[moch pyg]

We've had our first ever litter of Berkshires - just 6 - and we've reached weaning time.  It's the 8th week since they were born and Harriet (the Mum) has lost some weight and could do with a bit of a rest.  We've said goodbye to Harriet's sister so we have just the Mum and 6 piglets, with a buyer lined up for 2 of them.

We've decided to keep one daughter to breed from and we're thinking of moving her and her Mum away into another pen, so weaning 5 piglets immediately but allowing something more gradual with the 1.  Is this a good idea?  Would it be better to completely wean all 6, even though that means Harriet being on her own for a few weeks, and then put the 1 gilt back in with her?  Given the difference in size we're worried that the unrecognised gilt would be in danger from her Mum.  But then, would seeing 1 piglet instead of 6 be really stressful for Harriet, more so than taking them all away?

Has anyone else ever tried this?   

[nelson]

  We left a Berkshire weaner with mum last September for various good reasons (so we thought) - I wouldn't do it again. Mum got fat eating the food for 2.



I now take the sow as far away as I can - sounds like Harriet would enjoy some down time. Is she going back to the boar?
You have a buyer lined up for 2 - going to keep one for future breeding - what about meat for yourselves - 3 Berkies do not take much room in the freezer. Your new gilt will have company then. However I wouldn't put her back with the sow. Pen them next to each other if you can.


I always find this stage of the breeding difficult - but when I see the sow tossing the piglets sky high  I know that it is time to wean them all. Anyway that was my experience.

[moch pyg]

There is no boar - A.I. worked for us and would be our preference next time too.  The books talk about a litter every 6 months for each sow but we reckon every 8 months would work better for us - we have limited land and wet Welsh weather means frequent rotation.  So I think we'd aim to get Harriet back in pig in about November, just after the piglets we've fattened go to the abattoir.

Wouldn't it be a bit sad having mother and daughter in separate pens over the winter instead of cuddling up at night in the same ark?

I take the point about feeding being awkward though over the next few months if Mum and duaghter are together.     

[nelson]

Wouldn't it be a bit sad having mother and daughter in separate pens over the winter instead of cuddling up at night in the same ark?

Of course - and I would be thinking the same so what works for you especially if space is an issue.


I think for me it was the weight issue as I wanted to get "Ruby" in pig again soon and worried that an overweight sow would have difficulty.  She would rob "Tuesday" of her food.  They are now separated - that was hard. Ruby went to the boar and is now in pig.  Tuesday has been introduced to another sow - slowly.
Would be interesting to see what others have done with mum and daughter.

[Tamsaddle]

We always end up building a small enclosure (about 2 metres x 2 metres) within the pen, and train the younger pig/s to go in and eat their food in there separately.   It does mean having to wait and supervise mum not pushing her way in, having gulped her own food down in a trice, but eventually the sows get the idea and give up trying.   We definitely think it is worth the effort so that all the pigs can then spend the rest of the 24 hours a day together.   My current de-luxe model is made of metal crowd control barriers lashed onto trees where possible, with barbed wire along the bottom rail to stop the sows lifting up the panels, and a neat little doorway made of 2 x 4 timber through which a piglet/weaner can pass but not a sow.   Works a treat.   Tamsaddle

[princesspiggy]

we kept a solitary weaner back recently. they were weaned inside for a week before leaving then the weaner went back out wi his mum, she was dry and they still knew eachother as he tried to suckle.
no trouble.

[HappyHippy]

We've weaned litters and then put one, two or all of the piglets back in with mum after her milk has dried up - it works fine for us. You do need to be careful that mum's not pinching all the food - but having a seperate bowl for mum and feeding the youngsters further away from her helps too 
Karen 

[moch pyg]

Thank you all for the help.  As beginners it's nice to know we're not totally off the wall.  I hated the idea that after we'd said goodbye to most of these piglets we'd have two lonely pigs in separate pens.  Now we'll use these ideas to make sure that doesn't happen.