The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: arborexplora on December 19, 2012, 08:52:23 am
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Hello,
We are new to breeding pigs and bought a Saddleback sow on the 1st September. She is a big girl who has farrowed twice before. The breeder had her in with the boar the week before we picked her up and said she had been served. By my calculation her due date is between 17th-24th December (anytime now) however I am not sure if she is pregnant, I haven't noticed any major changes.
She was served immediately after her last litter was weaned. Excuse my terminology but when we got her, her teats were fairly droopy, these are less so now but I wouldn't say they are swollen and no sign of lactation. She has made a nest, but has done so for over a month now.
Any tips or advice appreciated.
Richard
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has been coming into season since you bought her? not all sows take first time.
she should look pregnant by now if she is due this month.
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I haven't noticed her coming back into season. Her underside has changed since we got her and seems firmer however she had recently farrowed. The breeder seamed sure she would be pregnant. Difficult to tell because she is a really big girl. We did have 4 x 7 month old saddlebacks which went for meat and they were half her size. If one of those were pregnant I'm sure I would notice the change with them. :-\
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We never move in-pig gilts or sows til at least 3 weeks after service, preferably 4 as this helps ensure the embryo's are well implanted in the womb and there's no chance of her aborting during the stress of moving.
If she'd been served the week before you collected her, the breeder had no way of knowing for sure that she was in-pig when she left their holding either so she might not have been in-pig when she left :-\
You can watch her for signs of season over the next few weeks or ask your vet if they are able to come and scan her to check.
HTH
Karen
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If shes due this week you should be able to feel her piglets in her tummy, get her to lay on her side and place the palm of your hand on her abdomen just above her teat line, you should be able to feel and see rippling as the piglets move, if you look between her back legs when sh'e standing you should also be able to see her tum visibly dropped. Not all sows show signs but the majority do. If you have a neighbour with a sheep doppler maybe they could have a listen for heartbeats.
best of luck
mandy :pig:
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It seems a bit irresponsible of the breeder to sell you a sow as in pig when he has no idea if she is or isn't.She should have been kept in with the boar for another 3-4 weeks to make sure she had caught.
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It seems a bit irresponsible of the breeder to sell you a sow as in pig when he has no idea if she is or isn't.She should have been kept in with the boar for another 3-4 weeks to make sure she had caught.
a bit like "has been running with the boar" or "belived to be in pig"
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just to say our twinkle is due on 13th jan and tonight she flung herself at my feet for a belly rub all god knows how many stones of her and i could visibly see babies rippling in her tum and my hand on her tum could feel them moving................a football team i think.
mandy :pig:
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I've got one due tomorrow or Saturday and there is no doubt that she is in pig - it's been very obvious for a couple of weeks.
As HappyHippy said, moving a sow soon after service is risky. It either has to be within a few days of service or a good month later, to ensure the embryos have implanted. Also, a responsible breeder will hang onto a sow or gilt to be sure she doesn't come back into season before allowing her to be sold.
You may have a nice surprise - in which case, get her into her farrowing quarters and get everything ready. If not, good luck for next time. Should she not be in pig this time, I doubt whether you'd get much joy. His argument could be that he believed she was in pig, but she could have lost them due to the move.
Either way, good luck, and if it doesn't happen, just put it down to experience x
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If not, good luck for next time. Should she not be in pig this time, I doubt whether you'd get much joy. His argument could be that he believed she was in pig, but she could have lost them due to the move.
Either way, good luck, and if it doesn't happen, just put it down to experience x
I hope and trust that she is in pig but we had an experience like yours and she turned out not to be in pig. She then spent 10 weeks with a proven boar and then returned to us. We kept her for a further 3 months. Tests with a doppler were negative and we ended concluding she was barren and made all 180kgs (dead weight) into sausages!!
However, despite the people we bought her off initially refusing to do anything, I took the view that just like anything else you buy they were subject to the trades description act. When an appropriately worded letter was sent by registered post requesting compensation or we would take them to the small claims court they coughed up!
I hope you get the outcome you want and it doesn't come to that ... we are still waiting for our first farrowing that I hope will be in February if our gilt took. More on that later I'm sure.
Pete
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Hello, still no piglets yet but I do think the teats have changed slightly. The breeder is local so I played the inexperience card and asked if she would call by and have a look, she said she would call tomorrow evening. I don't want to fall out with her she did offer a free return to the boar whenever we wanted. Attached are some pics I took tonight. There did seem to be a bit of vaginal discharge.
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she looks pregnant in the foto and her underline is there even tho shes not bagged up fully yet. if you can see her "udder" from behind, its a good sign. i presume her belly was neater when u bought her? how many litters has she had before?
my gilt farrowed without bagging up but her underline was similar to your sows. when she lies down - feel her belly - an empty belly feels v different from a pregnant belly - (same with humans)
vaginal discharge would due to cervix loosening up - or an uterine infection - fingers crossed :fc:
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I've got one due tomorrow or Saturday and there is no doubt that she is in pig - it's been very obvious for a couple of weeks.
late septembers or early january's ? :innocent:
only saying as we were shocked when a piggy friend asked if we had any januarys yet. he last showed his pigs in the 80's so i showed him around the 3 that are due on the 2nd, 19th & 20th
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Just to pass comment on running with the boar, (when selling cattle running with the bull normally means haven't seen the heifer/cow come bulling for a while) I'm aware with pigs shorter gestaion period but normally animals are sold on a little bit of owner history and most people i know would try and do something to make sure it's right at least with cattle ... although perhaps that doesn't happen with small holders ???
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late septembers or early january's ? (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/Smileys/default/whistling.gif)
Neither, kja. Just good, honest Decembers. Some people may do that kind of thing, but not me. She had eight, by the way - and they'll be birth notified.
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Congratulations TT :excited:
Can we look forward to some pics? :pig:
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had a look at the pics and i would say she is a good way off farrowing if pregnant is it possible she got caught at a later date?
mandy :pig:
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late septembers or early january's ? (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/Smileys/default/whistling.gif)
Neither, kja. Just good, honest Decembers. Some people may do that kind of thing, but not me. She had eight, by the way - and they'll be birth notified.
Ditto Liz we have had boxing day piglets 3yrs running and they've all been birth noted as that date, all shows we entered in the july or sept classes as appropiate but some shows were kind enuff to ring and say beause of her birthdate they would put them in the jan classes, done the job properley this year and they're not due until 12th jan
mandy :pig:
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Well the update is, no piglets. They breeder failed to call round and didn't even phone. Feel a bit let down and won't go back to her. I am currently looking at the possibility of get 2 in pig sows from another breeder.
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So sorry to hear that :( Not great customer service by the breeder :-\
With your other sows, ask for service dates (even knowing the week of service would help) get definate confirmation that they are in pig and wait til at least 4 weeks post service before you move them.
Hope all goes well with them, but what are you going to do with your current sow ?
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Hi HappyHippy
Well the update is this, we went to see a chap at Stokesley regarding getting two 'in pig' sows and it turned outed he was having to disperse of his herd due to flooding. He rented a small area of a farmer some distance from his home with no out buildings so breeding was becoming more difficult in the conditions. He had some porkers which were of to the abbatoir and some weaners which were spoken for but we agreed terms and decided to take his breeding stock. So we have come away with 5 sows and an unrelated boar (all registered saddlebacks). We have service dates for two and a third is likely to be pregnant. The other two had only weaned the previous week. Now we have a proven boar our existing sow can be served and the first piglets are due 1st March (from service dates).
So in the future if anyone in the Durham area is considering getting Saddleback weaners or wishes to borrow a boar please get in touch. The boar is a fine looking animal, proven and has a great temperament.
Cheers, Richard :wave:
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Glad it all worked out for you :thumbsup:
Keep us posted with progress reports please :excited:
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Have you got a good outlet for weaners, you will potentially have 150 piglets a year.