The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: timberdog on February 24, 2016, 07:47:29 pm

Title: breeding advice
Post by: timberdog on February 24, 2016, 07:47:29 pm

wanted advice on my my small heard

i have three maiden gilt sows at age 10 mths old and boar the same age

i have righlty or wrongly put  boar in with a sow who i think is now in season.

hes smelling her ...paying her attenton etc..and she seems willing to stand ...been in with her two days.

my question is due to working mostly i dont get to see if he is mounting and doing the biz!

what advice have you on above never having bred before

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: verdifish on February 24, 2016, 10:03:55 pm

Cctv?  Nature will takes its course.

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: pharnorth on February 25, 2016, 07:37:39 am

The smell can be very distinctive. 

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: Womble on February 25, 2016, 07:44:38 am

I'm not a pig person, so this may be daft. However, for our sheep, we slap coloured raddle paste on the tup's chest, which then marks the backs of the ewes that have been served. I can't see why that wouldn't also work for pigs if you reapplied it regularly?

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: greenbeast on February 25, 2016, 08:29:00 am

Quote from: Womble on February 25, 2016, 07:44:38 am

I'm not a pig person, so this may be daft. However, for our sheep, we slap coloured raddle paste on the tup's chest, which then marks the backs of the ewes that have been served. I can't see why that wouldn't also work for pigs if you reapplied it regularly?

We used mud when we put the boar in in November ;)

Hehe we could easily tell which sows were served and when....

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: harmony on February 25, 2016, 09:15:33 am

If she is standing she is ready to be served and he would mount her quite quickly. Sometimes the boar leaves marks down her sides from his feet and rubs the hair on her back in front of her tail.  She will only be receptive for a short period of time so you won't see excessive activity. If you left them to it then you will probably have missed the event. Your gilts will probably cycle reasonably close to each other so you could just run them all together and watch for each one brimming. Make a note of dates and watch to see if they cycle again.

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: shygirl on February 25, 2016, 06:21:41 pm

if they are outside pigs, look for muddy footprints.

Title: Re: breeding advice
Post by: timberdog on February 25, 2016, 06:31:33 pm

Quote from: harmony on February 25, 2016, 09:15:33 am

If she is standing she is ready to be served and he would mount her quite quickly. Sometimes the boar leaves marks down her sides from his feet and rubs the hair on her back in front of her tail.  She will only be receptive for a short period of time so you won't see excessive activity. If you left them to it then you will probably have missed the event. Your gilts will probably cycle reasonably close to each other so you could just run them all together and watch for each one brimming. Make a note of dates and watch to see if they cycle again.

Good idea...

But im trying to stagger breeding sows by 2 months between them so i get constant flow of weaners and meat