Hogling

i know this is still work in progrees, but if i don't force myself to do something useful soon i'll fall off the edge of the map. i figured if i start by reading this through, skipping appearance and myth/lore sections, obviously, and put any comments i can think of then that'd atleast be a start/ undecided

comments in yellow.

Quote from: Mannix on 12 October 2008, 15:24:42

Hogling (Hobbit Pig)

Overview
The Hogling goes by an assortment of names; Tug, Hobbit Pig, Draft-Swine, Shire Shoat, Hobquon, Riding Pig, Lín'rhaem'quón (Styrásh 'Hobbit Pig' or 'Little-Folk Pig') and of course Hogling. It is every bit like its namesake, the halfling; short, hairy and rather round. In the world of pigs, it would most probably pass as the cutest of them all, mainly due to its miniature size. But for this hog, size definitely doesn’t matter, as it's quite strong and is used frequently by hobbits to pull heavy weights. Another surprise this pig holds is its speed. For such a hefty animal, their speed is quite remarkable, allowing them to become quite popular in the Hogling races. They are found almost entirely around the halfling shires, for they too are ‘halflings’. Standing at a much shorter height than other domestic pigs they are much more manageable for the shorter folk, and their cute looks and curly tails delight many of the younger hobbitlings.

Special Abilities
For such a small animal, it is rather surprising that the Hogling possess considerable strength. Coupled with the large weight it is able to throw against something, the Hogling makes a respectable draught beast. Though the hobbithorse is a superior draft animal, due to its larger size, the Hogling is still a sturdy animal, able to pull heavy weights. For the hobbit pig farmers, it is far easier to use their Hogling as a draught beast rather than borrow a hobbithorse from another. They are able to pull ploughs and other heavy farm objects, with the right harnessing equipment, though carts filled with, say,<commas? barrels upon barrels of ale best be left to the hobbithorse. Apart from aiding it in being a draught animal, the Hogling's strength can help in many other ways, giving it many other uses. The most notable of these was the Hogling belonging to the rather quirky VVV, a reputable breeder of these pigs in his earlier years. Later in life the hobbit grew somewhat odd, some claiming him crazy, and he kept his Hogling, named WWW, as a bodyguard. He claimed the pig was a better guardian than any dog, though this was never tested, as his paranoia seemed quite unfounded.

Aside from their adorable looks, the Hogling's speed is the reason the pig is so well loved among the hobbits. The pigs provide great entertainment for hobbits young and old, and for some good income as well. The annual 'Hog-Jockey Cup', held in the Dogodan shire, remains one of the most popular and biggest events in a hobbit's year. The piglets are usually faster than the older pigs, due mainly to their lack of roundness and also jockeys< sorry, i'm probably being thick but i didnt quite get this last phrase. are young jockeys better on young piglets, or do jockeys just stay on better?. The older pigs, however, are the main attraction of the races, with the piglets being seen more as entertainment for the hobbitlings. An adult racing Hogling usually runs half a stral in around two minutes, though in XXX a.S. XXX, a Hogling racing legend ran the same distance in one and a quarter minutes, by a wheely-watch's time, at the Hog-Jockey Cup, and this still remains the record today.

Like any pig, the Hogling has a remarkable sense of smell, especially useful for truphull snuffling. They depend on their snout, rather than their eyes, to find the all their food, and use it especially to hunt out the best food, as the strongest smelling is the best tasting, at least in their eyes. They look much like a dog when searching, snout to the ground, constantly sniffing, which results in an odd snorting noise that entertains all the little hobbitlings. While this sense of smell is amazing, compared to other domestic and wild breeds of pigs it is inferior.

As any hobbit could tell you, the Hogling is rather intelligent, said to rival a Kodael, or in fact any dog. They are quite trainable, being used as truphull snufflers, steeds, pets and, on the odd occasion, bodyguards. All one needs to train one(?) is some patience and a great deal of treats. This intelligence also aids the pig in finding food and avoiding predators, not that either of these are much of a problem if the pig is in the shire. The Hogling is also rather sensitive to the weather, somehow being able to sense climate changes. Farmers rely on their Hoglings to predict the weather for the day, allowing them to alter their schedule. Every morning, the hobbit will go out and check on the pigs, looking for signs of weather change, and after a quick message to any neighbours without a Hogling, decide on what to do for the day. Farmers have noticed that when bad weather, such as a storm, is coming the Hogling will act agitated, dig holes, seek shelter and some farmers insist their pigs stockpile food before a storm.

Territory
As a hobbit pig it is only right that the Hogling live in the same areas as the halflings. As a highly domesticated animal, bred almost exclusively by hobbits, the Hogling dwells in and around the three hobbit shires of Southern Sarvonia. They are most numerous in the Dogodan shire, due to the extensive hills they are able to graze in. With an ample layer of fat, the Hogling is able to survive quite comfortably from the most southern shire, Elenveran, to the most northern, Silvershire, though the Hoglings of that shire generally have more hair than others. There are also a few Hoglings owned by people of other races, though their numbers are small.

Habitat/Behaviour
The Hogling is a domestic pig, kept by hobbits, and as such usually live a life in relative comfort. Those kept for farming are likely to have free access to pastures to reduce the amount of supplementary feeding. The pigs would be enclosed in a yard, to prevent mishaps, and in or connecting to the yard there would likely be a barn for the pigs to sleep in and shelter from the weather. A sow, when close to birth and after, would be moved to a separate stall to protect the piglets, and in the cases of overly-protective mothers, protect the other pigs. This is usually much the same for racing pigs and sometimes truphull snufflers, as they sometimes double up as farmyard animals. Hobbits owning pet pigs, however, usually only have one, or two at the most, and so their habitat is somewhat different. Firstly the confines would likely be smaller and close to the house, to comfort the pig. This is the major problem with singular pigs, as they are a herd animal and get lonely when by themselves. Because of this, a pet Hogling needs attention and over time will often grow to act much like a dog, forming a bond with its owner.

Diet
Like their halfling counterparts, the Hogling has a hearty appetite, necessary to maintain their rounded bodies. Pigs in general are known to be undemanding eaters, and the Hogling is no different. Their diet predominantly consists of vegetation, from grass, bushes, trees, and(?) if they can reach them, fruit grains, berries and vegetables. Hobbit farmers must be careful to fence their garden well, for these pigs are relenting< relentless? eaters and are prone to targeting the prized flowers. Grains are particularly useful for fattening a pig quickly, and so are ideal for young pigs. Grain-fed Hoglings are also said to have richer flavoured meat. While grains are the most common feed to enhance the Hogling’s taste, there are many other foods that are claimed to aid the meat’s flavour. Berries, for example, are said to lend their zest to the pig, and some farmers also claim that pigs that eat a lot of herbs can gain their flavour too. Many Hoglings also have a liking for the distinctive taste of hobbitweed, so cultivators of the plant must be wary. As well as plants, the Hogling also has a taste for fish, though other meats can be eaten in moderation, sometimes insects and occasionally even bark. Because of their wide palette< i think if you're talking about diet it's palate. i get those two confused a lot, the Hogling is the perfect way dispose of any household scraps. No Hogling, however, can survive on grass alone, as their single stomach is unable to digest the food properly, and so they must be fed with other foods, even if it is only additional grain. Nor can they live only on meat, as a few farmers have tried.

Mating
The mating of the Hogling is an unusual and noisy experience. At the age of ten months a boar is sexually mature and able to mate, whereas a female need only be eight months old. A sow will come on heat every month, give or take a week, though the temperature can often affect this and rather brutal summers and winters can result in poor breeding. While it is possible for a sow to be mated at eight months of age, the piglets produced are likely to be smaller and even deformed, especially if the sow is bred with a young boar, and so they are often kept until they reach the age of a year.

There are several signs both a sow and boar will give suggesting that the sow is on heat, known also as hogging. The sow's genitalia will swell up and possible discharge, however a much more easily seen sign is the sow standing still and grunting and squealing, especially when near a boar. A boar will also nudge a sow that is on heat and sometimes will also froth at the mouth. While on heat, the sow will often become much lazier, preferring to lie down. Taking advantage of this, the boar often collects small amounts of food and places it in front of the sow to win her affection.
wow, you've done some serious research! thumbup

The actual mating of the pigs varies a lot for each pig and their environment. Some matings take mere minutes while other may last up to half an hour. When a sow is on heat the boar will mount the pig and lock onto her. The mating is aggressive, though in the longer cases the boar often lacks the energy to maintain this. It is almost impossible to separate the pigs during mating, though a splash of water over the head usually distracts them enough to pull them apart it that were desired. Throughout this whole mating process the boar will grunt and squeal, as too will the sow on odd occasions though she is much more likely to seem disinterested, sniffing the ground and even eating.

Roughly four months after the mating the sow will give birth to six to eight piglets, though litters of ten have been heard of. Sows are known to be extremely protective of their litters, whereas the boars resume their lazy lives. Any wise farmer would do well to keep their distance from the sow during the first few days after birthing, making prevention of tail irritation rather difficult. The sow will spend much of its time lying on its side so that her piglets may feed, though this shouldn't (?) fool you into thinking it isn't wary. While the Hogling is protective mother, compared to its cousin the domestic pig it is rather placid. The piglets are bigger than their cousins the domestic pig relative to their mother's size, though the Hogling piglets grow slightly slower than the their cousins and so their superior size doesn't last long. Once the piglets are one month old they are able to be separated from their mother and her milk to instead feed on solids and hence cease to be piglets, but rather weaners. If not separated from their mothers, the piglet will be weaned by their mothers themselves, though this will take longer. The mother sow will then be able to mate again when it<she? is next on heat, though some farmers prefer breaks for the sow.

Researchers
ZZZ, born 1583 a.S., being a farmer and author of a guide to farming, knew quite a lot about Hoglings, and indeed any other animal farmed by hobbits. Since he was a young hobbitling, ZZZ always knew he would be a farmer, just like his many fore fathers stretching back to his great great great great grandfather, AAA. He had always loved animals, especially fond of petting the two little Hobytla Coneys they kept in a hutch. And so when he aged, and inherited the farm from his father he continued the farming, steadliy growing as they always had. He married a nice hobbit lass, BBB, who was the daughter of a Racing-Hogling breeder of good reputation. When her father grew too old to manage his stud, he passed it on to ZZZ.

With now over double the lands he had once owned, ZZZ expanded his livestock, bringing in new animals. He was known through much of the shire as an excellent farmer, and, after some encouragement fom his friends and wife, he agreed to share his knowledge with his fellow hobbits. So he started writing his book, first and a list of every fact and tip he could think of about any animal he owned, which happened to be almost any type of animal found in the shire. It took him two years to finish, as it grew from a simply helping his friends to a guide for any farmer, and so he went to others for help. Once finished the book spread around the shire like wildfire, and after word spread, to the other shires as well.

ZZZ became famous among all hobbit farmers as possibly the best farmer alive, some often claiming him being blessed by Odelve himself. His research of the Hogling was rather easy, due to his acquired Hogling stud. His wife also put him in contact with some other breeders, who gave him additional information of <on the pig. Now, at the ripe old age of X, ZZZ lives on his farm with his wife and children. His children now tend the farms, with his daughter head of the Hogling stud and his son in charge of the original farm. And they too promise to be a talented farmers, having learnt from the master.

Usages
The Hogling is known to have a few main usages, however the hobbits, being a thrifty folk, are constantly finding new uses for the pig. Obviously, the main use of this pig is for the food it provides. A party would not be complete without a finely roasted Hogling. It is a true compliment to all guests if such a pig were served whole after hours over a spit, due to the sheer amount of effort and time in preparing and cooking the succulent pig. Nearly every part of the pig can be eaten, by hobbits at least. Sausages, bacon, pork and(?) ham are taken from the pig meat, and the skin can also be eaten after being fried. The feet of the pig, known as trotters, when cook slowly for a long time, are also said to be a delectable treat, and the pigs'<apostrophe, i think undecided

ears are often given to dogs as a treat. When cooked correctly, the pig's head can be used to create a preserve known as pig cheese, and this is rather popular served with pork. And finally the offal is also often eaten, or feed< fed? to dogs. After the hobbits are done, there is usually barely anything left of the pig.

Being particularly hairy pigs, the Hogling’s hair has a variety of uses. They can be used in brushes of all kinds, especially paintbrushes, as their hair is slightly softer than most other domestic pigs'. Paintbrushes made of Hogling hair, especially from around the ears, are said to give a smooth brushstroke because of their softness and so are quite popular among the Bardavos artisans. However, for other brushes, such as hairbrushes, coarser hair is preferred, which can be found on the Hogling’s back, running along its spine. This line of hair is easily noticeable as it is more plentiful there than the rest of the pig and rises when the pig is happy or scared.

The hobbits are famous for their parties and feasts, and while the Hogling could add magnificently to the feast aspect, they can also benefit to parties. Hoglings, being rather fast for such a rotund animal, have become part of a quite large tradition known as pig racing. Pig racing makes a great party game, but this tradition has grown in the hobbit shires, and now pig racing is also a separate activity from parties. The pigs, when young, are raced by themselves, but when the pigs are bigger they are raced along a track, with a jockey on their back.oh, OK, that redeems my earlier confused comment, i understand now Pig racing has become a rather large event, and there are now pig breeders, trainers, jockeys and pigs themselves who work as racing pigs. There is often prize money involved with the racing and betting is also popular at the races. The largest, and most prized event of all the races is the annual 'Hog-Jockey Cup' of the Dogodan shire, where the best pigs from all shires are raced against each other and the winner takes home the golden trophy, as well as a sizeable amount prize money.

The Hogling is again useful as a draught animal, owing to their considerable strength and their large weight to throw around. While the hobbithorse is more adept in this area, due to its larger size, the Hogling is still able to hold its own as a draught animal. Its major flaw in this area is its laziness. Farmers often find that their Hogling won't pull what they ask simply because it doesn't want to. The Hogling would usually much rather sleep or eat, and so farmers often have to tempt the Hogling along with some edible treats.

Truphulls are extremely coveted among the hobbit cooks, and due to their usual exorbitant price, these hobbits prefer not to buy truphulls. As such, they must instead find the truphulls for themselves. Hobbit Truphull Snufflers, as they are known, generally use the Hogling to aid in their hunting for truphulls, for the pigs are attracted to the pungent smell of the fungus. The Hogling is easier to manage for halflings and they need not worry as much about taking the truphull from the pig, however, due to increased domestication, the Hogling has a inferior sense of smell compared to most other domestic and wild pig breeds. This lessened smell makes hunting for truphulls harder for the Hogling, and so recently the YYY terrier has been used instead of the pigs, at the penalty of the dogs behaviour.

Some Hoglings are kept by hobbits solely as pets. Their adorable looks and intelligence makes them ideal pets, though their size can get a bit out of hand. Their intelligence is rather remarkable, and as such they can actually be trained as a dog would. The Hogling is definitely an outside pet, as their size, in comparison to hobbits and their homes, and their somewhat destructive nature means< makes? keeping a pig indoor a regrettable action. As piglets they are able to be kept indoors and in some cases house trained, but when they grow their owners usually transfer them into a pen outside. As piglets, the Hogling is especially cute, and hobbits are often prone to picking the piglets up for cuddles. However, most Hoglings are fearful of being picked up, and will be distressed until they feel the ground under their feet again.

Care
Hoglings are known to be rather docile animals, making caring for them much easier than? that's a very niggly point, ignore it if you want. While very little care is needed for these pigs, there is quite a lot of optional care that can make the pig a lot happier and healthier. The following is an excerpt from ‘Farmer ZZZ’s Guide To Farming’ on the care of Hoglings.

To care for a Hogling all you need do is provide it water for both drinking and bathing, food and a grassy area, that will sooner or later be mud. However, for the avid farmer, breeder, racer or pet owner, there is much more you can do. The Hogling’s skin is rather tough, and naturally dry. It is not necessary to bathe your pig regularly, but rather provide and area for them to bathe if they wish. In summer, some pigs enjoy the occasional dousing of water, and this should also be used to treat Hot Hog, but except for these cases, you should refrain from bathing your pig. Mud is a much better solution, and should be used instead of water if viable. I know a few Hobbits who give their pigs a ‘mud-massage’, which they claim stops the skin getting oily.

Because of their tough skin, your pig is very unlikely to suffer from fleas or ticks. If our pig is young, however, they are at risk to both of these pests. Their skin is much softer at a young age, allowing fleas or ticks to bite them. When the pigs age and their skin toughens fleas can no longer bite through their skin, though ticks still have a chance. In such areas as around the ears, under the legs and on the belly, the skin is softer there, and so these places should be checked periodically for ticks. There are a few cures for fleas and ticks, but the most common is wash the pig with soap. While this isn’t good for their skin, it is the surest way to get rid of them. I have also heard of vinegar in the pig's water working, garlic in their food is said to as well, and I have even heard that a bowl of water with a lit candle in the middle kills them. If left with the pig overnight, the fleas jump into the water and die. As for ticks, you can remove them by pressing something hot against them or simply removing them. The place were the tick was should have a slight indentation, else the ticks head is still in the pig, and this head is able to burrow deeper.

Hoglings are known to be rather hairy animals, and once a year your Hogling will shed this hair. While shedding it will become very itchy, scratching against trees, posts, other pigs and whatever else is around. Once the pig starts shedding, you can help it along by brushing the pig; you could even use a brush made from Hogling hair. If you don't have a brush, or your pig finds grooming objectionable, which is sometime the case, you can simply give if a good scratch every so often. Apart from when shedding, your Hogling won't need to be groomed, though some racers groom their pig daily, and some pigs also enjoy it. People often collect the hair from Hoglings, as it has many uses, and so you may do so if you wish.

There are several things you can do for your boar to make his life better, as well as his productivity. Firstly, I have noticed that boars, if not allowed to interact with other pigs before aging a year, often perform badly in mating. Pigs are very sociable animals, living in herds, and so interaction is a must. But this can present a problem for the boars and the other pigs around them. Though rather small, a male Hogling's tusks still protrude from the mouth and so they present the possibility of injuring another pig, whether accidental or purposefully. While I myself do not practice this, some farmers remove these tusks. It is a difficult and arduous process, where the boars mouth is opened by one Hobbit, while another saws the tusk off so that they no longer protrude from the mouth. With this, there is the possibility of creating sharp points inside the boar's mouth, and it may cut itself. I believe de-tusking isn't necessary, as long as you have docile boars and spread feed out, as this is when a lot of pushing and shoving occurs. Most importantly for your whole herd, you must keep you boar free from ailments, as he has the biggest effect on the whole herd. And occasional addition of sunseed oil to the boars feed, say one or two sips, should help with this.

Sows are generally easier to care for than boars, thankfully as these females are in plentiful supply. They should of course always be well fed to maintain a nice condition. Ribs should definitely not show, but you must be careful not to over feed your pigs, as this can cause birthing problems. You can tell whether or not your sows are in good condition by the amount of fat on their legs, as there should be little. After being mated, a sow's should be as calm as possible, and when she starts to grow even more rotund because of her piglets, about a month into pregnancy, additional food should be given to her. This extra feed should continue until weaning. When very close to birthing, also known as farrowing, I would recommend you feed your sow with some bark from the womblose tree, or birthbark. Even when in perfect condition, a Hogling is likely to experience birthing problems, raging from the minor, tail first births, to the major, extended time between piglets which can cause damage or death to both the sow and piglets. You can tell when you sow is nearing her birthing, as a few days before she will build a nest, by pushing hay, straw or anything else soft enough, into a pile.

Occasionally, newborn piglets can experience some problems. If possible, you should check their mouth is clear so they can breath and make sure they feed as soon as possible after birth. When sows take rather long between piglets, the eventually-birthed piglet may be born in a stupor. It will seem dead, however, it is possible to revive them, but this must be done promptly. Clear the mouth and nose, as you would with any piglet, and grab it by its hind legs and swing it around at arms length, careful not to hurt the pig. At regular intervals of this swinging you can hold the piglets mouth shut and blow into its snout. If the piglet is revived, though often this is simply not the case, ensure it feeds from the sow immediately. Luckily, this stupor often happens to the larger piglets, as they are harder to birth, and so they are more likely to survive, being stronger animals.

When younger, the Hogling requires more attention than one of more years. Piglets are at their most vunerable in their first weeks of life and so you must do all that you can to keep them warm. Warmth is incredibly important for piglets, yet its is rather hard to ensure this for the piglets. However, if you keep the piglets out of the wind in a pen and try and keep them close to their mothers. You should also remember, there is nothing better to warm aspacepiglet up than a good mouthful of warm milk. Occasionally, especially in large litters, a piglet will be rejected by its mother, this usually happening to the runt of the litter. It is possible to save the piglet, with a bit of work. There are two methods of doing this, fostering the piglet to another sow or fostering it yourself. For the first, it iseasier if another sow has had a piglet die. You can then rub a bit of the dead piglets blood on the orphan and the sow should adopt the piglet. If this is not possible, it is best to pick a sow with a small litter or an especially good mother. Then you must simply hold the piglet on the sow's teat regularly until it is adopted. This often fails much morespacethan the other method and some sow's<no apostrophe needed protest rather a lot if a piglet not from their litter feeds from them. If you wish to foster the piglet yourself then you must feed it milk, preferably from a Hogling though milk from other animals can also work. To do this get a bladder and poke a hole in it to create a teat.

Weaning a Hogling is a rather easy experience. When the piglet ages a month you can simply seperate it from its mother, in another paddock or temporarily fence a pasture into two. Hoglings sometimes suffer from diahorrea when being weaned because of thechange from milk to grass, but there is nothing you can do to prevent this or cure it, you mustspacesimply wait for it to pass. Though there is much I have written about the tending of your Hogling, alot of this is basic animal tending. The Hogling isspacea relatively low maintenance breed, especially if you do only what is necessary.

Ailments
The Hogling is prone to a few ailments, much to the dismay of farmers. However, most ailments are easily curable with a little bit of knowledge. Again, Farmer ZZZ explains the treatment of these diseases in his book.

Having curly tails the Hogling often delights hobbit children, but this is also sometimes the case for piglets. The piglets often chew each other’s tails, which can then lead to the tail becoming irritated. This ailment is rather negligible, but it can be very annoying for the piglet. It the irritation is especially bad, the piglet may lose interest in food, though this is rare. To stop this a paste can be rubbed on all of the piglets' tails to stop the chewing. The paste must contain mintnue, as the piglets dislike its strong taste. It is best if this paste is applied liberally two or three days after birth. If the tail is already irritated, still apply the ointment to prevent further chewing, but aside from that there is nothing you can do except keep an eye on the pig.

These pigs are also known to suffer from Greasy Pig. This ailment first shows signs with greasy and oily skin, and can later lead to warts and even death. Pigs rolling in ‘bad mud’ are likely to soon contract this disease. The mud for this pig is best taken directly from a paddock, as mud from such places as a riverbank is known by hogherders as ‘bad mud’ and leads to Greasy Pig. A few farmers have also added meadow weed to the pigs' feed and insist that this prevents the disease. In the case of death the meat of this pig is then tainted and should not be eaten.

A final ailment of these pigs, very common in the summer months, is Hot Hog. It is much more minor than the the prior. A pig suffering this would most likely refrain from eating as much, and hence lose condition, drink much larger amounts of water, then leading it to becoming bloated, as well as suffer from trembling, rashes, tiredness, and in extreme cases vomiting. These can all be cured with a dousing of cold water, twice a day for two to three days. After that time the pig should have recovered and regained its appetite. In the case of becoming bloated the usual treatment of a mouth full of sunseed oil should cure the pig. This ailment is caused by too much contact with sunlight. As this breed of pig has more fat and hair than others, it can only stay in the sun’s rays for a shorter time, and thoroughly enjoys a mud-bath.

this is a brilliant and exhaustive entry, and most of my comments were really teeny grammar points. the sheer amount of practical detail you've crammed in here is staggering - have you kept pigs? we had two for a while and almost everything i learnt about them you seem to have covered or reinterpereted for Santharia in here. i am extremely impressed, well done. thumbup