The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: CharingPorkPantry on November 24, 2014, 11:07:27 am
-
Hello,
I have a small scale operation in the south east. I have had great annoyance in the past with thinking pigs are in pig and then finding out, after a very long wait, that they are not. I spoke to my vet (now my ex vet) about scanning a while back and was told that it does not work for pigs? So they don't do it?
I'm reading on a few posts here that it is being used so I'm confused! Should I ask my new vet about it? Is it a possibility? What are we talking price wise?
Anyone with any info would be great :)
-
I believe some people use scanning to establish pregnanacy. I have no experience of it and can't see why I'd need it. Our sows stay with the boar as a group until a week or so before farrowing so if they haven't caught it's pretty obvious three weeks later.
-
:wave: I PD scan all my pigs. not sure what a vet would charge though. its been 100% on ours.
we once had a gilt put to the boar never came back in season….changed shape went through the motions …..nothing. never did come back in had i had the scanner then would have saved me time and feed !.
-
Hi guys,
Thanks for the replies. I am almost certain my current two gilts are for sure in pig but, as you say kja, I have been fooled before! They are in with my boar now, have been since Sept, and will stay there for the next couple of weeks. No sign of anything for the last few expected seasons unless he's doing on the sly!
So kja you have your own scanner? Where did you get yours from and can you remember how much it set you back?
-
:wave: Vet image solutions Vis iirc it was about £350 well worth the money in my book.
where a bouts are you ?
-
We dont scan as such but use a shep doppler to have a listen for heart beats at around six months mosy sheep farmers have them we borrow a neighbours
Hth
Mandy :pig:
-
Oh ok. That might be worth thinking about then. I am nr Ashford, Kent.
I will try and get some pictures of my girlies soon so I can get some opinions!
:fc:
-
Hi there
Yes pigs can most certainly be scanned with very accurate results once you know what you are doing. We used to have a chap come scan for us, but was very expensive (£25 per hour) but he was able to scan around 100 sows in couple of hours.
You can DIY but recommend getting an expert to show you a few times, easy to mistake black blobs in there!!
-
Hi CharingPorkPantry,
If you search old posts you'll fine discussion on the Doppler, I don't know whether it is still available or what price its available for now but there was an offer for TAS ... See:
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=26303.msg313799#msg313799 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=26303.msg313799#msg313799)
I purchased one and whilst you cannot (in my experience) get a positive result for over a month I can vouch for the fact that they do reliably work.
Agritech have a website with more information: http://www.agritechdoppler.com/index.htm (http://www.agritechdoppler.com/index.htm)
Pete
-
Hi,
Thanks everyone for the info. Clearly I was very much mislead! I will have a look into a Doppler, otherwise its just such a waste of time if you get it wrong.
Have been a bit distracted this weekend by the sudden illness of one of my two in-pig (hopefully) gilts :( I noticed that she left some breakfast on Saturday morning and went back to bed, immediately suspicious in my girls! Managed to throw together a pen and whip my little boar out but left her sister with her as she's not such a pain when you're in there. Temp was up to 40.5c by the evening and she looked really down. Sunday morning I was horrified to find she had some lumps down her back, immediately thought the worst but my vet came out, drugged her up and has hopefully ruled out Erysipelas. All looks good this morning she's up, eating and drinking and temp is back in the 37'sC. I just hope any little babies in there haven't been boiled! My vet said hopefully she is a bit far along to 'eject' them.
They are such a worry!