[JedM]

I just popped home to check on my in pig gilts to find one has started farrowing.  There are 4 piglets dotted round the run, clearly not born inside, and as it's the mothers first time, she has no idea what is going, and is scared of the piglets.  She is standing in the far corner of her run and will not move for anything.  I have no idea if there are more to come.
I have put the piglets in a cardboard box under a heat lamp and they are drinking milk from the bottle quite easily.
Where do you think I should go from here?  I want to get the piglets feeding from her and I know she has milk.  Do I just wait and hope she settles?
Thanks.

[greenbeast]

Hmm sounds unusual, none opf our first timers were ever confused or scared of their piglets.
You sure it wasn't your interference that caused her to back into a corner?
Piglets can be quite mobile quite early on, we had some farrow yesterday and the piglets are exploring outside the door already

[JedM]

No, I'm quite sure it wasn't me that upset her as she was already standing in her corner spot when I arrived. 
I'm not experienced with farrowing at all, but my last sow had 3 litters and there weren't any problems so it seems strange. 
I must add, this gilt shouldn't have got in pig, and is only 11 months old. 

[HappyHippy]

Try and calm her down, stroking her side/belly should encourage her to lie down. If you can get her to let the piglets suckle this will encourage the release of natural oxytocin which will help with the remainder of the birthing process.
As a youngster, you might find she only has 4 - but important to get the piglets suckling (for colostrum for them) asap. In the event that she'll not settle you can either get her a jab of sedative from the vet or give her a couple of cans of sweetheart stout to help her chill out a bit.
HTH

[JedM]

Thanks, she has had 6 piglets and finished giving birth.  She had the last two piglets inside the house but was trying to bite them and kept flicking them away, so I have removed them too.  I will try getting her to lie down now!

[Marches Farmer]

What breed is she?    Native breeds are generally calm mothers but this one sounds confused and frightened.  If you can gently persuade her to lie down long enough to milk her off it may help her calm down a bit.  Otherwise a bottle of stout may do the trick.

[harmony]

The longer you keep the piglets away from her the less chance of getting her to take them. Some sows occasionally won't have their piglets until they have had the last one. The best place to put them is in the corner of the pen behind some straw bales out of the way. This is where a pig crate comes in handy as you can contain your sow whilst the piglets get chance to suck.


If you fill them full of milk they wont suck. Has she got milk?


If you can get her to lie down then you can let the piglets to her. Keep a board with you for you own protection but also you can put it so she can't see the piglets until you get them all sucking. Have you got help. Leave the door off the latch in case you need a quick exit.


I have never found stout any use at all and suggest sedative the best option.


If she really has a go at them you might have to accept she isn't going to have them.

[JedM]

Thanks for the advice.  Unfortunately, she hasn't accepted them and I think it's too late to keep trying. 
Last night she lay down and let me milk her, which I fed to the piglets so they have had colostrum.  As soon as I put the piglets to her, she jumped up.  We then thought a pig crate would come in handy, so we made one with 2 metal hurdles and timber across the ends.  we had it all secured and ready by early hours this morning, and got the sow in there....as soon as she realised she was trapped, she became quite vicious and kept charging at the timber ends, eventually managing to break her way out of the 4 by 2 planks!!! ......she was stronger than we thought!! 

I think I will get a bottle of sedative just in case anything like this happens again.

Anyway, the piglets are slowly learning to drink milk from a tray 

[JedM]

.

[harmony]

That's a shame. You have been very unlucky. I wouldn't breed again from her.

[JedM]

No I won't be breeding from her again!!! Although she seems to want them now it's too late, she has mastitis and I can't get any milk from her

[Marches Farmer]

Have you had a word with your vet?  The mastitis will need treating. 

[JedM]

I haven't spoken to the vets, but she is booked in for slaughter first thing tomorrow morning!  She doesn't seem as though she is in pain, so hopefully it's ok.

The piglets are doing well though 
I have colostrum arriving for them tomorrow - is it too late to feed to them?  It's the soonest I could get some 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Here is some info for you..... http://www.thepigsite.com/articles/2365/colostrum-food-for-life/
Hope this helps and am sorry that you have to rear them all by yourself, can't be easy. All the best and do let us know how you get on!

[JedM]

Thanks, very helpful site.
My next gilt farrowed last night successfully with 7  and I've put the 3 strongest orphans on her too...all going well so far.