Like other animals, you’d think that the pig chews its cud once it comes back up the second time around just like other animals. However, it doesn’t chew its cud.
Do pigs chew their cud? There answer is no, pigs do not chew its cud because, according to University of Florida, these pigs have simple-structured stomachs that are not able to digest cellulose. They have a monogastric or nonruminant stomach, that unlike other mammals, only have one compartment that can only digest the simplest of grains.
Moreover, compared to other animals, the pig’s digestive system can easily metabolize food in its stomach. This process usually takes up 4 hours in a pig’s digestive system.
However, more than these pigs not chewing their cuds, there are more interesting things that you can learn about these animals.
The difference between ruminant and non-ruminant animals
Is there really a difference between ruminant and non-ruminant animals apart from their stomachs and their chewing of cud? Yes, there is.
Apparently, ruminant animals are generally herbivores. They have a diet that makes it easy for them to chew their cud better. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that if an animal is a herbivore, it’s automatically a ruminant. Non-ruminants are generally carnivores or omnivores. However, the horse is a herbivore but it’s not a ruminant.
These animals tend to take their time in chewing and lie down to chew their cud. They also have different sources for proteins. While non-ruminants directly get their protein from the protein portion of their food, ruminants only get this from the bacterial protein produced in its rumen.
Ruminant animals have also adapted differently from non-ruminants. The former produces a large amount of saliva that contains neutralizers for acids produced in the rumen. This is to help make a more hospitable environment for microbial growth in the rumen of the animal.
The liver of ruminants is also different and larger because they have adapted to convert fatty acids to nutrients that’s useful for the animal’s body tissues.
Ruminants take longer times to digest their food, hence, they don’t get hungry as often as a non-ruminant like the pig. It only takes fewer hours for the pig to digest its food, that’s why it’s always in the search for food.
Another difference is that ruminants have two blunt canines, while non-ruminants have four sharp canines. This is to help these animals chew the food they usually eat.
Animals that chew their cud
A common example of a ruminant animal is the cow. You always see a cow chewing, but half of the time it’s not new food but cud. These cows have an average of 40,000 jaw movements every day, and they did in just 8 hours.
These cows eat grains and grass most of the time. They are either fed with grass hay, alfalfa and grains. Sometimes, if the breeders want sweet meat, they’ll feed sweet food like pineapples.
These animals are ruminant animals that have different diets. For example, deer are herbivores. They only consume plants, fruits, acorns, and nuts.
If these are not readily available for them, they are forced to eat grass and woody plants, such as twigs, fallen leaves, and bushes, which aren’t really nutritious for the deer. During winter, it’s essential that these deer have a stable supply of plants so they survive during the cold climate.
Another herbivore that doesn’t chew its cud is the buffalo. These herbivores only eat grass and herbs; the water buffalo, however, loves to eat aquatic plants whenever they have the chance.
Other kinds of buffalos such as the Asian Buffalo and the African Buffalo love to eat shrubs and trees when they can’t spot grass or herbs nearby.
On the other hand, goats are omnivores like pigs. They can also eat just about anything they can find. Whether it’s cardboard, tin cans, or clothes, they’ll put it in their mouths and eat it.
But these animals also need to stay healthy so they eat shrubs, hay, and grains for them to survive in the open. They’re often left in grasslands to consume grass as much as they can.
These animals all have four-compartment stomachs, you frequently see them chewing something. Not only that, these foods are readily available to them in the wild, that’s why they also prefer it.
Effects of not chewing cud
Due to their unclean diet, religions have considered them filthy and unclean animals that practitioners shouldn’t eat. In the Bible, it was stated in Leviticus 11 that animals that chew their cud and have split hooves are allowed to be eaten by man.
Pigs, although they have split hooves, do not chew the cud. They are immediately considered to be unclean for humans. People were even not allowed to touch their dead bodies or eat their meat.
For Jews, these pigs are called non-kosher animals. These pigs were also not kept in conditions that follow the requirements of the Jewish Law. With exactly the same reasons in the Bible, these pigs are immediately animals that do not satisfy the requirements of the Jewish Law.
Judaism also considers these animals as deceiving because they have split hooves which trick you into thinking they are kosher animals when, in fact, they’re not, because they do not chew their cuds. These Jews don’t even try to mention its name and refer to its as a “different thing”.
Muslims are also not allowed to eat pigs because like Jews and Christians, they do not chew their cud. More than that, these animals are kept in unhygienic conditions that ultimately make these animals filthy and unclean for consumption. These animals are scavengers that still consume their own dirt and feces that aren’t clean for Muslims.
Moreover, these animals are also known to have different diseases. These animals are exposed to various health concerns such as worms, like roundworms, pinworms, and hookworms.
These worms can cause lots of complications for humans if they’re consumed. Such as blindness if it gets to the eyes, heart attacks if it gets to the heart, or memory loss if it gets to the brain.
All of these reasons contribute to why pork being forbidden is more of a blessing than a curse to Muslims.
What and How Pigs Eat
Since pigs don’t chew their cud, you’d think they eat simple foods to help with that. Wrong, they’re omnivores and they eat just about anything. Nowadays, breeders have started to feed pigs with healthier and cleaner foods.
Since pigs (pork) has become popular meat, people have bred and fed pigs with feeds or healthier food options to keep their meat clean and safe for consumption.
Some of this food include quality feeds that help the pigs grow bigger and faster. These feeds also ensure that pigs have a balanced diet that will help them produce quality meat for the market.
These feeds can vary with the kind of nutritional needs these pigs have. For piglets, pellets are the best options because these are small portions of food that have protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals that are necessary for a piglet’s growth. Once these piglets start to grow, they will transition from pellets to natural grains.
Examples of natural grains are rice, wheat, alfalfa, and soybeans. These grains contain carbohydrates that can help pigs become fat. With this, it’s important to also provide them with sources of protein such as soybeans to keep it balanced.
If breeders have the budget for it, they feed pigs with fresh fruits and vegetables that keep them healthy.
Leafy vegetables like spinach and cabbage or fruits like bananas or pears are great for pigs. These are a great source of vitamins and minerals that will help the pig become healthy and strong.
These are great for its diet. It’s also important to note that these pigs have a varied vegetable diet to maintain their good health.
Compared to its previous diet of filth and unclean food, its modern diet is something that’s safe for humans to consume and more hygienic to compare. These have also greatly affected how pigs were viewed by consumers. Nowadays, it’s not hard to sell pig meat.
Related Questions
What does “chew the cud” mean?
This means that for animals that are ruminant, they chew the partly digested food, or cud, that comes up. These are usually for animals that have 4 compartments in their stomachs.
What foods are not allowed for pigs?
While pigs can eat anything, they should not be constantly fed with garbage or compost. Their bodies may be able to handle and digest these, but they’re not great for the pig’s growth. Also, some of the pellets are not as good for them.
How much water does a pig need?
A pig needs to consume at least 5 to 10 liters of water every day. With this being said, it needs to have access to clean water always. This is most important for mother pigs who constantly need to feed their piglets with milk.