Some cows allow pigs to nurse. Due to imprinting, young pigs treated in this way will far more likely later seek cattle mates than would otherwise be the case.

Cow-pig Hybrids

Mammalian Hybrids

EUGENE M. MCCARTHY, PHD GENETICS, ΦΒΚ

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If a sow gives birth to an ox, the king will have no rival.

—An Akkadian birth omen^†

A report about a cow-pig hybrid (Decatur, Illinois, Herald, Jul. 12, 1908, p. 1, col. 7)

Quite a few reports about cow-pig hybrids exist. Most describe hybrids dead at or soon after birth. A few, however, have allegedly been viable. In reports about cow-pigs hybrids, it seems that cattle, not porcine, mothers are always alleged.

From the El Paso Daily Herald (Feb. 5, 1901, p. 6, col. 1):

A freak of nature was found by J. C. Yoakum, near Honey Grove, last week. It was half pig and half calf, the head and body being that of a calf, while the lower jaw, legs and feet were those of a hog. It was dead when found.

A pig-cow is described in a New Zealand newspaper, the Waikato Independent (Jul. 21, 1927, p. 4):

There was born on Mr. Carwell-Cooke's farm, Hautapu, yesterday a monstrosity, in the shape of an animal that was apparently partly calf and partly pig. This freak, born dead, the progeny of a three-year-old heifer, presented a most remarkable appearance. The top part of the head was like that of a calf, but the bottom jaw, eyes and ears were those of a pig. There was no neck, the head being set direct on the body. The front legs had no shoulders, and the tail, like that of a pig, was attached to one of the hind legs. The strange animal possessed both male and female organs. A number of neighbors who saw the freak state that they had never before seen anything like it, and it was an object of interest to all who saw it.

(Hermaphrodites occur at an elevated frequency among hybrids, as do misplaced appendages.)

From the Monmouth, Illinois, Evening Gazette (Mar. 20, 1886 , p. 2, col. 1):

A Freak of Nature at Rockford, Ills.

Rockford. Ill., March 20.—A most extraordinary freak of nature is a species of a hybrid or cross between a hog and a calf, to which a cow belonging to S. Comings gave birth Thursday. In everything, but the head, which was that of a calf, it exactly resembled a hog. It was born dead, and the local scientists have taken charge of the carcass. It is thought that a hog which was confined in a pen adjoining the barnyard frightened the cow with this strange result.

A crude depiction of the New Hampshire cow-pig hybrid Red Jocko-Bill described below (Ripley's Believe It or Not, Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oct. 31, 1932, p. 13).

Another pig-cow hybrid trotted onto the pages of the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Independent (Oct. 28, 1932, p. 6):

A freak animal, half calf and half pig, is attracting wide attention on the farm of Frank Sanville, at Lebanon, N. H. [New Hampshire] The mother is a 26-month-old heifer, and [the] freak is her first-born calf. It has the legs of a pig, eight inches long, with the front feet pointing right, and the hind feet in the opposite direction. The neck and head resemble that of a pig, together with the tail, but the body is that of a calf.

A report about another pig-cow born in 1932, this one dying soon after birth, appeared in the Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Daily News (Dec. 2, 1932, p. 3, col. 2). Since the source is behind a paywall, an image of the article is reproduced here:

Another report about such an animal dying soon after birth, appeared in the Rochester, New York, Democrat and Chronicle (Mar. 10, 1927, p. 19), it, too, behind a paywall:

The report above is from the Sheffield Daily Telegraph (Sheffield, England, July 9, 1856, p. 4a)

Brand, Bavaria. The Dutch newspaper Limburger Koerier (Aug. 2, 1926, p. 5, col. 1) carried a notice about a case in Germany (given here in English translation): "A calf with the head of a pig has been born in the German community of Brand [a municipality in the district of Tirschenreuth in Bavaria]. It is still alive."

Beaucourt, France. Le Ralliement (Belfort, France, Jan. 23, 1890, p. 3c; ||mrmc7z3r) reported that a cow at Beaucourt had calved a creature having one side of its face like that of a wild boar, a pig's tail, an ear on its neck, and its left hind leg emerging from its stomach so that it touched the shoulder. It was born dead.

Bléré, France. Le Tourangeau (Tours, France, Jun. 18, 1905, p. 3a; ||ycxsxbv7) reported that a cow belonging to a certain M. Audebert at Bléré had to be killed during labor and that it was then found that the calf weighed 140 lbs and had the lengthy snout of a pig.

The Journal de Fourmies (Fourmies, France, Jan. 9, 1890, p. 2e; ||2p82wy5e) stated that two separate cows on the same farm, in Jolimetz (Hauts-de-France), both calved composites with the head of a calf and the body of pig, an event plausibly explained by hybridization (but certainly not by mutation). The sire of both was likely the same cow-imprinted boar. Five years later (Feb. 14, 1895, p. 2d) the same publication said a cow at Fourmies birthed the opposite of the Jolimetz animals, a calf with the head of a pig, but that the animal did not live.

Douillet-le-Joly, Sarthe, France.The Journal d'Indre-et-Loire (Tours, France, Feb. 8, 1896, p. 3b) said a cow in the commune of Douillet-le-Joly (Sarthe) had just had a calf with the head of a pig, except for the ears which were entirely absent. It lived two hours.

Mathes, Charente-Maritime, France. L'Humanité (Paris, Jan. 23, 1951, p. 6h; ||yfxz6ndx) said a cow at Mathes calved a hairless animal with the body and legs of a pig and the head of a calf.

Constantine, Algeria. L'Indépendant de Mascara (Jan. 15, 1890, p. 3a; ||54x2zwva) said a cow at Constantine, belonging to dairyman Angelo Pace, calved an animal with the head of a pig and the body of a calf. Another such animal, calved in the same city was reported half a century later in La Dépêche Algérienne (Algiers, Jun. 10, 1938, p. 10f; ||bdeabvyc)

Algeria. La Voix du Peuple (Auch,France, Sep. 15, 1912, p. 4c; ||4pzc3k7t) said a cow belonging to an Algerian justice of the peace dropped a viable animal with reversed front legs and the general appearance of a pig.

Blancheville, France. Le Petit Champenois (Dec. 2, 1911, p. 2f; ||yck2c4t3) said a cow in Blancheville, belonging to a farmer named Lapérouse, calved an animal with the true head of a boar, including two tusks ("un veau avec vraie hure de sanglier, y compris les 2 défense").

Didouche Mourad, Algeria. La Dépêche Algérienne (Algiers, Feb. 15, 1906, p. 4d; ||5ef7spf3) reported an animal with the head and tail of a pig but the body of a calf. It was calved by a cow at Bizot (now Didouche Mourad), Algeria in 1906. The report said it behaved like a pig.

Villemaur-sur-Vanne, Aube, France. Le Petit Troyen (Troyes, Sep. 4, 1916, p. 3b; ||knmdkk2w) reported that a cow at Villemaur had calved an animal with the head of a calf but the body of a pig. It weighed more than 100 pounds and died soon after birth.

Côtebrune, Doubs, France. Le Midi Socialiste (Toulouse, Sep. 4, 1935, p. 2g; ||3ft7k5vr) reported that a cow at Côtebrune had given to birth to a calf with the body of a piglet and that only the head was normal.

Chalaines, Meuse, France. L'Est Républicain (Nancy, Jun. 23, 1921, p. 2b; ||4eup9xdd) said a cow at Chalaines calved a stillborn fetus with the head of a head, feet and tail of a pig, but the body of a calf.

Rambervillers, Vosges, France. L'Est Républicain (Nancy, Aug. 10, 1898, p. 3b; ||2p95ww3x) reported the calving of a stillborn animal at Rambervillers (Vosges) that had the hindquarters, hindlegs, feet and tail of a pig and that was covered with bristles

Échenon, Côte-d'Or, France. Le Bien Public (Dijon, Feb. 12, 1894, p. 2d-e; ||ykr5cypw) said a cow at Échenon produced an animal with the body, forehead and tail of a pig, and with skin that was a patchwork of bovine and porcine.

Neuvilly, France. L'Écho du Nord ( Lille, Apr. 20, 1924, p. 2d; ||mr3zs3pp) said an animal calved at Neuvilly had the snout, ears and forelegs of a pig but from the abdomen back was like a calf.

River Falls, Wisconsin. The River Falls Journal ( (., Feb. 15, 1923, p. 1; ||http://tinyurl.com/36wh4zd7) said,

Will Matzek, town of River Falls, on Monday brought to the city the carcass of a nightmarish freak, the offspring of one of his Holstein cattle. Its skin bore the black and white markings of Holstein cattle; but the head and hindquarters resembled those of a pig.

Châteaubriant, Loire-Atlantique, France. La Gazette de Château-Gontier ( May 9, 1889, p. 3b; ||yry99nzt) said sow at Bricaudière Farm, run by Mr. Joseph Diais, at Châteaubriant, farrowed an eyeless (anophthalmic) animal with the feet of cow. It lived only a few minutes.

Amigny, France. L'Écho de l'Orne ( Lille, Mar. 14, 1925, p. 2d; ||4hxfbzc2) said calf at Amigny had a pig ear and a pig tail.

Genech, Nord, France. La Croix du Nord ( Lille, Jun. 6, 1925, p. 3d; ||bdhven9d) said a cow at Genech calved an animal that was shaped entirely like a pig but that had a hide like that of a calf.

Montbéliard, Doubs, France. La Dépêche Républicaine de Franche-Comté. ( Besançon, Oct.11, 1930, p. 3a; ||4ehktuvf) said a cow at Montbéliard calved an animal that had the head and forelegs of a pig but the body and hind legs of a calf.

Berkshire, Vermont. Another report appeared in the Green-Mountain Freeman (Montpelier, Vt., Apr. 30, 1873, p. 2h; ||29f78baa):

A cow, belonging to Mr. M. L. Jefferds of Berkshire, has made an addition to his stock which is described as a combination of calf and pig, though it had neither hair nor bristles. The head, body and legs were those of a calf, but the ears, hindquarters and tail were those of a pig. This pig-calf at its birth was alive and in good health. The supposed cause of nature's freak was that the cow attended an exhibition of dressed hogs last fall and was favorably impressed with the entertainment.

North Montpelier, Vermont. Another report appeared in the Lamoille News (Hyde Park, Vt., Mar. 6, 1878, p. 3d):

A cow belonging to Samuel Edwards, of North Montpelier, recently gave birth to a monstrosity, having the body and nose of a calf, and for a forehead a bullet-shaped protuberance seven inches long. Both forefeet and one hind had three toes, and the other but two. The upper half of the tail is red, and like that of a calf, with the rest of it the color and size of that of a pig, and the hindquarters also resemble those of a pig.

There is also a brief mention in an advertiser dated Dec. 14, 1907 of such a hybrid, a conjoined triplet, as being for sale. The incidence of conjoined twins and triplets is evidently elevated in distant hybrids. (For if the two occurrences—that is, the occurrence of a distant hybrid and the occurrence of a conjoined twin—were independent events, their joint probability would be vanishingly small.) Another conjoined cow-pig, a "calf" with two pig heads was reportedly calved by a cow at Thiergeville, Normandy, in March 1873 (Le Petit journal, Paris, Mar. 27, 1873, p. 3d; ||4kwf96we). And the Écho du Centre (Limoges, Mar. 24, 1948, p. 2a; ||4uher3sb) reported a cow at Les Billanges (Haute-Vienne, France) calving an animal with a pig head, four ears and eight legs.

L'Hermitage-Lorges, Brittany. La Dépêche de Brest (Apr. 14, 1901, p. 2f; ||3amxrhyu) said a sow at L'Hermitage-Lorges farrowed an animal with five legs and the head of a calf.

L'Ouest-Éclair (Rennes, France, May 19, 1939, p. 6b; ||3j2j73e4) advertised a hermaphrodite with pig eyes for sale.

The Breslauische Sammlungen (1722, p. 436) reported a cow birthing a calf with a pig's snout in Massel near Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) in April 1721.

Pigs are sometimes nursed by cows, as evidenced by the following notice (source: Daily Record, Pioche, Nev., Apr. 30, 1876, p. 2b):

At Eureka mill, Carson river, a pig has taken to sucking a cow. It is said the cow has developed a great affection for the pig and shows much uneasiness whenever it is out of her sight.

Such behavior can lead to imprinting, and imprinting, in turn, often results in hybridization.

Goat-pig hybrids

In addition, there are some reports of goat-pig hybrids, a very similar cross to cow × pig. There is a brief report about a goat-pig hybrid in The Western Democrat (Jun. 25, 1867, p. 3d), a newspaper published in Charlotte, North Carolina. It reads as follows: "HALF HOG AND HALF GOAT—A Mr. Farmer, of Henderson county, informs us that he had born on his place an animal that was evidently half pig and half goat. The head and shoulders were hog, but the other part of the body was goat."

And the following notice appeared in Raleigh, North Carolina, Weekly Sentinel (Feb. 28, 1871, p. 3):

And the following advertisment appeared in The Era (Jan. 28, 1888, p. 18), a London newspaper:

Incertae Sedis
Confolens, Charente, France. An animal taken from a cow slaughtered at Confolens was reportedly shaped like a bison but had short legs and a tail like a pig (Écho du Centre, Limoges, Apr. 16, 1947, p. 2e; ||37njytk3).

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Bibliography >>

Biology Dictionary >>

By the same author: Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World, Oxford University Press (2006).

† Freedman 2017, p. 84.

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