This “fun fact” is an excerpt from Chapter 1 in my upcoming book, Guinea Hogs Lost and Found: The Amazing Grace of Breed Conservancy.
The Guinea hog has been known in the Southeastern United States by various names. These include Guinea hog, Guinea forest hog, forest Guinea hog, pineywoods Guinea, African Guinea hog, miniature African pig, African pygmy, Guinea, African miniature, acorn eater, yard pig, and, since the current registry formed in 2006, American Guinea hog.
The first person to suggest the name American Guinea hog was Kirk Fackrell. In 2005 he purchased a gilt, Skyfire Heirloom, from Paul Krumm of Skyfire Farm and a boar, Maveric Balthazar, from Arie McFarlen of Maveric Heritage Ranch. Kirk wanted the hogs shipped to his farm, Cascade Meadows, in Oregon. The state Department of Agriculture refused to let them enter because the name forest Guinea hog implied an African origin. So he changed the paperwork to call them American Guinea hogs and added the latin species name with it. After that, the state allowed the hogs to enter.
Kirk was active as a volunteer with the newly formed AGHA when it formed 3 years later. He told the founders about his difficulty communicating to agriculture departments that this was a hog of American origin. He suggested changing the name to American Guinea hog to help prevent similar problems in the future. So current breeders identify the breed as American Guinea hog (AGH). However, the “old timers” I interviewed for this historic documentation use either Guinea hog, Guinea, or Guinea forest hog. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy began researching the Guinea hog in 1987. That organization, now operating as The Livestock Conservancy, continues to call them Guinea hogs.
To read future fun facts and be informed regarding book releases, be sure to sign up for the newsletter by clicking on invitations or the newsletter tab. To support research and publishing, check out the store or make a donation.