The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: littleacorn on April 14, 2013, 11:55:19 am
-
Could someone tell me how long a sow (4th litter) should be pushing before the arrival of the first piglet? Thanks
-
It depends on your definition of pushing really :-\
If she's labouring (lying down panting, back leg coming up to the belly and changing position) it can be a few hours, if she's lying and actually straining (and you see the vulva bulging as she does) it shouldn't be much longer than an hour, sometimes less.
Hopefully as I type you'll be seeing piglets born, but if not you might need to think about doing an internal just to check none are stuck (remembering to give an anti-biotic jab if you do)
Good luck & HTH
Karen :wave:
-
Thanks very much for your reply Karen. :wave:
Yes she was straining and had been for a couple of hours. We have had pigs farrow before but I have never had one go more than an hour without a piglet appearing. I decided to get in there (never done that before either) and there was a piglet stuck, coming face first, so I tried to pull it out, but couldn't. I called out the vet who also had a devil of a job as the piglet was upside down but eventually she delivered it - and it was alive! amazingly enough. Vet helped the next one out too and I have just come in to get dry and have a cuppa then I am back out there! Hopefully the rest will follow quickly and easily - for the mum's sake (and mine!). :fc:
-
Glad to hear she's delivered :thumbsup:
Hopefully all the rest will follow without any problems :fc:
Congratulations on the first two :trophy: what breed are they ?
And if you happened to have photo's, we'd love to see them ;) ;D