The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Zara on April 03, 2012, 07:50:59 pm

Title: AI?
Post by: Zara on April 03, 2012, 07:50:59 pm

Hi there
I bought an in-pig sow who has had her litter...I am now starting to think about getting her in pig in the next few months. I know I could do this via AI but I have no experience of this and from what I have read it sounds quite complicated. Are there people who specialise in this? I am in West Sussex.

 Otherwise I could go down the normal route and find a friendly GOS or SB boar out there?

Thanks

Title: Re: AI?
Post by: benkt on April 03, 2012, 08:34:03 pm

Don't be too scared of AI. We did ours for the first time last year and the procedure itself was fairly straightforward. (I say that although my wife pulled rank (she's a doctor) and did the actual business). The trickier bit IMO is watching carefully for the sow to come in to season and so getting the right time and then being sure that it has actually worked. We did both our girls and only one took but the other one has fairly erratic seasons so we spent a while thinking both had worked which was frustrating and ultimately meant we fed an unproductive sow for months. Lesson learnt - I now spend some time each feed looking at the rear ends of my girls!