[Tricky Trev]

our OSB has had 5 piglets today but has rejected them she lets them feed but if they go near her face she attacks them had to get vet out tonight to check that she had any piglets left and to treat 2 piglets she had bitten he has given her stesscill but it doesent seem to have made any difference he has left me one more dose to give her later on i have had to fence piglets in creep area with heat lamp any advice would very much appreciated

[Roxy]

Is this her first litter?  Sometimes animals are a bit shellshocked, to see babies, and it takes a little time for the maternal instinct to kick in.  Although if is allowing them to feed, thats something!!

[SMarshall]

Oh that's really sad. I can't advise on the sow's biting, hopefully someone else will have some ideas.

We've had to put trays (like round pub trays) of formula milk down for a couple of litters recently and they've taken to it well, should you need to do it. We've made sure they got some forumla on their snouts so they've had to lick it off and that's been enough to get the lapping milk up. Definitely couldn't have bottle fed 13 OSBs!

Hopefully she settles into motherhood and relaxes with the piglets.

Fingers crossed.
Steph

[Tricky Trev]

Yes its hers and ours   she had first at 10.30 and last 2.30 but she had 3 inside stable and 2 out side wasn't sure if she had any left inside her so phoned for vet as she had not parted with afterbirth  he tried to do internal with out success so gave her something to assist her to part with whatever was left inside vet got there at 7.30 what i carnt understand is she parted with 5 birth sacks which i saved to show vet and he says they were part of after birth

[HappyHippy]

It would have been Oxytocin to get the womb to contract and help deliver the rest of the afterbirth 

I haven't used stresnil on my pigs, but I do have 2 that get fairly stressy and uptight - a couple of cans of sweetheart stout (or guiness, or similar) helps them chill out both before and after farrowing (I look at it as being the equivalent of gas & air in us humans, whereas stresnil is more like pethadine  )

It sounds like being a first time mum has freaked her out a bit (understandably so) but OSB's are normally really good mum's so hopefully she'll have settled down a bit this morning and be starting to get the idea 

Keep us posted and congratulations on your litter 

[Mrs Snoodles]

Poor you and poor mum and poor piglets      
If they are feeding, then sleeping safely in the creep area under a lamp then that is what they do anyway after a few days.  Are you having to lift them over though for feed times, then put them back?

I got some Colgate litter care produced by Nettex for my 2 small piglets. It seems to have helped brilliantly, just to make sure they were keeping up with the other. A few squirts a day basically into piglets mouths.  It is like a kickstart basically.  Just wondering whether this would be any good, if you thought the piglets were lagging.   Do you also have a bottle and some replacement milk (powder) to hand, just in case?...although if you can get away with them drinking from trays that would be alot easier.

Hope  your girl settles down for you soon.

[Fowgill Farm]

Farrowing is always a steep, exhausting, nerve wracking learning curve and so this is for you so    Know how you feel as been thro this too so some hard work ahead.
If you can keep her in with her piglets albeit them in the creche area, from time to time she'll go and sniff at them, gilts can be very shell shocked at giving birth (it stings a bit ) so she may gradually calm down, its going to take a lot of time but it will need two people one of you to calm her stoke her and generally sooth (nb pig board at ready just in case) and the other to latch the piglets on to feed, ready to scoop them up if she turns, gradually she should start to accept them, in the meantime if you think the piglets are hungry you could try a baking tray of formula milk (we use diluted SMA Gold baby milk) keep up this regime until she gets used to them and is calling them to feed of her own accord.
Belive me it WILL be worth it.
HTH
mandy
 

[Mrs Snoodles]

Hope all is going better for you 

[Tricky Trev]

well we have finally got her sorted i gave her another shot off strescil the vet had left early morning  let piglets out for feed and she was fine did 2more suppervised feeds before leaving her to it. T his morning they were running all over stablesthe injured ones are fine and shes eating and drinking OK just waiting for the big vet bill to drop through letter box but its all been worth it seeing them running about today thanks to you all for advice and will try to get some photos on later

[Mrs Snoodles]

Brilliant news that all is settling down for you.
Enjoy your piglets, you will be amazed how quickly they grow and start to become so inquisitive and boisterous. happy times 

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

Glad all is calm and well now  .

Used Stresnil once on a sow, not for farrowing it was for another reason, found it didnt help at all. If they are aleady stressed it doesnt calm them down. From our experience i wouldnt bother trying it again!

[woollyval]

In the past I have tried beer....sounds daft but a couple of pints of Guiness can calm a stressed pig like nothing else  and they love beer! 

[mattjen]

The way i had it explained to me when i first started on a unit was that the gilt relates the pain to the piglets so if she gets the piglets then she wont have the pain again,fingers crossed for her next litter!

[Fowgill Farm]

Glad to hear all is well Trev, as MattJen says always a traumatic experience for a gilt, she should be much better next time mind you saying that we have one sow who has a fanny fit when the first piglet is born and then settles down and is a great mum.
Hope all continue to thrive.
Mandy