Are Beech & Oak Fruit Used as Animal Feed?
• Step 1:Recent studies by the University of Oxford’s Henry Wellcome Ancient Biomolecules Centre and the University of Durham indicate that the pig was domesticated several times over history, going back as far as 9,000 years and occurring in several different locations throughout Eurasia. Wild pigs are omnivorous, opportunistic foragers. They eat nearly anything but high-cellulose fodders. Their natural intake would have included oak and beech mast (acorns and beech nuts) left lying on the forest floor. Communities with partially domesticated pigs would have been able to allow the animals to take advantage of labor-free foods as one of several sources of intake. This pattern of free-range management has been a constant in swine care throughout history.
