[loosey]

At what age should I be looking out for Daisy's first season and how might I know?

She's only 5 months right now and growing by the day but I want to make sure I don't miss anything. We are keeping a boar from another litter who is currently 4 months so I want to make sure I know what I'm looking for if and when the deed happens!!

[gavo]

The age a gilt has her first season varies a little with the breed but as a guide anywhere between 6-8 m .Some gilts get a little grumpy; their back end will swell a bit and become redder [not always easy to see the first few times] If in season you can push down on their hip area and they should stand still as if waiting for the boar to mount them.But young females can be a bit irregular in the beginning. Generally we put a gilt to the boar at 12m and just let them run together and let nature take it's course;the actual event can be rather noisy at times the gilt can often give a high pitch squel when being served the first time. If you're not about to witness the event the gilt will have a white mucousy plug for 12-24 hours after the event .

Hope that helps.

[loosey]

Sounds lovely! Thanks very much!

Approx how often should she be coming into season?

[Hilarysmum]

Every three weeks.

[Fowgill Farm]

As gavo says it varies form gilt to gilt. You probably won't notice it so much until she's about 7 or 8 months old and shouting for a boyfriend  She'll have a red and swollen tush (its what we call it!) and will stand solid when pressure is put on her back.
I personally wouldn't be sending her to the boar until she's about 9 or 10 months old. HTH

[loosey]

She's a very vocal pig! She creams her head off if you don't give her her morning tummy rub!

From what I'm picking up I should move her out pretty soon then to avoid any unplanned teen pregnancies then?!

I can set her and Tulip up next door together and then my young boar will have a paddock of his own once the others go off in December 

[daniellestocks]

A good sign with ours without close inspections is when the girls mount each other