Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: pig

Note: my latest garden article is up! :D Part 9—Dreams of a Big Flower Garden: We Have A Pumpkin Patch!! A few years ago, Steve and I went to a nearby county fair and we had a lot of fun taking pictures of the farm animals. One of the sows had an enormous litter of piglets and we spent a long time cooing at their cuteness! I learned something today about the word "Ungulate". I always thought it meant "hooved mammal", but that's not entirely correct. Wikipedia gives this definition: "Ungulates are a diverse group of large mammals, most of which use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving. The term means, roughly, "being hoofed" or "hoofed animal". As a descriptive term, "ungulate" normally excludes cetaceans, as they do not possess most of the typical morphological characteristics of ungulates; recent discoveries indicate that they are descended from early artiodactyls, and thus are directly related to other even-toed ungulates such as cattle, with hippopotamuses being their closest living relatives. As a result of these discoveries, the new order Cetartiodactyla has been proposed to include the members of Artiodactyla and Cetacea, to reflect their common ancestry; however, strictly speaking, this is merely a matter of nomenclature, since it is possible simply to recognize Cetacea as a subgroup of Artiodactyla." I had no idea that whales were considered to be ungulates!! My apologies for not being around much lately. The garden is keeping me very busy, along with everything else going on right now! Explored on June 11, 2014, highest placement, #2.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

Winner of FlickrDuel contest: Wild About Life: Farm Animals This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

This image was taken at the Josephine County Fair on August 20, 2011.

There are lots of cute farm animals to visit and take pictures of at the fair! I always find myself laughing at the funny situations I discover while visiting each barn. This pig has decided that the perfect place to sleep is inside its feed bucket! Judging by its expression, a feed bucket is blissfully comfortable! :D This is an American Yorkshire pig, the most common breed in the United States. Pigs are raised for their meat and this breed is popular for its high proportion of lean meat. The American Yorkshire was developed in Yorkshire, England in 1761 and imported to the United States in 1830, but did not become popular until the late 1940's when their growth rate was improved. If you would like to know more about these cute pigs, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: American Yorkshire By the way, I've uploaded two other pictures today and I hope you'll visit them too! Thanks to all of you who have visited and have left comments and favorites! I try to go to all of your pages within a day or two and is a highlight for me to see your beautiful photography! :)

Pigs have no idea how funny they look without even trying! This is another picture I took at one of the livestock barns at the Jackson County Fair a couple of weeks ago. Ever so dashing with a bit of wood shaving decor liberally strewn over ones' snout, don't you agree?! :D :D The distinctive Hampshire pig is black with a white belt around its middle . It is possibly the oldest swine breed in the United States and was bred in Scotland and northern England between 1827 and 1839. It is a very popular breed of pig because it grows faster than Yorkshires , it's very well muscled, has a good temperament, and the sows are good mothers. And, I'd like to add, because they are really cute! :D If you would like to know more about this pretty pig, there's an excellent page here: National Swine Registry: Hampshire

There are few things more adorable than a sleeping piggy! This one is so cute, and I was lucky enough to talk to the family that raised this one when Steve and I went to the Jackson County Fair a few weeks ago. This pig was raised by a very friendly teenaged girl, whose proud father told me they had a working farm and raised all types of livestock, which was their livelihood. His daughter was really nice and very excited because after all her care. excellent handling and proper feeding, this beauty won first place for "Meat Pig" and was sold for $1700 after the class. She got the money, which she'll be putting in the bank, and next Spring she'll raise another piglet for the Fair! :) This pig is a cross between an American Yorkshire and an American Berkshire. (I have a picture and write-up about an American Yorkshire here: Jackson County Fair: Bucket o' Pork ) American Berkshires are black with white legs and faces . They were originally bred in England in the 1500's and established in the United States in 1875. They are also bred in Japan, where they are called Kagoshima Kurobutas. These pigs are prized for their tender, juicy, flavorful meat. Yummy! Is it wrong of me to want some bacon, pork chops and tenderloin right now?! If you would like to know more about American Berkshires, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: Berkshire Pig By the way, I've uploaded two other pictures today and I hope you'll visit them too! Thanks to all of you who have visited and have left comments and favorites! I try to go to all of your pages within a day or two and is a highlight for me to see your beautiful photography! :)