This article is authorized to be reproduced from the following answer (ID: theanswer163)

The answer is as follows

In everyone’s impression, pigs are stupid and dirty. Parents have chosen high-grade milk to make their children grow taller and smarter. Others choose sheep’s milk, but few seem to want to drink pig’s milk.

In fact, the nutritional value of pig milk is not low. Take Rongchang pig as an example. As one of the most widely promoted pig breeds in China, the content of protein and fat in the regular milk secreted by Rongchang pig 14 days after delivery is higher than that of bovine regular milk [1] [2].

Since pig milk is so nutritious, why doesn’t anyone drink it?

Some people say that pig milk tastes light almond flavor and is acceptable [3]. However, people from pig farms also say that pig milk is thinner than milk and tastes more fishy than goat milk [4].

Is it just a matter of taste that you don’t drink pig milk?

It’s really not easy to drink pig milk

I have no intention of stepping on it, but pigs are naturally not as good as cattle in milk production.

Pigs only secrete milk during lactation, and the duration of lactation is very short, only 2 months [5]. In contrast, the lactation period of cattle is as long as 10 months. It will stop sucking only two months before calving and begin to secrete milk when preparing for production [6] [7]. It can be said that the short milk production time made the pig lose at the starting line at the beginning.

Pigs produce milk not only in a short time, but also in a small yield. Sows often only have about half a minute to milk from the beginning to the end. The total lactation during the whole lactation period is 600-800 kg [8] [9].

Pigs are smaller than cows and produce less milk / pixabay

In contrast, for cows whose lactation period is close to one year, the annual milk output can reach 6000-7000 kg, and the output of tens of thousands of excellent cows is not a problem [10].

Therefore, in real life, sows often lack milk, and the milk produced by pigs is not enough for piglets to drink, let alone feed humans like dairy cows.

Milking a pig is a tough fight

Milking pigs is not easy.

From the perspective of physiological structure, the mammary duct of pigs is short, and the milk pool used to store milk is underdeveloped, which means that pigs can not store milk in their own milk pool in advance like cattle and sheep [11], and can only “drink and produce”.

Milk can be milked at any time, but pig milk is not what you want / max pixel

Stimulated by the hungry cry of piglets and the action of arching milk, sows will slowly start to produce milk.

Pigs have a large number of nipples, with an average of 6 or 7 pairs of nipples [12], which are distributed everywhere. This means that milk is squeezed out through multiple nipples. The number of nipples of cattle and sheep is relatively small, which can concentrate on squeezing out the milk.

Even if you are not afraid of trouble to milk the pig, it does not mean that the pig will wait for you to finish milking.

Pigs have many nipples, which makes milking inconvenient / wiki

Compared with docile cows, sows tend to be grumpy after childbirth. If they are forced to milking, they are likely to be chased and bitten by pigs, and even some breeders are bitten by pigs with postpartum depression [13].

Compared with milk, the cost of pig milk is not high. Because pigs eat expensive and produce less.

Pigs are omnivores. They eat refined feed every day, with a price of more than 3000 yuan per ton. Especially lactating pigs need high-quality feed [14] [15]. In contrast, although the feed eaten by dairy cows is not cheap, the cost can be controlled by increasing the unit yield [16], and pigs with low milk yield can hardly have room for turning around.

Milk is inexpensive and affordable

In terms of nutritional value, the protein content of pig milk, sheep’s milk and camel’s milk is not lower than that of milk [17], but now we drink milk most often; This is the best choice after comprehensive consideration.

Although the protein content of milk is not the highest, there are more or less disadvantages in other animal milk.

The yield of pig milk is small, sheep’s milk is too mutton, camel’s milk is a little salty, horses have too high requirements for the growth environment, and even donkey’s milk once windy has only half the protein and calcium content of milk [18].

Babies who eat goat’s milk in Cuba. Goat milk has good nutritional value, but the taste is not acceptable to everyone / wiki

In contrast, milk has more than 3000 kinds of organic components, essential amino acids and calcium elements for human body. Although the content is not necessarily the highest, it is rich enough [19].

Moreover, the cow has a gentle temper. After human breeding and cultivation, the cow not only has a large milk yield, but also has low feeding cost. It is more suitable for the large-scale, standardized and intensive modern breeding mode, and the price can also be accepted by consumers.

According to the 2021 China dairy quality report released by China Dairy Association, in 2020, the national dairy output was 35.3 million tons, and the proportion of large-scale breeding with more than 100 stocks had reached 67.2%. 100% of large-scale pastures were mechanized milking, and 95% were equipped with full mixed ration (TMR) mixer [20].

Dairy cows in a ranch in France in 2015. On the whole, milk is still the most realistic choice for most people / wiki

Among them, milk contributes 97% of the output, and the average unit yield of a cow is 8.3 tons [21].

It can be said that in the drinking track of animal milk, milk is already a hexagonal player, and pig milk has no advantage. Delicious pork is the most precious gift given by pigs to mankind.

Author mi keruo

[1] Zhou Xue, Fu Lizhi, Yang Liu, Zhai Shaoqin & Shen Kefei. （2015）。 Analysis of main components and calcium content of colostrum and normal milk of Rongchang pigs. Chinese Journal of animal husbandry (23), 76-78.

[2] Tang Wenqian & Liu Chengguo. （2014）。 Study on the composition and product standard of functional milk. Chinese brewing (10), 1-5.

[3] （2013）。 Why not sell pig milk in the market?. China rural science and Technology (10), 57.

[4] Sietsema， Robert。 （2011）。 “Why Not Pig Milk？”。 Village Voic