The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Bodger on September 02, 2013, 09:53:29 am
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I hope that she's OK. When I went to feed her this morning I found her retching, a little like a dog that's been eating grass. She was at it for a few minutes before bringing up some yellow bile. I stuck her pellets in the trough and she has eaten them.
Going on the date that I saw her actually mating with the boar, she should be having piglets tomorrow. She's certainly big enough but my concern is this retching, is it something that I should be concerned about? Is there something that I should or could be doing?
Its rather a late stage in the pregnancy for her to suddenly suffer from morning sickness, if indeed they actually do get it, but its something that's crossed my mind.
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Don't think its too much to worry about. If you think she's near to farrowing we always cut a sows food back just before as piglets are moving towards the birth canal and this lessens the available stomach space so making them likely to retch if over full.
Keep an eye on her and if the retching and yellow bile continues thro out the day get the vet PDQ as she may have been eating stones and thats not good.
all the best :fc: for a good litter
Mandy :pig:
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Thanks Mandy. Touch wood she seems to be OK now, just very uncomfortable but that's almost certainly down to her humungus size. She really is very pregnant but still hasn't bagged up yet. I think that she'll go past the third of September date that I'd worked out but who knows? She may still prove me wrong. :fc:
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my sow was sick after farrowing but we hadnt reduced her food enough as she was overdue and we thought she'd missed the boar. def reduce her feed a bit if she is due soon.
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The first mating took place on the tenth of May.
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We are grandparents. :excited: I thought that there might be something a foot when Pru wasn't waiting for me at the gate for her breakfast this morning.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/003.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/003.jpg.html)
She didn't show any signs of farrowing last night but the clever old girl had nine piglets over night with just the one still born. She may have a few more later on, we'll have to wait and see.
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Well done to both of you! She's probably finished and may have eaten the afterbirth so you won't see it to confirm all is done.
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Lovely picture, many congratulations to Pru, look good chunky piglets. :love:
All the best Mandy :pig:
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Congratulations Grandpa :-J lovely picture
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Lovely piglets :love: very jealous just not got the right set up to breed my own although it is getting harder here to find wearers, so many of the breeders around me are giving up, even the one that I got this years Middle Whites from. :(
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Gorgeous! Look at those 2 clowns in the pic. rooting about her bum when there's a spare nipple up the other end. Enjoy them, they grow up soooo quick ;D
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Beautiful :thumbsup: Well done Pru (and you of course ;))
Lovely piglets :love: very jealous just not got the right set up to breed my own although it is getting harder here to find wearers, so many of the breeders around me are giving up, even the one that I got this years Middle Whites from. :(
Last year was a really hard year for us (and every other pig keeper I'd imagine), with the weather, feed prices etc etc etc. We stuck it out hoping for a better year this year and it's been great weather wise here, but the feed prices are yet to come down :( We're cutting back numbers over the winter and will see what 2014 brings....
Kx
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congrats, beautiful wee things. :thumbsup:
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What a lovely surprise that must have been the first moment you saw them all there already. Congrats to you and Pru, and take lots of pics these next few weeks for future memories. They grow up so fast, and the first 6 weeks are pure heaven. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Congrats :) & a very big well done mummy pru, what a lovely lot!
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The only very slight downside, is that there are only two gilts out of the eight and that my choice is going to be a little bit limited as to which one, or ones that I might keep.
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lovely little piglets :thumbsup:
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No milk at the bar, a distressed lethargic Pru, a visit from the vet, four injections and its fingers crossed for the morning.
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You've done the right thing by calling in the vet. Thinking of you all. :hug: :fc:
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What a shame :( Best of luck to Pru and her piglets!
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hope alls well this morning!
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I'm just waiting for another visit from the vet. :gloomy:
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Oh no, poor Pru :gloomy:
I presume the vet gave Oxytocin last time round ?
It sounds like there might be something retained inside :-\
I'd be tempted to give more oxytocin (it helps expell from the womb and encourages milk production/let down) and a dose of stresnil and then (once it kicks in) try a quick internal - proper scrub up before or long gloves, plenty of lubricant and an anti-biotic afterwards.
Keeping :fc: and sending reiki vibes for you all :-* :hug:
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The piglets are OK at the moment, we just have to hope that they continue to be so. Its poor old Pru that's in bad shape. As I said, we've started to give the babies some milk replacer and here we are giving them their last feed last night at just after ten o clock.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/010.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/010.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/009.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/009.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/007.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/007.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/004.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/004.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/002-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/002-1.jpg.html)
The problem that we have coming up, is the wedding at the weekend and at the moment the piggies need half dozen feeds a day.
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I have been in this dreadful pickle before too. You should try bowl feeding them as soon as possible - it is very messy as they all want to drink out of the same spot in the same bowl at the same time, but saves hours of time on individual bottle feeding. To get them used to it, push their snouts into the milk over and over again - from the moment they take the first lick themselves they will get the message and lap it up as fast as you can pour it out. Even if you can only get one self-feeding to start with, the others will soon copy. If this works, and as they are still very young, start off with feeds every 4 or 5 hours, then start increasing the amount and the time between feeds, but hopefully they will be back with Pru by then. Best of luck, I know exactly what you are going through!
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Within the last half hour, I think that she may have rallied that little bit. She was spark out again this morning, so I gave her some sugared water where she lay and a few rounds of soaked bread.
About half an hour or so later she got up and had a few pellets from the bowl. Then I went out in the van and fetched some more pellets from Wynnstay and in the intervening time she'd eaten most of what was left and she was moving the empty bowl around the yard. She also gave me a couple of grunts as if to say is that all? I've also followed Rena's advice and fetched some molasses, so I've sprinkled some of that over another scoop of pellets and she's eating them right now. :fc: Its very much a ray of hope and I'm hoping that she's started to get back to how she should be. Thanks for all the words of advice, now just keep your fingers crossed that the improvement continues.
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Ohhh John, that sounds like a possible turning point, got everything crossed for you :fc: :fc: :fc: :fc: Give Pru a gentle hug from me :pig: . Well done mate :hug: and to the whole family who have obviously rallied around to help. I'm sure if you took the piggies to the wedding with you, the guests would love to bottle feed them :eyelashes: .....only joking. Hope you find a piggy minder today :pig: .
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She's still not producing milk for the piglets, or if she is, very little of it. We've just fed them again and the next feed will at three this afternoon. Hopefully with that plus what Pru is providing, we'll be able to cope until the piglets are weaned. has anyone any idea why there isn't any milk? She'd obviously fed her previous litter very well.
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When something's not well the milk seems to be the first thing to go and they put their all into trying to get better/stay alive :o and she'd almost certainly reject the piglets now because they will all smell different etc. She obviously had something going on inside her which made her ill, although doesn't sound like you'll ever know what but lets hope she now makes a full recovery (my suspicion errs on the Mastitis theory). She's never had a problem in the past and so unlikely to be something that'll happen again :fc: , just one of those unknown quantities I'm afraid. :hug:
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Will she let them suckle? If so leave them with her as much as possible, as suckling encourages her to produce more milk. It's very difficult deciding, other than how much the piglets are growing, whether they are getting enough or not, and in the past, sows we've had who had to have oxytocin jabs due to poor milk supply have recovered and been able to feed their piglets normally again. In the meantime, I would once again recommend you try bowl feeding, as per my previous post this morning. Six weeks of bottle feeding several piglets would be an absolute nightmare and take forever. You would get very tired indeed. With bowl feeding, the whole lot vanishes for the whole litter within about 5 minutes max.
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And the other advantage of bowl feeding is you don't have to keep picking up the piglets and taking them away, which most sows hate. Once they are used to it, you just call them out of the arc, or to somewhere where the sow can't get to, they guzzle it all up, then they go back to being with their mum, which I feel is very important for them developmentally and for learning how to be a pig.
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Pru is more than willing to let the piglets suckle on her, its just that she's producing very little if any milk.
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Oh that's a good result so far (compared to 24hrs ago :-\ ) .........are you still giving her the Oxy?
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How's Pru doing now ? and the babies ?
Thinking of you all :-*
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doubtful there'll be much news today HH he has a big day today :sunshine:
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Is it Bodger getting married?
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No, his son :thumbsup:
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Pru and the piglets seem to be out of the woods. Its only as of today that she seems to have regained her appetite and started to let her milk down for her babies. Its been a long week I can tell you.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/002-2.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/002-2.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/003-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/003-1.jpg.html)
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great stuff :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Fantastic news, so hope it continues that way. Gorgeous photo. Hope you had a great wedding too!
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Ohhhhhh WHAT a relief - HUGE pats on backs to all concerned :hug: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hug:
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Bodger,
Great to hear, really pleased its now going the right way !
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Not really the place to post wedding photos but as one or two of you have enquired about my sons wedding and we had a 'piggin good time' then why not? :excited:
Here's just - a little taster ......Rob and Jen have thousands photos to sort through and choose. Do some of you remember the shawl that my wifew was knitting? Well here it is.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/551137_10151873064062668_1626055847_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/551137_10151873064062668_1626055847_n.jpg.html)
Rob, Jen and my daughter as bridesmaid.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/7853_10151873066707668_1329889675_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/7853_10151873066707668_1329889675_n.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/1233432_10151873066637668_247642284_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/1233432_10151873066637668_247642284_n.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/970348_10151690452633892_1664300820_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/970348_10151690452633892_1664300820_n.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/1238767_10151690452368892_83481493_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/1238767_10151690452368892_83481493_n.jpg.html)
Grandma Bodger, myself and my wife Karen.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/1234242_10151690449083892_109299109_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/1234242_10151690449083892_109299109_n.jpg.html)
My son Martin, daughter Frances, wife and Tom my eldest son. He made the sword that the cake was cut with.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/1275154_10151842909786251_447370741_o.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/1275154_10151842909786251_447370741_o.jpg.html)
Robs the captain of the local cricket team and he made a bit of a gaff when he arranged his wedding to clash witht he last match of the season. Anyway, they managed to win without him and the team called in for a double celebration with Rob and Jen after winning their match and promotion.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/1233275_10151842917926251_1731274911_o.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/1233275_10151842917926251_1731274911_o.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/family/544902_10151690452723892_960124010_n.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/family/544902_10151690452723892_960124010_n.jpg.html)
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Great photos - what an amazing weekend you must have had. And it wasn't raining either!
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Beautiful photos and what a relief that Pru is better :thumbsup:
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Very pleased to hear that Pru appears to be on the mend :thumbsup:
Smashing wedding photos but they could have found something bigger to cut that lovely cake with :innocent: ;D
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Wonderful wedding pic John......and you slightly pickled in that photo with Mrs Bodger and Granny Bodger :innocent: :innocent: Too much cider perhaps :thinking: .
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No, I always have a ruddy and fairly rustic complection. :innocent:
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Very pleased to hear Pru and clan are doing ok. Lovely wedding pics, the shawl looks beautiful.
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Ditto Eastling ;) The shawl is gorgeous :thumbsup:
So glad the wedding went well and a big relief for you that Pru's doing better I'm sure.
Thanks for posting Kx
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I managed ten minutes of pig spotting today. I stood quietly in the pig sty and watched Pru's eight piglets playing in the straw. I felt quite privileged to have such a grandstand seat, they're already proper little characters. Taking the time to watch them is something that I'll do again. I really enjoyed getting to know them, there are six boars and two gilts.
At the moment, I wouldn't know a good pig from a bad pig but unfortunately most of the ones that I took a shine to turned out to be boys. The lads will all be going to freezer land but I might very well keep a gilt if they look as though they're going to be suitable.
Its hard to think how all was doom and gloom just a few days ago.
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What a lovely end to this story - a fantastic wedding, a happy sow and eight thriving piglets! You must be feeling so chuffed. :thumbsup: :pig: :thumbsup: :pig: :thumbsup:
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This afternoon it was time for Pru to go back to her ark and the open air.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/001-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/001-1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/002-4.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/002-4.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/004-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/004-1.jpg.html)
Its our turn next.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/006-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/006-1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/009-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/009-1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/010a.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/010a.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/011-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/011-1.jpg.html)
Mud mud glorious mud.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/013-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/013-1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/015.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/015.jpg.html)
Home sweet home, its nice to be back.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/019.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/019.jpg.html)
Going by the squeals, I think its safe to say that the piglets now know what an electric fence is.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/022.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/022.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/023.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/023.jpg.html)
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She looks in wonderful condition - well done :thumbsup: and glad everything back on track :relief: :hug:
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Been away for a week, glad alls well that ends well, wedding looked great and piglets look stunning.
Well done all round.
Mandy :pig:
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My new daughter in law Jenny captured these shots of Pru and brood this afternoon.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/004-2.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/004-2.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/005-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/005-1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/007-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/007-1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/008.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/008.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/kcooper2011/piggies/012-1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/kcooper2011/media/piggies/012-1.jpg.html)
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Lovely pictures, babies look very cute hope they all enjoy the wallow.