[Jonah by nature]

Hi, after Bunty  my first time mum has successfully reared my piglets to 7 weeks I’m thinking about weaning. They’ve come on leaps and bounds and have been eating weaner pellets from a very early age. Now they are , let’s just say “of a size” and are eating in excess of 1lb of pig nuts each plus lots of supplementary veg. Mother is getting very fed up of them and I personally think it’s time to separate them ...But how ? Do I  just separate them from mum in their own separate area away from her or is it a gradual thing. Sorry to sound dumb , but on this subject I am?

[harmony]

Take the sow away from the weaners not the other way. Put the sow somewhere very secure and well away from her piglets. Reduce her feed. Leave weaners where they were so they are subject to least stress possible and make sure they can't get out and go looking for the sow. Yes, just do it not gradually.

[alang]

Basically what Harmony said.

[Jonah by nature]

Hi, many thanks for the advice. Can move her no problem but her accommodation will not be out of sight of the piglets. Their paddock is very secure(post and wire fenced with barbed wire at the base and electric) ....  will the fact they can  see each other cause stress. They’ll not be next to each other but mum will be about 50 ft away across a track and grassed area. It’s the best I can do! It is on a slope  with fences in between so the line of sight is not so direct.?

[harmony]

Someone once told me that pig accommodation should be capable of keeping water in. I personally think that when you wean any animals the dam and the offspring should be neither in the sight line or hearing distance from each other. It sounds like your piglets will be secure but sows can move mountains to get where they want. She will be especially keen to get back to her piglets whilst she has a full milk bar and is uncomfortable. You also got to persuade her to where you want her.

[Jonah by nature]

Hi , thanks for the advice . Thankfully mums intended accommodation is a small horse starvation paddock that is as secure as the piglets. The paddock they’re in at the mo is divided in two with the ark in the middle. There are doors at both ends and are opened or closed depending on which half is in use. Use it as a kinda strip grazing thing ...one side recovers whilst the other is in use. Looks like I’ll have to sacrifice my lush top end to get them further away from mum. I’m sure they’ll love it , still living in their ark but with the door opened at the other end and an area I seeded late August with a pig forage mix that I was hoping to preserve til a bit later in the year.
I’m keeping a couple of weaners for us, can I keep them with her ... Thinking of easing the discomfort  re the milk bar when the others are separated and of course a bit of company.

[harmony]

Once you have weaned you need to dry the sow off completely. Keeping the weaners and sow together presents feeding problems. They can all be fed on sow and weaner food but obviously need very different amounts. Sows separated from their litter don't always welcome them back with relish. What are your plans for the sow? And the rest of the litter?

[Jonah by nature]

Sorry for the late reply. Phew! All went well mother went back into the paddock with her sister with a very minor skirmish but settled down within the hour. No need for the purple spray . Piglets settled down well too with no issues. All went far better than expected. All were sold and ready to go the week before Christmas until a guy let me down leaving me with 3 boars. Now pretty much impossible to sell due to Covid! So it looks like I’m extending some space to accommodate them ..... Good news is the GOS x Welsh is turning out to be a good mix .. VERY strong and fast growing!