Author Topic: Pre farrowing gilt looking a bit stiff in the legs (Read 4214 times)

Mrs Snoodles · « **on:** November 22, 2012, 06:52:55 pm »

Worry time

. Sorry to pester but Id hate to overlook something in ignornace:( )

My lovely large black Bess gilt doesn't seem terribly steady on her legs. She's not falling ver or anything like that, she just seems a bit uncomfortable on them. Her gait is not as fluid as it was. She is eating and drinking, pooing and peeing etc. She loved her 10 min massage this morning.

Is it just the weight gain? Or do I need to think about other potential problems and try and sort? She seems stiff.

She was outside on grass/mud but has now come into the lean to area on concrete. She has plenty of straw.

She is due her injections ...erysipelas and ivomec. Should I give her these?

Worry worry worry.... Any advice received with mega thanks x

RaisinHall Tamworths · « **Reply #1 on:** November 22, 2012, 07:00:54 pm »

Could it be the concrete that is making her feel her feet a bit? Ours are a bit steady after they come in from the field due to the change in ground.
How close is she to farrowing?

colliewoman · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2012, 07:28:25 pm »

Dunno if it can happen with piggers but has she got sore boobies? That can make things walk stiffly, trying to swing the legs away from teats/udders.
Hope she's ok

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2012, 08:06:11 pm »

We popped the boar in with all 3 of our large black gilts at the same time and left him in for over a month. Old school style! (I'm going to date next time) from 17th Nov earliest basically.
She is big but her teats are not swollen enough and she needs to drop more....I don't think it is her teats CW.

I felt her feet this morning and she didn't pull back or anything so I can't imagine it is her feet. I will try again tomorrow and shine a torch on them , just to make sure there is nothing wrong with them. I hope it is simply just her feeling them. Maybe I should put some more straw down.....

Thanks for your replies. I'm sure over time you see this sort of thing and don't think twice. I've never had any problems with any of my pigs so I m a bit green......

Fowgill Farm · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2012, 08:11:49 pm »

Ours sometimes suffer from a thing called scald when they come in from pasture(mud) to concrete. A spray of terramycin between the toes normally sorts it out, its when they go from having very wet feet to dry conditions. She may also be feeling the weight of her preganancy given she is only a gilt so long as all other main functions are fine just keep an eye on her as you would any gilt due to farrow as sometimes small gilts need help (one of ours needed a hand with all the 6 piglets she farrowed they were so huge and she was small!) hope all goes well
mandy

RaisinHall Tamworths · « **Reply #5 on:** November 22, 2012, 09:09:54 pm »

Dont vaccinate for ery if shes in last couple of weeks of pregnancy

. It can cause a rise in temperature so you dont want to risk any problems

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #6 on:** November 23, 2012, 07:48:56 am »

Thanks for that

I'll hold off then on the vaccinations for now. I'll grab some spray and give it a go over the weekend. She likes to stick her legs out and up when I give her a belly massage so I should be able to administer it fairly easily

kja · « **Reply #7 on:** November 23, 2012, 08:22:27 am »

i am a big believer in keeping in pig gilts and sows active they can get stiff in the legs when laying about or change of flooring which is not good after farrowing as they can become clumsy.

we walk ours around the yard for about 20 mins each time ............. piggy natal

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2012, 10:50:40 am »

...had crossed my mind too. I will give it a go at the weekend. My husband is a bit nervous about doing this sort of thing...it is nit a closed yard and not that far from the Market gardeners plot

so it will take some convincing.

kja · « **Reply #9 on:** November 23, 2012, 11:07:49 am »

we show so all ours a trained to board and stick makes life easy.

maybe a think to put on your future to do list train all breeding stock so much easier when you can move your animals when and where you want in a calm controlled manner.

they soon pick it up we brought a stud boar in august never been handled since then he has been shown (and won reserve champion) and done public display of one man and his pig as such he is a joy to work with.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #10 on:** November 23, 2012, 01:00:30 pm »

I'd also agree that training them (maybe not neccessarily for showing) but at least to walk with the board makes life so much easier. If it's your Large Black she's unlikely to think much of escaping (can't see where she's going because of her ears

) and she's not likely to go off and running being heavily pregnant and all (there's always one though

)
Take her at feed time and she'll follow the rattling bucket round then back to her pen to feed her

We notice all ours take a day or so to adjust to coming in from the field onto concrete, so you could be worrying yourself silly for nothing mrs - hope she's improving ?
HTH
Karen x

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2012, 01:02:19 pm »

I've been challenged to put our pigs on a whistle.

I train gun dogs so know the basics and pigs are intelligent so maybe it is possible... Boards sound a he'll of alot easier though! We got some really funky ones, with showing in mind, but now just have make the time to do it.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #12 on:** November 23, 2012, 01:09:29 pm »

Interesting

Pigs are smarter than dogs, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

It doesn't have to be a huge effort to start training, just start taking a board into the pen with you at feed times and use it to shuffle her round - she'll soon get the idea. Don't go for any kind of intensive work til after she's weaned the piglets, she'll be too focused on them to concentrate I think (I've never train a sow who has a litter, so maybe I'm wrong though)
The stick is only to move her along (important in the show ring) but if you're moving her round at home she'll probably walk without the stick and you'll just need to give her a couple of taps on the rump to get her moving if she does stop. Keep the board down below her eye level and just at the side of her head, keep up with her as she moves so you can 'steer' her and away you go

Oh and if you do decide to train them to the whistle, you've GOT to post a video, that would be great

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2012, 01:00:03 pm »

I put loads of straw down and covered all the concrete. BINGO!!! Instant success, she stomping around beautifully. bless her, she really didn't like that cold hard stuff. Princess Twinkle Toes is now a very happy pig. I can only imagine how gigantic her nest is going to be.....we've ended up using 4 bales.