The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Lostlambs on July 07, 2011, 01:25:06 pm
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Looking for help on how to handle my 3 year old sow who had her piglets out in pasture. My 2 sows and 1 boar are free to roam the pasture in the day and come in at night to their pen for feeding where I lock them in for the night. Bertha stayed out 3 nights ago and had her 7 piglets out in the trees.I'm getting dire warnings about if I don't get her penned the piglets will be like wild pigs. I am taking her out some food at night hoping she will bring them down to the barn on her own trying to tempt her to come out further every day but no luck.She is a Hampshire and none too small. Any help on pig behaviour or ideas what to do would be great. ??? Thanks
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If it was me I would leave them be. As long as they can keep dry she will look after them and when she is ready she will bring them in.
I had a sow a couple of years ago that farrowed in the woods, she built a nest out of branches and leaves and had her litter. I thought it would be best to bring her in so we picked up the piglets and took them to her ark but she wouldn't leave the nest, tried food etc but she was having none of it. In the end we had to take the piglets back to the nest and leave them there. Eventually she moved them to the ark but when she was ready. ::)
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canada eh she will be fine only doing what comes as natural to them mother knows best she will bring them in when she is ready :pig: :farmer:
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I agree - don't stress too much about it ;)
I'm assuming mum is normally quite friendly, in which case she'll come to you with the piglets when she's ready and piglets always are pretty 'flighty' to begin with anyway, they'll soon settle down once they're in and getting used to humans.
Lots of rattling of food buckets might persuade her ? Or (if you're feeling brave) put all the piglets in a big basket and run back to the shed with mum in hot persuit ;)
HTH
Karen :wave:
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dorothy ran off to the woods to have her babies, even though we made a fine deep bed for her up in the stable. she'd made a huge nest from ripped up grass. we couldnt get near the piglets for the 1st 10 days or she'd have charged us but then dorothy began bringing the babies up to the house for her feed. now we can stroke all the piglets (They are 5 weeks now) but we do make sure there is a gate/fence between us and dorothy if we pick them up, as one squeal and dorothy gets protective.
i wouldnt worry if the sow is tame.
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I love the photos,
just proves .... Mum knows best! ;)
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Thanks for the replies, I was of the same ideas to leave her be and let her come in when ready. She seems quite happy out there and lets me get closer every day with her food bucket. I'm trying to raise my animals as close to the way they natually are but not to many around here are the same mind set so it's really helpful to here what you guys are doing acroos the big pond so to speak Thanks :) :) I think the natural homegrown food is starting to be more common but nowhere near where it is there