[Squinky]

I think, Mandy, I did give you further info as asked. There would have been no point in me asking the question I did and saying I intended to separate them. You'd have all said "go on then!" . I asked for EXPERIENCES. As your closed shop isnt able to give any, lets leave it at that.

[robert waddell]

this is far from a closed shop  every day is a learning day    Sylvia has given you experiences is that not good enough   the rest that have contributed  have not allowed that situation to occur
 
don't do punctuation  if you have to read it twice it just may penetrate    and anyway i am very thick skinned so your Petty insult does not bother me   more importantly it bothers you

[Pebbles]

Oh well done people! With all your thousands of posts between you that's the warmest welcome and most help you can give someone with less than 20 posts???

[Sylvia]

Squinky did say, initially that her set up was such as to make separation difficult. I, too have that problem as having no mains electricity on our land we can't put up fences with enough oomph to deter pigs.
I have overcome this problem by trading the use of a loose box, just across the pig's field for a bit of grazing for ponies when needed. I just trundle the sow over when her time comes and  they settle in no time, making their nest and getting on with things.
Not everyone though has that chance.
What about a fence around the ark with fencing rail around the bottom and barbed wire attached to this?
Yes, I have learned from experience that you need to set your place up before you even think of breeding. Someone once said (Confusious, I wouldn't be surprised ) "Only a fool learns from his own mistakes a wise man learns from the mistakes of others" So, feel free to learn from mine!

[Fowgill Farm]

Oh well done people! With all your thousands of posts between you that's the warmest welcome and most help you can give someone with less than 20 posts???

Pebbles
I have said a number of times we can only offer advice or discuss options on the information given, if Squinky had said in her original post that she had stock fencing that pigs were able to get thro and she was wanting to know whether it was ok to leave the sow due to farrow in with all the rest, our advice ,may have been different, however the wording of her post was vague at best hence the request for more info which again when given was vague again, it wasn't until we gave an answer that was not liked that she actually gave us the full facts. If she took offence at the answer then so be it and i stand by my response that her sow is best separated at farowing for her safety and that of her piglets, if i had been given the full facts of the fencing arrangements initially i may have also suggested a pen within the area using electric tape or to make the stock fencing more secure with an inner ring of electric. I am not psychic nor do i have a crystal ball.
Hope this explains my response for you.
All the best
mandy

[Hassle]

I wanted to provide an answer but I'm now scared I'm going to get told off be being unhelpful so I'll stay quiet 

[Fowgill Farm]

Hassle all opinions are welcome if a poster doesn't like the advice then they don't have to take it.
So you might as well have your halfpennies worth!
Mandy 
Ps Squinky if you're still reading i hope you have a very successful farrowing whatever you decide and let us know how you get on, coming up to farrowing is always stressful and often sanity CAN be found in these pages. Wishing you all the very best 

[robert waddell]

that is wrong hassle  anybody should be able to contribute  what works for one does not mean it will work for everybody    say your contribution     i was like these newbies at one time on here   maybe my style of writting has changed      well it would need to i was getting banned to often  for telling it like it is
it all comes down to management of your pigs    let them get on with it and have a high mortality rate     or look after them like the vast majority and have a higher number of live and reared piglets per sow
 
it is amazing how many people come on here asking for advice    then it turns out what they don't know is not worth knowing and what they do know you could write on the back of a postage stamp

[Hassle]

Well when I think the sow is getting close I pull her out I have two farrowing pens .. Basically a shed with an outside run on concrete and then a separate paddock and plenty of straw.. She can go about her business with electric lights and warmthand I can look in

[Sylvia]

And, except for a very large wood and far apart arks is the best set up, I should think, Hassle   My neighbour's loose box hasn't got electricity so I shan't be planning any winter litters, but I don't have to worry about a friendly sister cuddling up to the piglets.

[Beewyched]

Well ... seeing that we are discussing EXPERIENCES not what we would necessarily advise others to do ...
Farrowing - I always bring my KK mums in at least a week before she's due (preferably 2) as I usually time litters for early spring to allow for growing over the grass season/good weather (?).  They have their own 2 double stalls (old cow byre) one for the "bedroom" & one for eating/drinking & toileting.  Electric lighting & heat lamps - nice & cosy for them & me 
HOWEVER - the other year 2 of my farrowing gilts insisted on being in together & even nursed each other's litters (they actually broke in with each other) - no squished piglets & everyone weaned successfully.  They haven't done it since, so maybe it was a 1st time mum thing.
But then my herd often surprises me - both my stud boars overwinter together - think it's to do with no girls in season & the need to keep warm - in the summer they're ready to take lumps out of each other 
Our animals are as unique as we are & we learn from them as well as each other. 

[Sylvia]

Beewyched, my girls farrowed about a week apart this summer and, though they farrowed apart they went back to my fields when the piglets were a couple of weeks old. They, too, fed each others babies(just as my sister in law and I did!) and all was fine. The piglets are eight weeks old now and if one "mum" lays on her teats they will go to the other one.

[robert waddell]

nursing mothers can go in together if they agree     pedigree pigs on the other hand cannot be mixed (if the same breed  )until they have been individually identified by tag notch or tattoo

[Beewyched]

... if one "mum" lays on her teats they will go to the other one.

I'm glad it's not just mine then - it's so sweet though 
Robert - ALL OF MY KKS ARE REGISTERED (pedigree) - what you trying to insinuate? 
I try to only have 2 litters at any one time & because of their differing colours I don't get problems with mix-ups - maybe I'll add a    just in case.
   

[robert waddell]

steady tiger  to much of a knee jerk there  single colour breeds and even all the rest  if you have 13 plus piglets in each litter  how for definite are you going to identify for sure which mother they come from    now 13 whites and 13 black pigs that is easy also if you tag them to young they walk lop sided   but dolly mixture pigs it does not matter with them
but with kunnies there is a swing to single colours  just an observation  before that knee jerks again