The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Button End Beasts on November 27, 2014, 09:49:06 pm
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Hi everyone :wave: not been on here for a while but have a nagging question to get off my chest. I'm sure there isn't one answer involved but here goes...My sow Flo farrowed this morning but only had 5 piglets , 4 which survived. Previously she had 9 piglets ( first time), then 10 piglets. So I am wondering why litter size went down so much. She was in good condition at mating and stayed that way up to now. She'd had about 7 weeks from weaning to mating. Was this too soon? After her first litter she'd had 9 months off between weaning and mating. The boar is kept busy but not too busy, gets mated probably every 8 weeks or a bit more and is only with 1 or 2 females. Both are vaccinated regularly for erysipelis. Is it "just one of those things" or is there something I can sort out? Hmmmm......
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Usually one of those things. One sow I have had 11 the first time and four the second,I admit she was a bit on the plump side the second time but the piglets grew quickly not having to compete for their milk!!
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Unless a sow's in poor condition at weaning time we usually get her back to the boar straight away. I think the longer you leave them empty the more chance there is of either a small litter or not getting in pig at all. Being overweight is also a cause of problems. We use the condition scoring system and try to keep a score of 3 on the go all the time. Sometimes it is difficult to feed a milking sow enough but we've found resting for just one cycle after weaning is long enough to put the weight back on if you look after them.
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Can be any number of things sometimes if they get stress mental phsyical or heat can cause them to ingest some of their litterhence smaller numbers
Also if you get mummified piglets or non formed foetus when she farrowed it could have been a minor infection or parvo
Unless your desparate for huge litters i wouldnt worry unduly theyll be monsters with all that milk and teats to go T.
Hth mandy :pig:
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No mummified piglets or anything odd. I'm not really wanting large litters, a few more would have been nice but 4 is certainly going to be a lot more manageable given the mud bath we already have in the pig paddocks. ????
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Gorgeous arent they?!
(http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/webkit-fake-url://66b14d98-8fef-466d-a943-cce02afa4130/imagejpeg)
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:love: :love: :pig: :pig: :love: :love:
They're precious!
I hope pigs get uglier as they get older or how am I ever going to manage to kill, butcher and eat ours when we get our small holding!?!
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:love: :pig: very cute.
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is flushing prior to mating worth considering?
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I hope pigs get uglier as they get older or how am I ever going to manage to kill, butcher and eat ours when we get our small holding!?!
Don't worry, they'll turn into anoying teenagers and try to eat your boots - not so cute! Word of advice - the only name we give to pigs destined for the freezer is "Porky".
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Word of advice - the only name we give to pigs destined for the freezer is "Porky".
No worries there. My current mantra is 'Don't name the pigs'. In fact that will be the name of my smallholding blog - if I ever get round to it!