Domesticated pigs numbered about 2 billion at any time worldwide and represents the most numerous large mammals. They are kept as livestock for pork, ham, gammon and bacon as well as for leather.

Pigs are mainly traded as lean hog or pork bellies futures. The prices of pork frequently experience large swings.

A pig is slaughtered when about 6 months old at a weight of about 250 pounds. A unit of lean hog futures is 40,000 pounds and lean hog futures are cash settled to the CME Lean Hog Index.

The trading of pork bellies contracts are developed as a hedging tool for meat packers and distributers who face volatile price movements. Pork bellies futures are contracts traded for the underside meat of a hog that is used to make bacon. A frozen pork belly futures consists of 40,000 pounds of frozen pork bellies.