For: stye

A sty or pigsty is a small-scale outdoor enclosure for raising pigs. It is sometimes referred to as a pigpen, pig parlor, or pig-cote. Pigsties are generally fenced areas of bare dirt and/or mud. Both "sty" and "pigpen" are used as derogatory descriptions of dirty, messy areas. There are three contributing reasons that pigs, generally clean animals, create such a living environment:

• Pigs are voracious eaters and will eat all the plants in the enclosure until there is nothing left to control erosion.
• The pig is a rooting animal and will dig for food in the enclosure, further disturbing the soil.
• Pigs have no sweat glands which means that they must be provided with water or mud in which they can control their own body temperature.

A large-scale enclosure for raising pigs is generally called a hog lot. Unlike a sty which would be found on a mixed farm, a hog lot is usually a dedicated facility. One famous pigsty is The Pigsty in Yorkshire.

Family farm hog pen

The family hog pen was a small-scale system of pig farming which is vastly different from the modern American hog farm. Modern intensive hog farms in the United States have an average of about 2,000 hogs, and large farms raise tens of thousands of hogs. Hog pens were found on family farms of the early 1900's, although backyard pig farming may still occur. In this article the words “hogs” and “pigs” are used interchangeably.

Family hog pens enclosed just a few hogs to provide year-round meat for the table. Prior to refrigeration, some family farms depended on pigs as a primary source of meat and shortening (lard) for year-round food. Farms which had tenant families might have several hog pens.

The hog pen

Farming pigs outdoors poses a number of problems but the small scale of family farming made it possible to manage these problems. In particular, hogs suffer 'heat stress' in high temperatures and have no sweat glands to naturally cool themselves. To cool themselves hogs require access to water or a 'wallow', which is an area of mud. Although pigs avoid their own excrement, without access to water or mud, pigs are forced to wallow in their own excrement. Mud also serves to protect pink pigs from sunburn and heat stress, although more pigmented varieties were used on the family farm. Alternatively, shade may be provided for the animals.

Many family farm hog pens were improvised enclosures made of any material that is handy and free. The size of the pen is often kept small to conserve building material and effort.

Slopping the Hogs

Historically, these farms fed hogs grain, fruit and vegetables that are not fit for sale or family use. Overage produce from the farmer's market and table and restaurant scraps were often diet elements as well. This practice of 'swill feeding' (feeding table scraps) is considered a disease risk today and is banned in many countries. Hogs were also fed “slops” made from middlings or corn meal stirred with milk and water.