[P6te]

Thanks Liz .... was writing whilst you posted your reply.
Pete

[P6te]

Here are photos of Elsie taken this morning ....







so ... pregnant or not pregnant??

[HappyHippy]

Did you buy her as an in-pig gilt or sow ?
It looks (to me) like she's got the udder of a sow ?
 
I notice with mine that they get a definate diagonal line down the side of them (you might be able to see it in these photos - the pig in the background is the one who was pregnant (both sows)
3rd February would give you a date of Friday past, assuming 116 days - it's not impossible that she'll go 120 days    So I would hang off just a few days more before mixing, though I'd expect her vulva to be a bit more puffy if farrowing was imminent 
 
Do you have a vet or a local sheep farmer with a doppler probe, you can check using that to see if she is or not - or hang on just another week before mixing her........just to be on the safe side 
HTH
Karen

[P6te]

Thank you Karen .... we bought her as an in pig sow. She had her first litter (a litter of 6 we were informed) last year.  I will certainly wait until the end of this week before mixing her.
Pete

[Berkshire Boy]

Hi Pete,
agree with Karen about giving her a bit longer but must admit she doesn't look pregnant, difficult to tell in photos but she is certainly not round as you would expect.
It does sound like she came into season especially as the boar was taking an interest. At least you now know when her next season will be and you can put her in with the boar.

[Tamsaddle]

That's strange - my book says service on 3 February equates with farrowing on 29 May (this coming Tuesday, not last Friday).  However this year the tables have to be adjusted by one day for a leap year, so I reckon the correct day should have been today, Monday 28 May - Tamsaddle

[P6te]

Hi Tamsaddle,
3rd of February is the date (we were told) she was take away from the boar, its the 27th January we were told the deed was done.
Pete

[robert waddell]

it does not look like anything has suckeled on her
i have my doubts as to it being 100% osb    but that is just from the pics  and pics only give an indication
some pigs are just not fertile and many a good boar has been dispached because the sow is not holding and it works the other way as well

[HappyHippy]

That's strange - my book says service on 3 February equates with farrowing on 29 May (this coming Tuesday, not last Friday).  However this year the tables have to be adjusted by one day for a leap year, so I reckon the correct day should have been today, Monday 28 May - Tamsaddle

Duh, yes 
I counted 16 weeks from 3rd Feb - assumed Friday and added 4 days thinking that 16 weeks was exactly 116 days    It's not - it's 112 
 
 

[Fowgill Farm]

In the pics you show of her she doesn't look very pregnant to be due in a few days time. However i have a sow (big girl) who never really shows until the last fortnight when things start to drop. If she were due to drop this week i would have expected her back end to be more swollen and slackening off and for her undercarriage to be very visible drooping. I would be tempted to put her near to the boar not necessarily in with him and see if he comes sniffing.
HTh
mandy 

[dixie]

No obvious signs to me either, but if the latest mating date was 3rd feb that would give a due date of 29 may, then allowing for a week late I'd rather be safe than sorry, and keep her alone for another week, then instead of putting her in with the sow put her in with the boar, as if it was a heat last week, then you'll be in time to catch her next one.
Agree with Liz, not all sows just cat fight and get over it, I've got 2 that literally hate each other, it never settles and I no longer attempt to put them together! But mostly once a pecking order is established the dust settles.

[P6te]

Thanks Dixie,

She will certainly be on her own for a bit longer at least but their really is absolutely no sign whatsoever of her being pregnant.  She does (sometimes) lie for a belly rub but again no sign of piglets ... we really have written off any idea of her being pregnant now.

Regarding putting her in with the boar, our 'boar' is still only 19 weeks so we have quite a few months to wait until he is anything approaching big enough for Elsie!!

Our thinking at the moment is now we have her, and previous owner will not take her back, we will look to get her in better shape (loose a few pounds) and then try AI now DeerPark have OSB.  We won't wait too long, if she really does not take then it would have to be a differnet course of action ....

Many thanks to EVERYONE who has replied to this ...

Pete

[jellybean]

Following on from my previous post (re http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=23757.0) our sow is NOT pregnant (that’s another story and something we are going to peruse).  However, whilst we resolve that we now have a run taken up and I'm looking to move pigs around.
 I am proposing to put Elsie (the not pregnant sow) who is 3 years old in a run with Shallot (11 month Gilt) - both are OSB's. They have been in adjacent runs separated by pig netting for 3 weeks. The question is, should we be ok to put them together or will they fight?
 Many thanks
 Pete

If they weigh much the same and appear to be much the same size...... then yes.     make sure you have some feed in the pen  when you do it   short of that a dose of  Stresnil or some cans of beer will settle the nerves send them to sleep and they will wake the best of friends..

[P6te]

Thank you ... Elsie (right) is a bit bigger than Shallot, the photo was taken soon after they first 'met.  Beer sounds a good idea ... one last thing I have thought of, would I be right in saying it is best not to introduce them when one is in / coming into season? (Shallot is due in a few days).

[Fowgill Farm]

if shallot is due in season she might bring Elsie on too but they will fight as Elsie being bigger and older will want to be boss, be ready with the wound powder as there'll be skin hair and handbags for a few hours, best do it at feeding time and make sure big enuff area for shallot to get out of way will probably refuse to sleep together initially but hopefully will settle soon.
Mandy
ps saying that i have two sows who hate each other have done since they were gilts and under no circumstances will they go together.