By Brittney Malvitz

Malvitz Family Farm

Pigs usually have four main areas on their body where they have scent glands. The preorbital glands are around the pig’s eyes, and they will spread the scent from these glands by rubbing their eyes on things in their area. The mandible or mental glands are around the tusks in their mouth. The boars will chomp their jaws continuously to work up white foam containing their scent. You will usually see this when two boars are fighting when put together or when a female is in heat nearby. Next, on the inside of the front legs, just above the hoof, you will find 4-5 small holes; these are the metacarpal glands. If you see your boar digging at the ground like he’s preparing to charge, he releases his scent from those glands to mark his territory. The last scent gland, the perineal gland, is exclusive to the boar. This gland is around the prepuce area and can have a very foul odor.