[hogies]

Recently I posted about our Saddle Back sow that died on her due date which was a bit of a mystery as to what wen on.

We have now got a Large White sow who has farrowed once before, we are hoping her being a proven mum will make for a smoother farrowing.

Red is sue on 6th January 2013 but would love some advice on what to look out for as we are a bit anxious after our recent loss.

I have been told mixed opinions about inducing from different breeders I have talked to. One breeder in articular induces her pigs if they have not farrowed within 1hr of getting the milk in. While other breeders never induce.

Would love to get anyone's opinions on what to look out for and signs of struggles. We have all the housing sorted with a hut with creep rails etc for when they piglets arrive.

Thanks,

[kja]

first thing spend time with her get to know her and her you she will need to trust you and visa versa.

never induced a pig nature is a wonderful thing.

[HappyHippy]

Spend a lot of time with her as kja says, rub her belly and just generally get to know her - it'll make spotting the signs a lot easier 
Her udder will start to bag up anything up to a month beforehand, so should be starting to look a bit more developed than normal now. From 2 weeks before her vulva will start to swell, looks like they're in season, but doesn't go after 3-4 days. The milk comes in anything up to 24 hours before farrowing (though we've had colostum from up to a week before) but when it gets to the 'spurting' stage (the slightest touch to the teats has milk coming out) labour is usually less than 24 hours away.
We've used oxytocin on a couple of older sows to help the womb contract (after farrowing problems with their previous litter), but it wasn't given til after the first piglet was born and with a young sow you shouldn't need to worry about it.
Remember to have a couple of cans of stout/guiness/beer on hand to help if she starts to get stressed.

Once she starts farrowing, piglets will arrive roughly 30 minutes apart, I always stay with them when they farrow. Clean the piglets when they come out and either put them under the lamp or onto a teat depending on how mum is. If it gets to over an hour between piglets or it looks like she's in distress then you might have to check her - sometimes all it takes is making sure she gets up and changes sides but other times you might need to go in and rescue a stuck piglet (properly clean hands, lubricant and an anti-biotic jag afterwards if you do)
HTH
Karen 

[Fowgill Farm]

Hi Hogies agree with all said by KJA & HH.
I already posted a link to the GOS website about farrowing on your other post so have a read of that.
It is understandable that you are anxious, i have never heard anything as ridiculous as inducing a pig, utter rubbish, thats for convenience of humans not the pigs and is probably by someone based with a commercial background. Let nature take its course as mentioned before; it acts in strange but often miraculous ways.
Hopefully it will be all straightforward and as you are in the middle of summer make sure your girl is well hydrated and has cool shade.
Best of luck
mandy
ps please send some New Zealand sunshine to us its bollock freezing here!

[hogies]

Thanks for the tips...Lets hope she doesn't need the Guinness so I can enjoy a pint afterwards!

No sunshine here at the moment just rain but I am loving the rain as it has been dry and the water tanks were getting low.

[pin]

Our Large Black sow farrowed 11 gorgeous piglets on Saturday but her milk didn't come in until they started to suckle.
She was 3 days late and the only sign anything was about to happen was frantic nestbuilding and restlessness from 24 hours prior then a discharge 30 minutes before farrowing.She didn't go off her food at all either

[hughesy]

Our saddleback, Daisy, showed no signs whatsoever apart from being obviously heavily in pig. No milk, no nesting or anything. Left her last thing at night and when I came back in the morning it was all over. Pigs are individuals no two are the same I think you just have to go with the flow.

[cleopatra]

commercial farmers inject the pigs to bring them into labour at a certain time, ie 12 hrs after injection when staff are present. having sat up all night in winter for farrowing, i can understand why! is this what you mean by inducing? it would be v unlucky to have problems again but being present at farrowing saves the life of many a piglet, especially the last ones out who can need a bit a help to breath.