[welshlass181]

So am i feeding her/them to much now?  They've got a lot better since we upped the feeds and when most of them have reached a good weight they're going to slaughter.  It was totally our fault they lost the condition but since we noticed we're doing our best to get them back up to spec and healthy.

[thestephens]

the teats and the expression "like football studs" was my first thought and then how dinky in size she is, hope it happens tonight, im going away for 2 nights and will be away from the computer!!

[welshlass181]

the teats and the expression "like football studs" was my first thought and then how dinky in size she is, hope it happens tonight, im going away for 2 nights and will be away from the computer!!

I've been hoping it "would be tonight" for the last 5 or 6 nights and she seems to be crossing her bloody legs lol going back over in about 30 mins to check on her.  Taking my phone again so i'll try to get some more photos of her to compare hehe

[HappyHippy]

I'm waiting as patiently as I can too 
C'mon piggy, time to pop 

[welshlass181]

Can anybody tell me if i'm overfeeding her now?  Just went back to give her some more pig nuts and to check on her.  I took her a flapjack too which she munched like it was gold lol we got to touch her nose which is progress.  Still very round happy piggie

[Beewyched]

I don't know how much grass you've got, but if the grazing is ok then all my adults get just 1lb a day (of Pot Bellie & Kune nuts), split into 2 feeds & the odd bit of veg/fruit/bread (depending on what's on the "cheapie stand" in Morrisons).

When the gilts/sows get to their last month of pregnancy I change them gradually over to Sow & Weaner & from 3 weeks to go up their feed slowly, with some extra fruit & veg (couple of carrots & an apple/pear/handful of grapes say) untill  a fortnight before she'll be on 3 lbs of nuts a day (over 2 or 3 meals).

Once farrowed then I follow the same feedlines as karen, introducing a little feed to the piglets at 10 days old with tiny chopped fruit & carrots, keeping mum on the Sow & Weaner until the piglets are weaned.  Once weaned the sows go back onto the Pot Bellie & Kune nuts & the piglets are kept on Sow & Weaner until they are 16 weeks.

Try not to worry too much over her, Kunes are great mums & have little, if any, complications.  I wouldn't recommend changing her feed too suddenly, it'll give her the squits & won't be good for her condition at this stage.

Hope she "pops" soon - I've got one due on the 28th of this month (well by the calender - but pigs can't read  )  we'll see who goes first 
 

[welshlass181]

In her pen she has no grazing (and the rest of the field is sketchy hense the hard feed for the rest of them) she has a constant supply of hay and oddles of water and i've been feeding the whole herd up as they lost condition recently.  She has a of a mixture of beat, oats, rolled beans, barley (the rest of the herd has meal mixed in too) and she then has a mixture of powder milk & meal and sow & weaner nuts in the evening.  They've all put weight back on and are looking reasonable .. 1 or 2 of the smaller ones still a bit underweight but they're getting extra food too.  Fingers crossed that she farrows ok.

Question.  Do pigs tend to farrow at night?  Or are they an anytime of day delivery?

[HappyHippy]

In my experience, it's night-time. Think it harks back to the days of preditor -v- prey (it's safer at night) but I'm sure there are plenty of day-time farrowings too  Pigs eh ?! Just like to keep you on your toes 
Lynne,
What's the protien level on the PB/KK mix ?
I'm just thinking that PB are usually higher protien ? But having never bought (or seen) it I've not been able to check  

[welshlass181]

I thought it would be more at night had to ask you guys tho as you know WAY more than i do.  I honestly think that she hasn't been ready to deliver yet as she seems happy in herself, if she was in strong labour and in pain then i would defo know about it  

[Fowgill Farm]

Welshlass
I find my girls normally start to nest and paw and carry straw round about t-time and they start to farrow between 6 & 8 o'clock and it takes a couple of hours, given she is very small i would definetly try to be with her when she farrows as she looks quite small and as robert says she loks like she may have some big piglets inside her in which case she may need your assistance in delivering them as sometimes big piglets take time and effort to get out, when she has had her first one there should be no more than 20 - 30 mins between piglets if there is she may need you to check for a blocker, you will need a very clean hand and gently insert a couple of fingers in her vulva to check for a piglet the wrong way round and then you can help it turn and ease it out. Hopefully you won't need to do this and she'll pop them out all by herself, she does look ginormous in the tummy area, consider cutting her feed back a little as she will find it difficult to farrow with a full tummy, once she's farrowed leave her with her piglets for a few hours and then get her up and out for a very wet feed and a walk around if you have to intervene with your hand she will also need a precautionary antibiotic jab.
Hope all goes well and you know where we are if you need us.
best Mandy 

[welshlass181]

Still no piglets she is still the same happy girl she has been through out.  Thanks Fowgill will read this again tomorrow as i'm pooped today x x

[littlemisspiggy!]

my last lot of piglets was born in the day!!! 1st time ive ever had that,she started at 10am and finished at 8pm!12 piglets...we had to have vet out in the evening with such a long labour as it took it out of her,but shes done really well with them and all are happy and healthy......the main thing i took away from the experience is that i will always be prepared from now on..we were lucky we had lamlac milk powder for the lambs here as the piglets needed milk when mum was to weak to do it! i dont know what we would have done if not? so i will always make sure i have some for the 'just incase' moments we all have!....welshlass181..can you tell her we're all still waiting!!

[Beewyched]

In my experience, it's night-time. Think it harks back to the days of preditor -v- prey (it's safer at night) but I'm sure there are plenty of day-time farrowings too  Pigs eh ?! Just like to keep you on your toes 
Lynne,
What's the protien level on the PB/KK mix ?
I'm just thinking that PB are usually higher protien ? But having never bought (or seen) it I've not been able to check  

 Karen

The PBxKK nuts are 12% with 16% fibre, they state that they are "specially formulated to prevent obesity" - but that depends on who's feeding them 

[Fowgill Farm]

Still waiting here for Twinkle to pop too but she's hanging on, got milk in one teat and her tush is swelling, had me up at 4am this morning with a false alarm thought she was huffing & puffing & straining and nothing happening so dashed out but she was just uncomfortable and too warm i think, it was a warm nite, left her after 1/2 an hour and went back to bed part clothed! thank god for our little telly camera, the only downside of it though is that theres a swallows nest right above it and they don't arf make a bloomin' racket at dawn chorus!!
Looks like another sleepless in fowgill nite tonight!
Mandy 

[lill]

this piggy will have her babies when she is ready, even if we do think she is taking her time hope all goes well for both of you