to 40-45 km / h. Animals swim well, sometimes - for decent distances, they dig perfectly.

Wild boars are active at night, and rest in the shelter during the day. They dig a hole 30-40 cm deep on their own, throw leaves to the bottom. Sometimes several animals rest in the pit.

What do wild boars eat

Boars are almost omnivorous. Their menu is varied:

They love vegetation: roots, bulbs, fruits, acorns, nuts, mushrooms, berries, and more.
In winter, they eat bark, shoots, twigs.
The wild boar also feeds on animal food: snails, amphibians, worms, rodents, insects, birds and their eggs, fish.
Sometimes animals eat carrion.

Diet depends on subspecies and habitat. For example, on the island of Java, boars eat fruit; animals living in the Volga basin - fish and small rodents.

Boars eat 3–6 kg of feed per day. Most get food from the top layer of soil (litter). Here, wild boars receive 2/3 of the diet.

Pigs dig up a lot of forest land in search of food. They unwittingly sow seeds and protect trees from pests such as pine moths. Improve the soil.

In the hungry season, wild boars come to the fields and vegetable gardens. There they feast on potatoes, turnips, cereals and other crops. They trample down plots, eat young trees in the dachas.

A wild boar is not a predator, but when it is very bad with food, it attacks birds, hares. In extreme cases, it even eats deer, roe deer and other large animals, however, only weakened, sick or wounded. Does not disdain carrion.

Wild boars eat some poisonous plants. Thanks to a special mutation in their diet, there may be snakes, the poison of which is also not terrible for boars. However, under normal conditions, wild boars only eat plants.

natural enemies

Due to its size and fangs, almost everyone in the forest is afraid of the boar. Plus, the beasts are brave and ferocious, especially when injured or protecting offspring. However, they have enemies in nature:

Wolves. For example, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, flocks of predators hunt boars. But usually wolves attack weaker and younger individuals.
The Bears. An adult male wild boar is a rare prey for this animal, there is a high risk of dying himself. The bear is looking for a weaker prey.
Large cats: lynxes, leopards, tigers. Kill, as a rule, sick or medium-sized animals.
Komodo dragon.
Large snakes, birds of prey. Some stray wild pig becomes their prey.

The most dangerous enemy for the beast is man. Boar hunting is popular, it is considered an active recreation and extreme entertainment.

Lifespan

Under natural conditions, wild boars live 10-15 years, but many do not live up to ten.

Wild boars also live under human supervision: in zoos, nature reserves. Private traders sometimes keep them in suburban areas. There they build covered corrals, treat them with a variety of food. They try to create conditions that resemble natural ones, for example, they put grass and leaves on the ground in a “pigsty”. In such conditions, animals live up to twenty years. Domestic pigs at normal maintenance live almost twice as long.

Approximately 10% of boars are killed by hunters or poachers. In addition to starvation and predators, other dangers lie in wait for wild boars in nature - plague, scabies, trichinosis and other diseases.

Boar danger to humans

Wild boars, like many other animals, attack only when necessary. They don't kill for fun. Some subspecies are more peaceful, for example, Indian. However, any animal sometimes becomes dangerous: someone angered, injured, there is a threat to offspring.

Adult male wild boars inflict terrible lacerations with fangs, bruises. Impact - from the bottom up. Females knock a person down and trample them with their hooves.

Noticing a wild boar or its tracks in the forest, you need to quietly leave. The first beast is unlikely to attack, but the meeting must be avoided. If so, take into account the following:

A wild boar does not see well and does not notice a person at a distance of about 15 m. However, the sense of smell and hearing are well developed.
It makes no sense to run - the boar will even catch up with the cyclist.
You need to climb a tree, even to a small height - at least 1 m. The animal has a thick, motionless neck, so it cannot throw a person off.
It is better to leave the attacking beast, bounce to the side. You need to do this when he is very close.
Do not scare the boar away by throwing small objects, branches or cones, even while sitting on a tree. This will not help, but will only anger the beast.
A knife or a shocker in the fight against a boar is almost useless. The best weapons are firearms, large caliber.
A mortally wounded animal is sometimes able to run up to a hundred meters and take revenge on the offender. This happened even when hit in the heart.
In the mating season, the bulls have a reliable protection of cartilage on their backs, on the sides.
The best targets are the brain or dorsal (spine). If the enemy is already close, shoot in the forehead. During the attack, the animal lowers its head.

The wild boar is a formidable forest dweller. The life of a boar is interesting, but it is better to watch it on TV or at the zoo.

Underyearlings

They have a child-shaped head, a short snout, small ears, covered with short bristles. Light spots are clearly visible on the head. The color of the body is striped, yellowish-brown, which lasts up to 5-6 months, completely disappears in August. The tail is short and thin, reaching to the middle of the thigh. In winter attire, the body seems more powerful due to the regrown underfur. The legs are relatively short and covered with dark hair. In good light and at a short distance, the brush on the tail is already noticeable at this time. In the illustration on the right, the letter A denotes a fingerling at the age of 4 months, the letter B - 8 months.

gilt

next age class "gilt". It is considered from one to 2 years. There is no more precise definition, since even wild boars a year older often look like a classic gilt. The head, due to the overgrown winter bristles, seems short and blunt; the childish forms completely disappear. The shape of the hull becomes more powerful, especially in the front. Light stripes are not visible. On the lips, swelling is clearly visible, through which the tips of the lower fangs are visible. The ears are short, covered with powerful bristles. The tail is long, almost to the hock, with a brush at the end. By December, the length of the lower fangs is on average 116 mm. The width at the base is 19.0 mm., at the beginning of the section - 12.0 mm. Brandt's number - 1.6 Girth of the upper canines 54 mm. Average weight 38.0 kg. On the left is a male, on the right is a female. The question of weight is quite controversial. since it depends entirely either on the abundance of natural food, or on appropriate feeding. So, for example, in the Moscow Regional Society fingerlings reach a weight of 41 kg. due to abundant feeding, naturally the weight of gilts is much higher. At the same time, in societies where everything is not so prosperous, weight indicators are much lower. This example is given to emphasize the exceptional importance of winter feeding.

To calculate the profit from pig production, it is important to know the live weight of the animals. Putting a boar on a scale is impossible, but there are methods by which you can measure animals without them. A novice farmer needs not only to know how to determine the weight of a pig without weights, but also to understand the averages for animals of different ages and breeds in order to adjust their nutrition if necessary and achieve maximum production profitability.

The average weight of a pig depends on several main factors:

Age;
Breed;
Conditions of feeding and keeping.

Like people, pigs sometimes set weight records - there have been cases of animals reaching a weight of more than a ton, while its body length almost reached 3 m. There are also dwarf individuals that are kept as decorative animals. On average, representatives of the breeds most often bred in agriculture reach a live weight of 140 kg (the weight of Vietnamese pigs) to 350 kg (large white pigs).

Hog breed big white

How much pigs that have reached reproductive age weigh depends on their sex. Adult boars are usually 100 kg heavier than sows. So, a female white pig weighs on average 200–240 kg, and a male weighs up to 360 kg. However, with good feeding and low mobility, a large sow can be equal in weight to an average boar and weigh about 330 kg.

The weight of piglets depends on how well they are fattened. At birth, the mass of a piglet does not exceed 1 kg, but at 7 months, when the animal reaches puberty and begins to eat naturally, it reaches 90–110 kg.

To control the fattening process, it is important to know how much a piglet weighs by month:

0 months - when piglets are born, their average weight is 800–1000 g, up to 1400 g for large breeds and no more than 600 g for representatives of the Vietnamese breed. If a piglet is born too small, it can affect the further weight gain and productivity of the animal. To avoid problems, the sow needs to be well fed during pregnancy.
1 month - up to 9 kg. Mass is gaining quickly, as the cub feeds on mother's milk.
At the age of 2 months, the piglet begins to be fed with a specially formulated diet, and at 3 months the average weight of the piglet reaches 25 kg.
Starting from 3 months, the piglet begins to be actively fattened, so the weight at 4 months reaches 60 kg.
At 6 months, the animal approaches reproductive age, its weight reaches 80 kg.

For more information on the average piglet size by week, see the piglet weight table.

A pig becomes an adult at 9-10 months. The mass of young pigs starts from 130 kilograms, they reach their maximum size by the end of the first year. However, already upon receipt of one and a half centners of the live weight of pigs, they can be slaughtered.

How to measure the weight of an adult pig

In order to find out the real weight of an animal and compare it with how much an adult pig weighs on average, you will need a measuring tape, a special table, calculation formulas and a calculator. In pig breeding, three methods for determining mass are used, which differ in accuracy.

Table measurement

If there is not enough pig breeding experience to determine the mass of animals by eye, some measurements will have to be taken. You need to know only two parameters: the length of the body from the back of the head to the beginning of the tail and the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades. The head during taking measurements should be directed forward, not tilted, and be on the same axis as the body, so the animal will have to be captivated by something for a while.

To simplify the measurement, you need to follow some rules:

You need to measure the animal early in the morning;
The pig does not need to be fed before measurement;
A soft tape should be used without pressing it into the skin of the animal, so as not to cause discomfort in it and to maintain the accuracy of measurements.

The obtained dimensions are looked for in a special pig weight table (given above), in which the possible lengths of the body are listed vertically, and chest girths horizontally. In the cell at the intersection of the parameters is the approximate mass of the animal. The measurement error in this case is 4–11%.

Formula calculation

To compile the table, a special formula is used, according to which you can calculate the weight of the animal with higher accuracy on your own.

Live weight = 1.54 x X + 0.99 x K - 150

X - chest girth in cm;
K - body length in cm.

The accuracy in this case is higher, but a couple of % can be subtracted from the result if some amount of food is taken into account.

Calculation by category of fatness

A more accurate formula is based on fatness. It is also more convenient, since you can use it to find out the weight of a pig without scales and tables. To use it, you also need to know the length of the body and chest girth, while the coefficient (which is 150 in the previous formula and is the same for all cases) varies depending on how much the individual is fattened.

Live weight = (X × K)/N

X - chest girth in cm;
K - body length in cm.
N - coefficient of fatness. It is 142 for fat, 156 for medium and 162 for lean animals.

body shape;
The thickness of the fat, determined by touch by the palpability of the vertebrae of the thoracic spine;
Gender and age.

Fatty or sebaceous, pigs are rounded, their neck merges with the shoulder blades, the back is wide and even, without visible outlines of individual parts. The fat has a thickness of 7 cm, the vertebrae are not palpable. Semi-greasy pigs are also classified as fatty, having the same characteristics, only their fat can have a thickness of 5–7 cm.

Normal, ham and bacon, pigs that fall into the average category of fatness have bacon 3-5 cm thick, the fat is solid to the touch. The body is straight, the stomach does not sag. The processes of the spine can be felt by pressing hard on the skin in the region of the 6th and 7th thoracic vertebrae. The weight of an adult pig from this category does not exceed 110 kg.

Skinny or meaty, pigs have a bacon 1.5-3 cm thick, the vertebrae are easy to feel, but they do not protrude through the skin. Signs of fatness are weak, visible interception behind the shoulder blades.

Thus, it is not necessary to be an expert in order to determine the live weight with sufficient accuracy - a pig weight table will help beginner pig breeders, and with experience it will be possible to weigh the animal by eye. The described methods can be used not only to find out the weight of a boar, but also to measure a piglet - the formulas are the same. The only difference between individuals of different ages is that very small piglets can also be measured on the scales, simply by holding them in your arms.

Video: weighing Vietnamese piglets

Knowing how much a pig weighs on average and how to measure the weight of a pig is important not only for determining the profit from the sale of pork, but also for caring for an animal - choosing a diet to maintain its health, calculating dosages of medicines, etc. In addition, weight is used in determining the category of the pig.