The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: greengumbo on March 27, 2018, 09:21:19 am
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We carried out AI on our OSB gilt last week. All went well and I am confident we got the timing correct.
Next step is to find out if she is in pig. We will have a look three weeks from AI to see if she comes back into oestrus but I know that can be confusing sometimes.
Any hints or tips ? When should we know for sure ?
Just in case we need to try another round of AI.
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You may see the vulva slightly enlarge and soften or see a small discharge if she comes back into oestrus. Some gilts and sows get very grumpy or want lots more attention. Some show no signs at all .....
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Look for the same signs as when you AI'd her. I wouldn't assume that because she doesn't return to cycle after three weeks that you are home and dry. Get into the habit of just checking her from behind when you feed her just in case she breaks.
Unless you can PD then it is a waiting game until nearer the due date when she should change - swollen belly and getting milk.
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It is straightforward insofar as if you look for the changes in 3 weeks and nothing happens then she is probably in pig, if she seems to be back in season then another round of AI and same again 3 weeks later, as she could re adsorb or just not be in pig. By week 9 you will be fairly confident...... Although I never am until the piglets pop out!
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Me neither - some gilts are superb at hiding any signs of pregnancy, particularly if they've a small litter on board.
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I have only had pigs for 3 years now but I can always tell quite soon. The first sign, as you have mentioned, is that if she is pregnant she won't come back into standing heat three weeks later. Shortly after this time, the nipples start to change. I am not saying she will get an udder because that won't happen for a while... but by around week 5 or 6 my girls have always without fail had more noticeable nipples, this happens with gilts and proven sows, who have had several litters, alike. The change is not dramatic, it is subtle, but when you spend time with your animals I find you notice these small changes. No sooner I see this I know for certain that there will be piglets in a cpl of months time :)
Many pig keepers say that in the pregnant sow a sure sign is that the vagina tip points upwards in a pregnant sow and downwards in an empty sow. I can honestly say this has never been the case with my girls, not even once but others swear by it!
You may also notice a character change in a pregnant sow, she will be calmer, some will be lazier etc it depends on the pig!
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Well three weeks in and she went a bit pinker. We had thought - ah well lets get another round of AI and ordered it. It didn't get red and it only lasted a day though.
However we had ordered the semen and so went to use it next day but she showed no inclination to stand and her bum had gone back to normal (hence free semen we have for anyone wanting it in Aberdeenshire - see marketplace).
My wife commented that the gilts teats looked more prominent so she could be in pig. Waiting game now !
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I have been looking at pigs for years and I can honestly say that I have never seen change in a gilts teats three weeks from service.
I have seen pigs that have looked like they have come back into season and seen the boar serve them but they held to the first service. I have seen pigs who don't come back into season but don't have piglets either.
What one person swears by another doesn't.
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Thanks harmony - guess we will just wait and see :)
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I have been looking at pigs for years and I can honestly say that I have never seen change in a gilts teats three weeks from service.
I have seen pigs that have looked like they have come back into season and seen the boar serve them but they held to the first service. I have seen pigs who don't come back into season but don't have piglets either.
What one person swears by another doesn't.
The way i tell is when they start nesting the day before farrowing...
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I have been looking at pigs for years and I can honestly say that I have never seen change in a gilts teats three weeks from service.
I have seen pigs that have looked like they have come back into season and seen the boar serve them but they held to the first service. I have seen pigs who don't come back into season but don't have piglets either.
What one person swears by another doesn't.
The way i tell is when they start nesting the day before farrowing...
I have never had a pig that nested until they are about to start farrowing.
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Way to Ruin some good humour
::)
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None of them read the textbook - I used to think producing milk was the most reliable indicator of imminent farrowing (within 12-24 hours) until I had a sow last year who produced milk for 6 days before!!
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When we had our first sows we were told by an old hand who had kept pigs for years
that when she came into milk she would farrow within 12 hours. That Saturday morning the first sow came into milk, so not to miss the experience we waited all day and even moved camp beds into the shed. Supper was fish and chips from the local chippie just before closing time. She farrowed on the Wednesday.
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If the pregnancy fails any time up to 35 days in the piglets will be reabsorbed.
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UPDATE:
Well we are pretty sure she is in pig now. No signs of heat since AI. She is visibly bigger now around the belly (especially on one side ?) and spends a lot of time sleeping or resting.
She was AI on the 25th March so we think she will be due around the 19th July ?
Exciting times. :pig:
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good fun, never gets old and we have 12 sows :)
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2 weeks (ish) to go......her teats are huge now and she is swelling more and more by the day.
We plan to let her farrow in her pig ark that has a bar and hope to let her get on with it (obviously we will be standing by if needed!) but if anyone has any great tips or other opinions that would be really excellent.
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The vast majority of farrowing go well and without any assistance. Only 2% of all the farrowings need intervention so relax.
My tips are
- Watch from a distance if at all possible. First timers and old timers can be upset by people getting too close. That's when they jump up and stand on piglets.
- Keep a walking stick to hand and a pig board. Piglets that have got trapped behind Mum etc can often be hooked out of danger with a stick. Always have a board handy.
- Use a farrowing ark with back door. Escape routes always a good idea.
- Don't use lots of bedding, especially long straw. Piglets get stuck/lost in it. I like shavings. Driers pigets off quickly and they don't get stuck in it.
- She may farrow outside the ark so be aware.
- Piglets need to be kept within the ark initially as they can wander off during farrowing and get lost/cold.
Keep us informed :thumbsup:
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All great advice !
Phew well that was and is nerve wracking. She started to properly build a nest in the arc at about midday yesterday then was really restless all afternoon and looking huge underneath....like everything had dropped.
About 9 - 10pm she would lie in the arc on her side for 30 mins wheezing and then getting up again. Finally at about 11 she popped out the first piglet but it seemed to confuse her and she was up and down. I managed to hook it out the way a few times and we removed even more straw after seeing how helpless they were which did make a difference. Second piglet came out about 20 mins after the first and again she was standing up and down and we were worried sick. Finally she lay down for the night and delivered 13 (we think!!) piglets with three stillborn.
This morning the 10 remaining were feeding well. Still worried she will squish them as she seems to get up and down a lot. Hopefully as they get stronger they can get out the way. Any advice to help ?
I will certainly be getting an ark with a back door in the future as I can see how it helps. Might even prepare a bit in a barn for her.
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Well done all.
Does the ark have farrowing rails? Not much you can do now to change anything. As I said earlier not too much straw. Sows in arks produce a large amount to heat to keep piglets warm. If possible feed her when they have just sucked and going to sleep. That way hopefully they aren't under her feet.
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It has one farrowing rail but not great to be honest....In hindsight I would not use the arc but thats experience for you !
Yes the straw tip was great. We removed a lot from the arc at first and thought it looked quite minimal but after we saw the piglets I realised you meant a lot less !
Fingers crossed the rest thrive :)
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The vast majority of farrowing go well and without any assistance. Only 2% of all the farrowings need intervention so relax.
My tips are
- Watch from a distance if at all possible. First timers and old timers can be upset by people getting too close. That's when they jump up and stand on piglets.
- Keep a walking stick to hand and a pig board. Piglets that have got trapped behind Mum etc can often be hooked out of danger with a stick. Always have a board handy.
- Use a farrowing ark with back door. Escape routes always a good idea.
- Don't use lots of bedding, especially long straw. Piglets get stuck/lost in it. I like shavings. Driers pigets off quickly and they don't get stuck in it.
- She may farrow outside the ark so be aware.
- Piglets need to be kept within the ark initially as they can wander off during farrowing and get lost/cold.
Keep us informed :thumbsup:
Just opening this thread again as we are now sure that our sow is back in pig and wanted to prepare an indoor area for her when the time comes (Due late April).
We have a concrete floored barn with power points for a hung heat lamp and can get her into this area a day or two in advance when she is showing signs. So I wondered what we should do to fully prepare. We plan on having a corner sectioned off by some kind of bar with the heat lamp suspended above that the piglets can get to without risk of crushing. But if she delivers in the opposite corner of the room - will they even make it across or should we be prepared to move the heat lamp / bar etc ?
If anyone can point to a good set up with images then that would be grand.
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They move remarkably well, remarkably early.
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Newborn piglets can move an amazing distance. So once they've had their first feed they look for heat and a place to snooze. Often they can be found asleep on the sows teat.
To keep them in our arks we place fenders on the front. This serves two purposes.One is to keep the piglets in the older and more mobile they get. Second to deter predators from getting in.
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We have a similar set up, concrete floor, bars in the corner protecting a space under a heat lamp. If we are around amd the sow is agreeable to,it we shuffle the first piglet under the heat lamp if it doesnt go there immediatly by itself. They can move ver soon after birth and are very quick to go to the warmest place. Smart little things.
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To add the other side, our sows all farrow in unheated arks. Although we are not free from crushing deaths....
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To add the other side, our sows all farrow in unheated arks. Although we are not free from crushing deaths....
Dig in the sides of the huts/arks with mud and have the main door facing east to try and stop the breeze/wind from blowing into it (most common wind direction for the UK is SW to W winds). We also add 'curtains' to the doors to help stop the breeze getting in. You'll be surprised just how much heat stays n the hut/ark when doing so.
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Indeed, 90% of our arks have the door in the lee of the prevailing winds (mostly to the south, south west here near the south east coast)
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Opening up the post again !
Plum pig was due to farrow this week but we found it too stressful for her to move to barn so left her to farrow in the ark again. She showed no signs last night but this morning at 7am there were 3 piglets feeding away. She is huge so I expected a lot more.....4th one arrived about 9am. Nothing since. She is still lying down but doesn't seem too stressed and her food is gone so I suspect she has been up and about. Have not been able to get a very good look inside ark but......would you think she is done at four ? Very small litter for the size of her and going on previous litter. Have you heard of this long between births ?
Going to ask vets for advice but you guys are super informative !
Good news is all 4 doing great.
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4 piglets in total and mum doing well. Piglets are huge !
I wonder if it was just a dodgy batch of AI this time as previous litters much bigger.
Always get it from Deerpark so usually great quality.