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Author Topic: Pigs not eating!  (Read 2243 times)

westcoastcroft

  • Joined Oct 2016
Pigs not eating!
« on: March 15, 2017, 08:51:41 am »
Hi Folks

Wondering what people think about this.

I have 3 sows living together - 1 year old GOS and 2  (soon to be 1) 9 month old OSB.
They seem happy and don’t fight, and  have a dry house with over an acre of ground - They recently (about 2 weeks ago)  moved into the new field after previously being in about 400m2 which had got too muddy over winter, (they are currently learning about electric fences and will soon get confined again in smaller patches to root up rushes for me).

They are off food - seemed to gradually eat a bit less over the past weeks but in the last two days seems they barely eat anything, all interested in food but none eating much – still up and about exploring, lying in the sun, rooting around and not looking particularly depressed.

Anybody have any ideas as to what’s up with them?
I was thinking they were just eating a bit less as they have such a large amount of new ground to explore and forage from but the sudden change to not really having any rolls over two days worries me…

Thanks for reading.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Pigs not eating!
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2017, 09:08:30 am »
They may, as you say, be full of green stuff.  If let onto a large area of coarse vegetative material they may have gorged themselves - in young pigs the possibility of an impacted gut is a concern.

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Pigs not eating!
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2017, 09:15:33 am »
There maybe nothing, just as MF says full of green stuff.


Are they in season?


What are your plans for them?




westcoastcroft

  • Joined Oct 2016
Re: Pigs not eating!
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2017, 09:48:38 am »
Thanks for replies.

I think one may be in season. I am eating one and keeping the other two to breed from. Had planned to either borrow a boar or AI for the older one by now but we are having a baby ourselves in June so I decided to wait a bit and will probably aim to have her farrow for the first time in August.

If just full of green stuff best to just leave them to it?

Thanks


harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Pigs not eating!
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2017, 09:21:30 am »
If you are thinking of farrowing in August you need to think about it soon. Old Spots are usually very obvious when in season and OSAB. OSAB tend to be slower growing so if you think you are not going to get your OS to the boar then that might be the one to get in the freezer.


Just keep an eye on them with regard the food. If they are not eating hard food but seem content they can't be hungry.

 

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