The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: nelson on June 19, 2011, 08:37:58 pm
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My sow farrowed last Friday 11 March - 11 piglets.
1st was delivered within the normal signs then everything stopped for 2 hours so we gave her a shot of Oxytocin(advised by vet). She then delivered 8 more making total of 9. 10 hours later two more appeared. Today they are all thriving and all of them went out to the paddock today.
The last two days Mum has been off her food (pignuts/farine). Going back to the paddock we thought would give her a boost. Not so - we have been giving some veggies and eggs which she has been eating - but will not eat the commercial pig feed. Which she usually loves. She has a slight temp of 39 and I have just been down to her paddock and she is feeling warm.
This sow would normally kill you for a carrot - so yes I am concerned although she is feeding her piglets to death!
It is Sunday and I could wait until I call the vet tomorrow or give her a shot of "Shotapen". This is her 3rd litter with us and she always eats her food with great gusto, so something is up....
There is no hardening of the udders and no discharge from the vulva. Have I missed something?
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Just tucked her up with shotapen and she has moved into her arc with piglets - had a drink of water and said right I am going to sleep now - wait until the morning - pigs I wish they could speak :-X
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I'm sorry I've no real advice .... just wanted to let you know that somebody is reading! hope she perks up :)
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Same as little blue - I have all this to come and know nothing at all to help but wanted to say congratulations on the litter and I do hope she is better tomorrow - and/or the vet has something helpful.
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Thanks - well I checked on her early this morning and she was sound asleep in the arc and clearly had fed the piglets.
Just come back from feeding pigs and she is still off the food but up and about. There is a discharge - it does not smell but all the same. Could there be afterbirth still left after this time? over 10 days now.
She had a couple of mouthfuls of the food. But turned away from it. This is day 3 now of not really eating and I guess my concern is that the milk might disappear?
She is grazing and also still eating apples and courgettes - I have just put some eggs on for her and my husband is going to nip down and get her some bananas. But will this be enough. Any other ideas on food would be appreciated.
I will consult the vet this morning.
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is there a stink from her rear end is the discharge smelly only one way to do this
the eggs though beneficial should not be fed to pigs it is illegal and against the law there are ways round about it
come back and tell us the vets diagnosis :farmer:
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I'm not an expert on pigs but would say she may have a bit of an infection in her uterus (it happens with all mammals) A visit from the vet. may save money or heartache in the future.
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We collected from the vet a shot of "enzaprost". Gave it to her yesterday and it did what it said on the box that was to give mild contractions. Nothing was expelled. The discharge seems to of stopped and was not smelly. Vet said to carry on with another dose of the "shotapen" that we gave her the night before. She is drinking well and feeding the troops but is still not eating her food - apart from the vegetables and munching grass. So she has appetite. Just hope there is enough goodness in what she is eating. By now I would be feeding her on at least 7kg a day and the last 4 days she has probably had about 2kg in all. Piglets look strong and healthy at the moment.
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It sounds like you've got it all covered ;)
Is she constipated by any chance ? and does she have LOTS of fresh water in the paddock, it's important for the piglets too - especially if the weather is warm.
Are her teats okay ? Mastitus could account for the raised temp - but I'm assuming 'shotapen' is antibiotics ??? so will hopefully have ruled that out.
Hope she gets back to her old self soon
Karen x
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Nelson,
Think you are in France, where (as we are all one Europe with common rules!) you are I think allowed to feed eggs, in the UK this is illegal.
Shotapen I was not familiar with (not in the Noah compenium for the UK), but presume is basically a penicillan based treatment - when googled I gots lots of Spanish looking pack photos.
Enzaprost according the the manufacturers is used for :
1. Induction of parturition from day 111 of pregnancy.
2. Post partum use: reduction of the weaning to oestrus interval (WOI) and the weaning to fertile service interval (WFSI) in sows with puerperal problems such as metritis in herds with reproductive problems.
So presume this was to help clear her out.
Some sows do go off food after birth - a jab of B12 vitamin can kick start appetite again, - if she continues maybe suggest this to the vet.
Otherwise continue to feed anything that is legal for you that she will eat !
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Hi there
Thanks for the above and yes correct to all we are in France - Es is no better tonight - that said she took the bananas/eggs/carrots but left everything else and has laid down again and become lethargic - probably going to try the B12 - will have to be tomorrow as everything is closed now. Will also introduce some very slack farine to the piglets just in case. Oh dear just when you think you got things sorted....
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Hi Oaklandspig
Es is still struggling after another shot of antibiotic last night - vet is ill ::) but we have managed to get B12 - how long does it take to work? Thanks
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If it's an infection, the antibiotics may take a couple of days to clear it. Is she drinking okay, and are the piglets still feeding regularly?
I can't remember how old you said the litter was, but guessing a week or two by now. Get them started on creep food asap and maybe try and get them lapping from a shallow dish - just in case the worst happens and you lose the sow. I really don't want to worry you, but this is what I would be doing if I wasn't sure how things were going to turn out with one of mine.
Fingers crossed that whatever is causing her to be under the weather clears soon, but put your plan B in place, just in case.
Good luck
Liz
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Hi Nelson, My sow recently farrowed I wish I had all the medications that you have, my sow well my Eldest son's sow called Mercedes she had 7 lovely piglets and seem to be doing fine though not eating very much bananas are a good idea though she only ate 1 she ate no pellets or fruit or veg for 2 days all she did was feed the piglets she did show signs of Mestit us so got the relevent meds from the vets but sadly she died on Saturday we think it was from a blood clot, a shot of B12 would have done her the world of good and maybe have saved her life. My son's and I are now rearing 6 piglets as we lost one this morning. I have learned a lot from this experience however heat breaking it has been.
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Hello Barrett
I am so sorry to hear about :( Mercedes and your piglet. You and your sons must be exhausted. I have found this forum really supportive. We are hoping the B12 will help get Esmae's appetite back. We have tried everything. I am fortunate that the piglets are 11 days old but I do not want to loose Esmae. She means the world to us.
Take care
Lorraine
x
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Okay the vet came this pm - temp normal - after the B12 injection he is now treating her with "Genabiline".
She is currently very very grumpy but still feeding piglets. Not eaten but has taken some water on.
We have to give her another injection of this tomorrow and the next day.
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:) :) she has eaten her first 1 kilo of pig food this morning. We took another kilo down at lunch time and she has eaten that too. We will watch her over the next couple of days - she is not looking heavy with milk like usual but piglets are well and we have introduced food for them.
Looking back :-\after the long farrowing and the delay last two piglets perhaps we should of acted sooner with the anti biotic "shotapen" ???
Well thanks for support - now on to the next couple of farrowings this week - two berkshires gilts and a tamworth ...... the tamworth being a first for us.
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Hi Nelson,
Glad she seems to be picking up. Don't beat yourself up over wether you should have acted quicker, you did what you thought right at the time and next time you will be more aware.
This whole thing is a learning curve that's what makes it so addictive.
Hope the next litters are more relaxing.
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Thanks Berkshire Boy
Got the stout ready ;D
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Nelson,
Great to hear she's going the right way.
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As recommended on this forum I have recently bought myself Andy Case's book. I was reading up on looking after the in-pig gilt, farrowing and so on.
If no afterbirth is expelled by a couple of hours after farrowing stops he recommends lomg-acting Penicillin & Oxytoxin straight away "before she goes off her food."
In all cases he says to feed about half her normal rations for a couple of days after farrowing "otherwise you will overface her and put her off her food" and then to increase feed gradually over the next few days.
I thought I'd post that here in case anyone has a similar problem in the future and reads this topic looking for help.
Hopefully Esmae is fully recovered now?
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Hi SallyintNorth :wave: and thanks.
She had an injection of Oxytoxin during the birth after the first piglet was born - there was a delay of 2 hours. The rest of the farrowing was pretty straight forward. The first afterbirth was presented half way through and then maybe this is where we thought the farrowing was over as the last piglet came out with what we thought was afterbirth a couple of minutes later. Not so as she delivered another two piglets and the final afterbirth 10 hours later - so with hindsight we should of given her a penicillin shot. She is a bit of a drama queen when it comes to farrowing but never never goes off the food. Always a first time.
The last three weeks have been exasperating - "what can we do for Esmae?" We have tried everything to get her to eat her "pig food" but she has only eaten bananas, advocado, cooked eggs, and French bread, even tried the kipper thing that Carol Harris recommends in her book "Traditional pig keeping" . She has started drinking a bit more now. Her condition does not seem to have suffered yet but as we reach the 3 week mark we need to watch her carefully.
What has amazed us is that she has fed her 11 piglets without a thought for herself - the chaps (piglets) are munching into the pig food quite happily so I feel a bit more relaxed about Es not eating but......We have an appointment with the feed merchants tomorrow - we are going to see if there is another type of feed we can try?
Is it possible for a pig to suffer depression ??? - to me Es certainly looked down. Her demeanor is certainly much better today and she is waiting by the gate for the bucket but will not touch the basic pig food. Maybe an association of pain or perhaps when you are down you just don't like the bland food...
Would like to add that we know that it is illegal to feed your pigs some of the foods that I have mentioned above in the UK. But faced with a sow not eating and even the vet perplexed ::) I was willing to try anything to get her to eat.
Here is a picture of Esmae taken yesterday with one of her piglets.
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thats a lovely photo!
poor old Esme, she has perhaps now developed a taste for the finer things in life rather than boring old pig food!
maybe you could mix pig meal with warm milk, or soaked sugar beet, to give her some energy back...
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That's a lovely pic, thanks for posting. :D
I'm glad to hear that Esmae is starting to look perkier. She sounds amazing - being able to rear all those babies when she's not eating very much. I hope she gets her appetite back soon!