You're driving down a backroad, maybe somewhere in Georgia or Texas, and you spot a massive tangle of dark, bristly bodies rootin' around in a ditch. Your first instinct is to call them a herd. It makes sense, right? Cows are in herds. Deer are in herds. But if you want to be technically accurate—or just sound like you know your way around a farm—you’ll find that "herd" is actually the lazy answer.
So, what is a group of hogs called?
The short answer is a sounder. But honestly, it depends entirely on how old the hogs are, whether they’re wild or domestic, and even what they’re doing at that exact moment. Nature has a weird way of naming things. We have a "murder" of crows and a "business" of ferrets, so of course, hogs couldn't just have one simple name.
Why We Use the Word Sounder
If you're looking at wild hogs, specifically a mother and her piglets, you're looking at a sounder. This term comes from the Old English word suner, and it’s been the standard for centuries. It usually describes a social unit. You won't typically find a bunch of lone-wolf males hanging out in a sounder. Instead, it’s a matriarchal society. It's the sows (moms) and their young’uns.
Wild hogs are incredibly social. They sleep in "nests" or "beds" together to keep warm. They forage together. They even babysit for each other. It’s a tight-knit family group that usually caps out at about 20 or 30 individuals, though in areas with a lot of food, you might see "super-groups" that look like a small army.
Male hogs, or boars, are the outliers. Once they hit a certain age, they get kicked out. They become "singular" or "solitary." They only show up when it’s time to mate, and even then, the sows aren’t always thrilled to see them. If you see a lone hog that looks like a tank with tusks, that’s a boar. If you see a chaotic pile of squealing piglets and protective moms, that’s your sounder.
It’s a Drift, a Drove, or a Team?
Domestic pigs are a whole different story. When you move away from the wild woods and onto the farm, the vocabulary shifts. Farmers usually refer to a group of young pigs as a drift.
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Why drift?
It’s likely because of how they move. If you’ve ever tried to herd piglets, you know they don't walk in a straight line. They sort of wander and flow, drifting from one patch of dirt to the next. It’s like trying to keep water in a sieve.
However, if those pigs are being driven to market or moved from one pasture to another, they suddenly become a drove. This is an action-based noun. You "drive" a "drove." It’s a term you’ll see in older agricultural texts and even in some legal definitions regarding livestock movement.
Then you have a team. This one is rarer nowadays, but it specifically refers to a group of young pigs or even a litter. You might hear an old-timer say, "That’s a fine team of pigs," and they aren't talking about them playing sports. They're talking about the health and uniformity of the litter.
The Gritty Reality of the "Passel"
In the American South, you’ll hear people use the word passel. This isn’t strictly a scientific term, but in the context of what is a group of hogs called, it’s culturally huge. A passel is just an indefinite number. "There's a passel of hogs in the cornfield." It implies a lot. Too many to count quickly.
Biologists, however, tend to stick to more clinical terms when they aren't using "sounder." You might see the word parcel used in very specific British English contexts, though it’s largely fallen out of favor.
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Does the Breed Matter?
Not really. Whether it’s a Hampshire, a Berkshire, or a feral razorback, the collective nouns stay pretty consistent. What matters more is the domestic vs. wild divide.
- Wild Hogs: Almost always a sounder.
- Domestic Pigs: A drift (young), a drove (being moved), or a litter (siblings).
- Nursing Pigs: Often called a "farrow."
Why These Names Actually Matter for Ecology
This isn't just trivia. Knowing how hogs group up is a big deal for wildlife management. Wild hogs are an invasive species in much of the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage to crops and local ecosystems every year. According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), feral swine are now present in at least 35 states.
Trapping a sounder is the only way to control the population. If a hunter shoots one hog out of a sounder, the rest of the group scatters and becomes "educated." They learn to avoid humans and traps. Wildlife experts like those at the Mississippi State University Extension Service emphasize "whole sounder removal."
You have to get the whole group at once. If you leave two sows behind, they can have two litters a year, with six to ten piglets each. The math is terrifying. A single sounder can explode into a hundred hogs in what feels like the blink of an eye.
Misconceptions About Hog Behavior
People often think hogs are just "dirty" or "lazy." Honestly, that couldn't be further from the truth. They are remarkably intelligent—often ranked higher than dogs in cognitive tests.
Within a sounder, there is a clear hierarchy. The oldest sow is usually the boss. She decides when the group moves, where they eat, and when it's time to find cover. They use a complex system of grunts and squeals to communicate. Researchers have identified over 20 different vocalizations that hogs use to signal everything from "I found food" to "There’s a coyote nearby."
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Because they don't have sweat glands, they wallow in mud. It's not because they like being gross; it's their air conditioning. The mud also protects their skin from sun and bugs. When you see a "drift" of pigs in a mud hole, they are participating in a group cooling session that is vital for their survival.
Summary of Collective Nouns for Hogs
| Group Type | Common Name | Best Context |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Adults/Young | Sounder | The most common and "correct" term for feral hogs. |
| Young Domestic | Drift | Used for piglets wandering in a pasture. |
| Pigs Being Driven | Drove | Specific to moving livestock from point A to point B. |
| Siblings | Litter | Used for a single birth group from one sow. |
| General/Large Group | Passel | Informal, southern American slang. |
| Nursing Group | Farrow | Specifically relates to the act of giving birth and the immediate group. |
The Cultural Impact of Hog Groups
Hogs have a weird place in our language. We "go whole hog." We "pig out." We talk about "lipstick on a pig." But we rarely use their collective nouns in everyday speech. Imagine telling your boss, "Hey, there's a sounder of interns in the breakroom." It doesn't quite work, does it?
Yet, in literature and history, these terms carry weight. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs weren't just a group; they were a political faction. While Orwell didn't lean heavily on "drift" or "sounder," the social structure he depicted mirrored the real-life dominance hierarchies found in porcine groups.
In the wild, a sounder's survival depends on that collective intelligence. If the lead sow is killed, the group often falls into chaos until a new matriarch establishes dominance. It's a soap opera in the brush.
Dealing With Hogs on Your Property
If you find a sounder of hogs on your land, don't just go out there with a stick. They can be dangerous. A full-grown hog can weigh 300 pounds and run up to 30 miles per hour. Their tusks are razor-sharp.
The best move is to contact your local wildlife department or a professional trapper. They use large, circular traps (often called "boar busters") that can be dropped remotely via a smartphone app once the entire sounder is inside. It's high-tech warfare against a very smart animal.
What You Should Do Next
Now that you know what is a group of hogs called, you can actually apply this knowledge if you’re interested in land management or just want to be the smartest person at the next pig roast.
- Check your local regulations: If you live in a state like Texas or Florida, learn the rules for feral hog management. Sometimes you need a license; sometimes they are "open season."
- Observe from a distance: If you see a sounder in the wild, use binoculars. Watch how the matriarch leads the group. It’s a fascinating display of animal social structure.
- Correct the "herd" myth: Gently. Nobody likes a know-it-all, but if someone asks, you’ve got the goods. It’s a sounder for the wild ones and a drift for the little ones.
Understanding these distinctions helps us appreciate the complexity of an animal that is often unfairly maligned. They aren't just "bacon on legs." They are social, intelligent, and highly adaptable creatures that have mastered the art of group survival.