Author Topic: Dead litter or phantom pregnancy? (Read 3172 times)

Suuz · « **on:** October 03, 2016, 01:26:42 pm »

Hi all, I'm new here on this forum and I hope you can help me solve an issue with our Tamworth sow.

We have gotten her pregnant using AI, all went well and she was due about 9 days ago. About 2/3 through her pregnancy she started building nests around the field and exactly on her due date her vulva started swelling up and she had a small amount of clear discharge. However, NO piglets! She never showed farrowing signs like lactation, swollen udders, enlarged and sunken stomach etc. Two days after her due date, her vulva shrunk to normal size again. She shows normal, happy pig behaviour, no signs of illness.

We figure it could be a number of things; a phantom pregnancy, an aborted pregnancy or a stillborn litter. Before we sell her on, we would like to know with certainty if there are any dead or half-grown piglets inside her. How do we test this? And, if she still is carrying unborn piglets, will she expell them herself in time, will she re-absorb them or do we have to induce labor on her?

Hope you can help me further, thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge

Suzanne

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 10, 2016, 08:43:59 am »

I think if she still had piglets or afterbirth inside her she'd be showing signs of blood poisoning by now. If she miscarried the piglets she may well have eaten them and the afterbirth in the night and you'd be none the wiser.

harmony · « **Reply #2 on:** October 10, 2016, 09:50:43 am »

That is disappointing for you.

How do you know that she was actually in pig after you AI'd her? Or did you just assume she was? How old is she and had she had a litter before? Nest building generally doesn't start that early on and changes to the vulva begin before the due date. Do you think you may have mistaken the changes for her being in season? With no signs such as milk production and growing abdomen she has clearly not been in pig for some time.

I agree with Marches Farmer's comments and as you know she was AI'd as opposed to running with a boar she wont have piglets now.

What do you plan to do with her now?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** October 10, 2016, 10:57:09 am »

Clear discharge does then the vulva shrinking a couple of days later sounds like she was brimming (i.e. in season).

Suuz · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2016, 12:08:49 pm »

Quote from: harmony on October 10, 2016, 09:50:43 am

THow do you know that she was actually in pig after you AI'd her? Or did you just assume she was? How old is she and had she had a litter before?

We assumed she was pregnant as she skipped being in season for a couple of times after AI. We have never seen her building nests like that before and her nipples were enlarged.

I don't know exactly how old she is (will have to check with my colleague), but she has had a total of 51 piglets with her previous owners.

By now I'm pretty sure she is not pregnant, she's clearly in season... No signs of blood poisoning and indeed she could have miscarried them at night. Ah well, good learning experience!