The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Rich/Jan on January 01, 2012, 08:53:33 am

Title: Overdue
Post by: Rich/Jan on January 01, 2012, 08:53:33 am
Hi - our first Berkshire gilt is 3 days overdue - have another gilt due on the 5th Jan - perhaps one will be late and one early then hopefully loads of little berkys.  It is a stressful and worrying time though.  Three GOS to follow in a few weeks.  I'm already grey so not a problem there. :wave:
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Sylvia on January 01, 2012, 09:11:24 am
I hope you soon have a lot of healthy piglets. Aren't :) they amazing
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: SallyintNorth on January 01, 2012, 09:29:59 am
Ooooh, wishing you well.  I know the feeling of excited anticipation tinged with just a little consternation until you know all is well.

Good luck  :thumbsup: - and keep us posted!
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: robert waddell on January 01, 2012, 09:44:10 am
they can run on a bit     either 2 days before or 2 days after     it all depends on the date she held to the boar
5 litters of piglets within weeks the potential for 50 piglets   some feeding bill if you cant sell them on :farmer:
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Rich/Jan on January 01, 2012, 11:10:56 am
Have orders for some so not too worried about feed bill - we want to keep a few anyway to use as breeders later but dont want to count our chickens/piglets just yet.  Sheep due anytime from last week in January so want to get the farrowing out of the way asap.  Hope the weather stays mild for us - its very wet here at the moment but cold wind when it starts isn't so appealing.  Best of luck to all of you in the same boat as us  Rich and Jan in Charente/France
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: HappyHippy on January 01, 2012, 11:49:39 am
Good luck !
I hate waiting for the pigs to start farrowing (I'm soooo impatient  ::)) it's even worse when you know the exact date of conception (from AI or observations) because I then expect them to go on their exact due date  ::) Problem is the pigs haven't read the same book as me  :D I know folk say a couple of days either side but I've got a gilt that I still think went 10 days over (without a DNA test I'm never going to know for sure - and I'm not sure I fancy paying for one :-\)
Hope the weather stays good for you - it's positively mild in Scotland this morning  :o No rain with us (for the first time in weeks !) the sun is shining and I went outside without a jacket (it's well above freezing)  :o I almost got to thinking that Spring was on the way, but that would have been kidding myself  ;)

Keep us posted with developments (and photos !)  :wave:
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Lesley Silvester on January 01, 2012, 04:00:10 pm
Good luck with  :pig: :pig: and hope the farrowing goes smoothly.
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Rich/Jan on January 03, 2012, 10:30:42 am
Hi again - our overdue Berkshire has just had 8 piglets but unfortunately one came out feet first and I couldnt get to it fast enough.  I tried all the usual resuscitation methods but to no avail.  So now have 4 females and three males.  It was a little female that died.  Richard stayed up all night with her but had to leave for work at 7.30am this morning (after no sleep) and when I went over just after 9am she had five already.  It was her first time so quite pleased really.  She obviously waited for him to disappear. ::) ::) 
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Bionic on January 03, 2012, 10:45:36 am
Congratulations  :trophy: :pig:
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Rich/Jan on January 03, 2012, 11:15:15 am
Hi - update - another live piglet along with a mummified one and two other small dead piglets.  When the afterbirth came out we thought she had finished but obviously there was a problem.  So she would have had 12 piglets which isn't bad for a first timer.  Possibly the mummified piglet caused a problem.  She has been given an antibiotic injection and will hopefully post some pictures.
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: PetiteGalette on January 03, 2012, 11:40:12 am
Well done overdue Berky! Hope she'll be OK with the anitbiotic.................................and that the 2nd Berky is easier going in a couple of days time.........................!
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Lesley Silvester on January 03, 2012, 11:44:01 am
Congratulations.  She obviously didn't want a male midwife!   ;D
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Rosemary on January 03, 2012, 01:18:11 pm
Quote from: Mad Goatwoman of Madeley link=topic=20432.msg193057#msg193057 date=1325591041     
 She obviously didn't want a male midwife!   ;D
[/quote

Maybe she's modest  :)

Congratulations! So that makes 8 live piglets, yes?
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Sylvia on January 03, 2012, 03:13:24 pm
Well done, I hope they all go on well :)
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Rich/Jan on January 03, 2012, 03:32:37 pm
yet another update - another live piglet but thats it now!!
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: wytsend on January 03, 2012, 03:47:45 pm
Presumably she was vaccinated for Pig Parvo Virus ?   We had a Tamworth farrow last March... all piglets dead,, we had been assured that she had received the vaccine.

Vet did a few tests & found she was carrying the virus & HAD NOT BEEN VACCINATED !!!    Apparently a mummified foetus can indicate this awful disease.

I would have a word with your Vet to check it out before you farrow again.
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Lesley Silvester on January 03, 2012, 04:27:41 pm
yet another update - another live piglet but thats it now!!

You never know - there could be another half dozen in there.   ;)
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: SallyintNorth on January 03, 2012, 10:28:55 pm
Congratulations - what a clever girl she is.

When Meg farrowed last year, Karen was at pains to make sure I understood that I would see two afterbirths, one from each horn.  You mentioned seeing one afterbirth, and subsequently some more piglets - has she now passed the second?  It would be good to be sure, especially after she has had a few dead / mummified ones.  Of course she could have passed it when you weren't there and eaten it.  ::)

Anyways, well done all of you - and of course piccies are eagerly awaited!   :love: :pig: :pig: :pig:
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: Miss Piggy on January 03, 2012, 10:36:34 pm
Congratulations, looking forward to the pictures  :pig: :pig: :pig: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Overdue
Post by: HappyHippy on January 04, 2012, 12:04:39 am
When Meg farrowed last year, Karen was at pains to make sure I understood that I would see two afterbirths, one from each horn. 

Yeah, think the phrase I used was "if they don't half fill a bucket, you've not got it all"  ;) :D
But that's only if you're there - some eat it, some don't (I don't give 'em the chance blurgh !)

Sounds like all's well, but just keep an eye on her - any shivering or straining, raise in temperature or reluctance to eat and you'll either have to 'go in' yourself or get the vet out as a matter of urgency for an internal and anti-biotics, just to be on the safe side - but it sounds like she's settled down.

And it goes without saying WE NEED TO SEE PHOTOS  ;D
Congratulations  :thumbsup: