The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Sbom on October 26, 2013, 01:16:52 pm

Title: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Sbom on October 26, 2013, 01:16:52 pm
Our lovely big pig is due to farrow on the 17th of November. As this is our first ever pregnant pig I'm after some advice, she is currently living out but I'm wanting to bring her in to farrow.
How soon should I bring her in? It's abit wet in her run currently but she seems happy enough but I want her to be settled in her new accommodation before she has babies. She's had a few litters before so knows what it's about, it's us that are pig novices!
Will the piglets need iron or will a shovel of soil in the pen do?
Will they need teeth clipping? Have done this at college but not sure if it's only done in only a commercial setup.
Is a heat lamp needed?
If she has more piglets than teats will they need topping up?

Think that's it! Really want to be prepared.
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: HappyHippy on October 26, 2013, 02:23:47 pm
Obviously everyone has their own way of doing it, but here's mine  ;)
Bring her in a week to 10 days before farrowing, worm then if needed.
We always give an iron jab, but soil is said to be just as good and plenty of folk don't iron jab. (A bottle of gleptosil costs less then £20)
Haven't ever clipped teeth - it is more a commercial thing where you have lots of piglets fighting for teats (and more highly strung pigs - traditional breeds are a bit more laid back)
I would recommend a heat lamp, at least for the first few days, it draws the piglets away from mum and reduces the risk of them getting squashed and it's great to warm them under when they're newly born, especially if she farrows at night (which most pigs like to do - just to keep you on your toes  ;))
If there are more piglets than teats they should be fine, we notice ours tend to queue up and the more dominant ones feed first but the others do get a fair share - we've never had to top up but if she has lots more piglets than teats you might find you need to (this is a 'wait & see' situation IMO)
Hope that helps a bit ? Keep us posted and make sure you have photo's to announce the birth  :excited: :excited: :excited: nothing worse than hearing about new arrivals and not being bale to see them  ;D
Karen
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Tamsaddle on October 26, 2013, 02:43:36 pm
Give her a half bale of clean straw once she starts picking up bits of her existing straw so she can make a proper nest.   Once this nesting gets going in earnest, great mouthfuls of straw being moved to her favourite spot, farrowing is only a few hours away.   Ours usually seem to start at about 6pm, with piglets starting to arrive any time after 10 pm.
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Sbom on October 26, 2013, 06:58:12 pm
That's great thanks folks  :thumbsup:
Let's hope there's someone online when it starts, thinking I'm going to be panicking  :innocent:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on October 27, 2013, 09:46:53 pm
Definitely bring her in a week before, in order to let her settle.


Set up a lamp and a creep area (I use a half-ring sheep feeder, cable-tied in place).


Couple of things:


Is she a sow or a gilt? If a sow, do you know anything about previous farrowings? What breed is she, and what breed was the father? How many teats does she have/how many teats appear to be fully-developed?


Feel free to message me if I can help.
Liz
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Sbom on October 28, 2013, 01:24:06 pm
She has farrowed 4 or 5 times before with no problems, only has 12 teats but one is blind and is a landrace x large white in pig to Pietrain. We're getting the shed ready and judging it abit by the weather, would like to keep her out til a week before but depends on the mud situation  :fc: so excited though  :excited:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Fowgill Farm on October 29, 2013, 09:58:03 am
As the others say a week to ten days before will be fine.
See http://www.gospbc.co.uk/so-you-want-to-keep-pigs-part-6/ (http://www.gospbc.co.uk/so-you-want-to-keep-pigs-part-6/) may give you some pointers and can be adjusted to suit your set up.
Since she's farrowed before she'll probably pop 'em like peas from a pod :fc:
best of luck
Mandy :pig:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Sbom on November 22, 2013, 09:43:18 pm
Well she's a few days over but has finally started nesting in a big way  :excited: all straw being moved into a big pile. Should her milk have come in yet? Checked at tea time and nothing to squirt at all   :-\
Am convinced tonight's the night though as she's still moving straw now where she'd normally be flat out snoring.......
Best get some strong coffee brewing me thinks...it's gonna be a late one
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Sbom on November 23, 2013, 10:03:14 am
And we finally have..........14 babies pigs  :excited: :love:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Cactus Jack on November 23, 2013, 10:36:10 am
Congratulations :pig:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Daisys Mum on November 23, 2013, 12:30:17 pm
 :excited: :love: :pig: :love:
Congratulations photos next please!
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Sbom on November 23, 2013, 03:52:18 pm
Will try to put pics on but I've never been very successful in the past. They are just so lovely  :pig:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on November 23, 2013, 11:23:57 pm
Glad it went well. Good luck with everything.
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed. Hopefully with pics
Post by: Sbom on November 25, 2013, 06:29:16 pm
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/chuckie956/image-5.jpg) (http://s237.photobucket.com/user/chuckie956/media/image-5.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: gapcap on November 25, 2013, 06:41:22 pm
Awww, gorgeous :love: :love:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Daisys Mum on November 25, 2013, 08:51:50 pm
Aww! They are just gorgeous   :pig: :love:
Title: Re: Pig due to farrow, advice needed
Post by: Eastling on November 28, 2013, 08:20:02 pm
Lovely pile of piglets well done