The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Berkshire Boy on July 05, 2011, 09:42:23 am
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Has anyone noticed a change in the fertility of their herd. I have 3 boars of various ages from 2 to 6 and 9 sows mostly aged 2 and 3.
The boars have always been very good at their job and catch the sows first time. This year I have noticed that they are catching them second and even third time.
I very nearly culled one of them before I realised it was not just him ::)
They are not over weight and all seem their usual selves. I was wondering if it could be something to do with the weather.
Any ideas.
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Can't say I have BB. One of my GOS sows popped out 17 piglets end of last month. :o and all of mine have caught 1st time, both sows and gilts. Even my younger boar who popped his cherry caught the sow 1st time. Our winter here in Shropshire was as bad as most (farrowing a sow during -17 ???) and we've hardly any grass for making hay due to lack of rain.
Are all your sows put back to the back to the boar after weaning?
It'll be interesting to see what others have experienced.
Onnyview
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Berkshire boy i have heard or read that fertility is affected by weather extremes and hot weather in particular can play havoc with boars in particular so make sure your boy has plenty of cool wallows to dunk his working bits in!! ;D sows are generally in season for longer during the summer months and less so thro the winter.
HTh
Mandy :pig:
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Yes I got problems here too - all three sows only had one litter each - all been in with boar since last litter weaned but that was December for the first one and nothing yet. She should have had a litter in May as saw the boar cover her. Have seen him cover the others too - and expecting piglets end of july and middle of august. But not scanned them and tbh the july one not looking particulary like she coming into milk or anything - she is still really saggy from her last litter. I had hired him out and was panicking they'd have had nothing either but they had 14 piglets in june so all was working then obviously!
I wish I knew what was going on.
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Hi, I am no expert on this but my boys seem to be mounting anything that moves but they are only 9 months old other boars usually ::), have you changed anything in there diet or moved them to an area there not familiar with the older boys may not be working so hard so the younger ones are having to work harder, I don't know if you do already but a few pints of milk a week helps don't ask me how.
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barrett if you produce the milk on your holding that is alright
if you buy in your milk or it is produced outwith your premisses that is illegal and you have to get defras permission sorry :farmer:
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Robert , you seem to be very clued up on DEFRA, is that through lots of years of experience? I always find the DEFRA experience very confusing.
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it is the regulations that we all have to comply with and should be familiar with
i like dealing with DEFRA it can give you satisfaction(those who know me will understand) ;) :pig: :farmer:
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barrett if you produce the milk on your holding that is alright
if you buy in your milk or it is produced outwith your premisses that is illegal and you have to get defras permission sorry :farmer:
so u can feed ur own handmilked cow/goats milk etc ? but not shop bought?
does the same apply to eggs?
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no eggs are different you Carnot feed eggs to pigs but you can feed pancake mixture as the egg content is smaller than the rest of the ingredients :farmer: :pig:
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Yes the boars are going through the motions fine its just that they don't get them pregnant first time. The older one is very vocal when serving so I and the neighbours now what is happening and it goes on the calender,but at the moment 3 weeks later he is at it again. ::) They all catch eventually but I need to be having litters regularly, can't afford to feed them if they are not pulling their weight. :D
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How are your sows BB ? (It's not always the man's fault ;) ;D ;D ;D)
Are they all nice and lean ? Fit, active and healthy ?
Do you up their feeding pre and post season/service ?
What protein levels are they getting in their feed ?
As was discussed on here a wee while back - are they getting large quantities of parsnips or citrus ? (it was thought that might affect things)
Are they running with the boars all the time ?
Sorry, don't mean this to come across as patronising - just ruling out all the stuff I can think of, off the top of my head ::) :)
Karen :wave:
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you mention boars as more than one if there is more than one (in the group) boar they will be jostling for a shot and none actually getting there to fulfill what is required :farmer:
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Robert, I look forward to getting to know your DEFRA knowledge perhaps I could confined in you for information, you seem to explain things better than DEFRA ;)
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Once the sow has caught will she then start to reject boars? is that how you know she is pregnant?
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Once she's in-pig, she'll not come back into season and if she doesn't come into season she won't stand for him.
HTH
Karen
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This is what I don't understand,I am doing nothing differently to what I usually do. The 3 boars all have their own ladies so no competition there. The sows get swapped around after farrowing.
They are all on a 16% protein feed that is grains ,molasses etc mixed by a local grain merchant and been using that for about 2 years.
The girls are all healthy and no weight problems. I don't increase the feed prior to season but never have. I don't feed them parsnips or citrus. I plant up pens as they become empty with a stubble turnip and forage rape mix and they go in there when its ready.
I have cut their feed down slightly because the only thing I could think of was weight but I really don't think it is as it seems to be all of them.
Hopefully it is just the weather because I couldn't eat all that pork ;)
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I plant up pens as they become empty with a stubble turnip and forage rape mix and they go in there when its ready.
I was going to ask are you running them on clover-rich pasture (clover contains oestrogen, acts like a contraceptive pill, apparently!) but clearly you are not.
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no eggs are different you Carnot feed eggs to pigs but you can feed pancake mixture as the egg content is smaller than the rest of the ingredients :farmer: :pig:
so u could get ur own eggs, own milk, add flour and mix it in ur own feed room and thats fine? but then u need a license to mix the feeds? or u cud layer it in a bucket?
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well princess if you make pancakes in a feed room that is up to you :o
your good point should be raised with defra or your local enviromental health/trading standards :farmer: