The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: plt102 on April 17, 2017, 09:06:05 pm
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We have a lovely saddleback who is farrowing. She had 5 lovely piglets and has passed some afterbirth but is still panting and straining. We don't want to leave her but how long should we wait to see if any more might appear and when and how should we help her? Thanks in advance.
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Pigs have two euterus's so there should be two pieces of afterbirth, she will pass it in her own time as it can take a couple of hours after the piglets, DO NOT pull it as you may cause internal damage.
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There is no set time over which a sow will farrow. Some can take literally hours and others pop them out in no time at all. Generally speaking once she lets the piglets latch on and starts grunting as they feed she should have finished farrowing. However, they don't always read the book and and another might appear. The afterbirth may come quite quickly after farrowing or again it might take sometime.
The uterus of a pig is made up of the two horns of uterus. As said never pull the afterbirth away. If you think she is distressed then you could try examining her to see if another piglet is on its way but if you are unsure then please call your vet.
It is very unusual to have a problem farrowing. Only 2% of farrowings present a problem. :fc:
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Thanks a lot. We stayed with her a while and then the afterbirth came and she was fine and stopped panting. She had a bit of food and we left her to it. Only 5, but she is 6 years old so we weren't expecting a big litter.
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I've known a farrowing take ten hours on a very humid day.
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I've known a farrowing take ten hours on a very humid day.
I have had the same but on a very cold night.