What Are the Differences Between Pigs, Hogs & Boars?

Pigs

• Although laypersons use the world "pigs" to denote swine in general, the term has a more specific meaning in the farming community. Pigs, in that sense, are immature animals that have not yet been weaned. "Pig" is one of a series of terms used to denote various stages of porcine development. Infants are called piglets, which become pigs as they become larger and more active. When weaned, they become "shoats," and females that have not yet bred are called "gilts."

Hogs

• In the agricultural context, "hog" is the generic term used for swine, in the same way laypeople use "pig." The term is applicable to any animal, in any age or condition. Specific terms exist for male swine and males that have been castrated, breeding females and immature females, and various stages of immature swine, but the simple term "hogs" covers all of these animals. An individual animal can be called a hog, or a more specific term can apply as needed.

Boars

• Boars are male swine in a general sense, but in the specifically agricultural sense a boar is a male that has not been castrated and is therefore available as a breeding animal. A castrated boar, referred to as a "bar," is generally preferred for meat production, as some claim to find a strong taste in boar meat. Castration generally occurs early in life, since castrating a full-grown boar is a difficult and dangerous task.

Wild Boars

• The term "boar" can also refer to wild boars, the ancestral or feral relatives of the domesticated hog. The two are closely related and can be interbred for specific desired characteristics. Wild boars in general are slightly smaller than their domesticated cousins and have a coat of stiff, bristly fir in browns and grays. Their young are dappled and striped for protective camouflage in the forest. With wild boar only, the females are "female boars," and the juveniles are "infant wild boar."