The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: patmci on November 28, 2009, 04:44:02 pm
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I have a sow who has a belly that is gigantic. She is due in 3 days but is gigantic, did not eat all her meal today and is spending a lot of her time in her ark. Her teats are nearly touching the ground. This is her second litter and her teats were never as big as this last time. She only came out for 2 minutes and a mouthful of feed tonight. Do you think she is close to farrowing or will the waiting continue.
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If that was a bitch I'd be sleeping beside her tonight to make sure all the pups were OK, and her too! ;D ;D ;D
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have you checked her teats for milk? Often if there is milk present it's only about 24hrs to go.Has she been making a nest ie collecting grass rushes or whatever is available? If she has she wont be long at all.
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No she has not let down her milk but her sister and herself did not let down their milk until literally farrowing last year. I went out and checked teats and no milk but she was pacing. Went down half an hour later and she was farrowing. She has moved a lot of her straw into the doorway of the ark. Hope it is soon i cannot stand the waiting.
Regards Patrick
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I have just checked the sow and she was pacing up and down in front of her ark. I checked her teats and she has milk. What do you think.
Regards Patrick
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I think you'll be up all night - hope you've got a warm duvet to wear out there.
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Did she have any bother with her first farrowing? If not leave her be ;most sows know what they're doing. Check her before you go to bed to see she has gone in doors get a couple of hours sleep and check again. If she has not gone indoors hang around and try and coax her in;as sometimes even very experienced sows take notions not to use their house even in atrocious weather.
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PAT
If that pig has not had those piglets by now will ye get thevet out!!!
Julie
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Unfortunately i am still waiting for her to farrow. She is really big and has milk but just has not done anything she has been eating a lot on sunday and monday bud did not have anything tonight and she seems to have more milk. Lets home it is tonight.
Regards Patrick
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If she doesn't farrow tonight, Patrick, I agree with Julie, call your vet!
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Are you certain of the farrowing date?Did you see her served? Like all females they can go a few days either way.
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Not one hundred percent sure of farrowing date just going for the date in the middle of the 5 weeks she was in with the boar.
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Can you see them moving inside her? If she was served at the beginning she is well overdue. If she was served at the end of the 5 weeks we have to hang on till nearly Christmas ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
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Hi Patrick,
When you say she has milk, how do you mean - have you checked all her teats? Does the teat take a bit of squeezing to get the milk, or does the milk squirt out from a gently tug?
They normally start to get milk in the fron nipples and slowly work back as the sow gets closer to farrowing, at first it will take a bit of a squeeze to get at the milk but up to 24hrs before the birth it can be very easy to extract - with a gentle squeeze.
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It is just at the front few teats and it does take a good tug to draw it down.
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I wouldn't panic too much then she could have a good few weeks to go yet.
It will apear in all the teats over a period of time it could come on quickley over a few days or it could take a few weeks.
You will see a huge difference when she's getting ready in terms of the amount of milk out and how easily - when it happens you will see what i mean ;-)
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Finally we have bonhams. I went down to check at 12 this morning and she had 3. I have just gone down again at 10 past 1 and she has 8. All up and sucking. She does not seem to be finished yet.
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Well at long last the wait is over. Hope all are well. :pig:
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Yes all seem to be doing well she has now got 12 all fairly even piglets. I think she is finished.
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Well worth the wait (imagine a large bunch of flowers icon here please)
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:bouquet:
Single one do?!
Congrats on the piglets, hope all goes well :pig:
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Little Blue thats brilliant thanks. ;D
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Congratulations !!!
:pig: :love: :pig:
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Went to check on them this morning and 1 was dead. It was under 5 other piglets but was very cold and obviously dead. Did not look rolled on so i don't know what happened. I am a bit dissapointed though
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That is sad
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Might have been cold and they all piled up - my pups do that so i have a heat pad under them. Maybe you have them under a lamp though.
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No we have let them go as naturally as possible. We had a friend who had a sow to farrow last year at the same time as we did. We brought ours in and gave them heat lamps creep areas concrete spaces and every single piglet died. All of our friends were ok.
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In that case you have lost the little pig through it being cold and going under the others for warmth. Young animals cannot control their body temperature until at least three to four weeks. I suggest your last litter died due to some other reason.