[princesspiggy]

congrats. what r ur plans for the piglets?

[Tamsaddle]

You have all been amazing, and the kind things you have said have really cheered me up!   Good to hear from BB that his gilts who had small litters to start with went on to have good sized ones later.    Now for a good night's sleep for me!    Will sex them tomorrow, then think about their future once they have got through the first few days & nights OK  -  Tamsaddle

[Victorian Farmer]

Fantastic

[SallyintNorth]

Beautiful - and HUGE, aren't they? 

My Meg (OSB) had 5 in her first litter (AI to the Saddleback, useless on the foreplay and only managed to get her to stand one time - but I was very happy to have 5 for her and my first litter!  ); they were a good size and grew like Topsy - they were ready to wean at 5 weeks (though I didn't), the boars were butched at 5 months, mine was just under 56kg deadweight and not fat at all.  The gilts are still growing, I am hoping to keep them fairly lean and get lots more bacon 

[HappyHippy]

A perfect picture of piggy bliss 
They do look like they're gonna get pretty big, pretty quick 

[Blonde]

Sadly, (or perhaps not), I think it is all over, as when I went out again she had expelled two, separate, but very small afterbirths - tiny compared with last year's ones, but then if you were growing only one piglet per horn I suppose one should expect a small sized afterbirth.   They both look normal and intact and there are definitely no stillborn/dead piglets amongst the stuff.   She meanwhile is now lying with a completely soft relaxed belly, no more quiverying or contractions or pushing, with the two little piggies sucking for all they are worth.    Even though the two babies look fine and healthy, it is nevertheless extremely disappointing only getting two piglets - I have never heard of such a small litter ever, and of course makes the cost of this breeding pig astronomical if she cannot produce a reasonable sized litter.    I must say I had been worried for days she would have a small or no litter - she just wasn't big enough or bagged up the same as the two pigs were last year.    If pigs start off like this with a tiny first litter, is it likely to be the same in future litters?   If so it will be completely uneconomic keeping her, which will be quite devastating as she is so beautiful.    I cannot think of any reason why this should have happened - she appeared to have a normal pregnancy after her AI, has not been ill or ever off her feed - just very small in her belly towards the end of her time.    All the same, I must try and remain positive and thankful that we at least have two live piglets and what looks like, now, a perfectly normal sow who does not need any intervention.

In the meantime, her Saddleback companion who is now due on Sunday instead of Monday, is looking absolutely enormous and has bagged up to almost ground level.    If perchance she were to have a very large litter (she had 10 last year), more than could fit on the teats, is it ever possible to foster a few out to Rhubarb, the Tamworth, to make use of all her 14 milky teats?   

Thank you so much Mandy for your rapid response - Tamsaddle

small first litter  sows should be culled.  Also those that have a big litter and lay on them all should also be culled.  Might seem hard but feed is not free and neither is your time. The space is better used by a sow that works that space by having  a big litter and then bringing them through.  That is they way I work and I don't farrow in crates....... but out in pallet huts with tin on the top and the sides.

[Tamsaddle]

Very interesting reply Blonde, but incredibly depressing as well.    We won't decide immediately what to do with our Tamworth sow, but if we do give her a second chance and she produces a tiny litter again that will have to be it - as you say, feed is very pricey.   I "cost" my piglets by dividing the sow's costs between the number of viable piglets - that is from the sow's birth or previous weaning date all the way through to the end of the current litter's weaning date - plus the piglet's own feed and other costs.  With 10 or more piglets it works out fairly cheap per piglet, with only two piglets the costs are plain silly, and one could never make up the loss, either selling them as weaners, or for meat later on.   Making a profit on the pigs is not primarily the reason I keep them - I just love having them, but nevertheless unless one is awash with spare cash, which I'm not, one cannot endlessly ignore the bitter reality of the bank balance.    I have now checked the dam and grand dam's breeding histories, and all of them had 8-8, 9-9, or 10-10 litters, so it is presumably not a genetic problem.  What a conundrum - Tamsaddle

[Berkshire Boy]

No conundrum in my opinion, you have to give her the chance of another litter. As you AI'd her it may be your technique not her fault.

[Tamsaddle]

So hope you're right BB.   Next time I will try flushing with extra feed to encourage increased egg release, nudging, stimulation and everything else, or even better, see if I can find her a boar.  That would overcome one other major problem - coming into heat on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, but not being absolutely sure whether to order semen on Friday or wait till Monday.    So much more convenient if they come on heat on Wednesdays to Saturdays - if only.    Tamsaddle

[robert waddell]

blonde is an Australian commercial pig farmer  they are enjoying good prices for pork just now so numbers really do matter
the vast majority of posters on here want to get away from the commercialism of pigs and one downside is small litters even if there actions  are the reason for the small litters i would still give her another chance and i would say i am one of the most realistic pig people 

[HappyHippy]

I agree with Robert - give her another go (and a boar would be the best choice) 
It's important to remember we're talking about traditional rare breed pigs here (compared to Blonde's commercial crosses, which are by their nature bred to produce high litter numbers which in turn grow very quick and lean) one of the reason these breeds are now rare is because they don't deliver the same numbers/profit margin as the commercial breeds and have fallen out of favour with almost all commercial porducers. They take longer to grow, are better suited to outdoor production methods (truth be told, I think they need the outdoor set up to flourish) and cost more to raise, but what you lose in quantity, you gain in quality.
Karen

[SMarshall]

One of our Mangalitzas only delivered one live piglet in her first litter (with sadly a couple of still born), her second litter four weeks ago produced eight (the largest quantity we've had from a Mangalitza) alive and kicking piglets who are all doing well.

Worth the second attempt I'd say.
Steph

[Polished Arrow]

They look gorgeous - plump and healthy - to me. 
And what a breakfast table there is laid out for them    How many teats does Rhubarb have?