Author Topic: Pig farrowing outside (Read 2684 times)

Tamsaddle · « **on:** April 29, 2013, 11:19:12 am »

My bonkers Saddleback sow, who is now 2 days late farrowing, is currently emptying large mouthfuls of straw and hay from her ark and building a nest just behind the ark. Presumably she is intending to have them outdoors. At least it is a fine dry day today, but there is a cool wind and I don't want any newborn piglets chilling themselves too much. At what point after the birth, if this goes ahead outside within the next few hours, should I pick them up and transfer them inside the ark and into the warm creep area? I don't want to cause too much upset to Rosie, but I also don't want her leaving/taking them outside again until they are at least a few days old. Oh dear, this is quite a new one for me - any advice appreciated. Tamsaddle

Berkshire Boy · « **Reply #1 on:** April 29, 2013, 11:30:16 am »

Difficult to know really depends on the sow. I had one that did the same and we scooped the piglets up and put them in the ark but could not get her to go in. In the end we had to put them back and a few days later she hurded them into the ark herself. She will do what she thinks is best, I would just keep an eye on them and leave it up to her. Good luck.

Tudful Tamworths · « **Reply #2 on:** April 29, 2013, 01:45:36 pm »

Is there any way you can build something around her as a wind-break - with straw bales or something? I should imagine she will have dug a hollow for herself and the piglets. I wouldn't bother trying to move the piglets if she does farrow outside this week. Just stuff her ark with fresh straw and put her food inside. May tempt her in. Good luck x

Tamsaddle · « **Reply #3 on:** April 29, 2013, 02:00:10 pm »

I had been thinking about building a sort of windbreak/outside creep area this morning as she heaves lumps of straw backwards and forwards, but thought in the end she would probably destroy whatever I provided. At one point she was kicking in the small back door of the ark I had installed to stop baby piglets falling out (the previous 2 litters were born inside), and she became very fierce and aggressive when I approached the ark to remove it, unlike earlier on today when she couldn't have been friendlier. But a straw windbreak is a very good idea, and possibly when she's had them later on it might be a little easier to get near her. Thanks for the input

On separate subject, have sent you a PM about your weaners - Tamsaddle

Tamsaddle · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2013, 12:10:54 pm »

Phew, our newborn piglets have at least survived the first night outside; in the end it was reasonably warm and completely still. Liz's straw bale windbreak was a brilliant idea and made the outside area much cosier and ideal now that the wind has got up again. 10 alive, 2 of them very small, and sadly 3 stillbirths. Apart from the coldness, it is an awful muddle pigs having outdoor nests. Unlike the nice, smooth, flat floor inside the ark, it is great mountains of (by the morning) soggy straw with miniscule piglets scrambling up the hillsides then rolling down to the bottom just when Mum is about to lie down again. There were several near misses on squashing last night, but this morning they are a bit more spritely and squeaking very loudly if sat on.

Another fascinating thing I learned last night. The two born last, 3.5 and 4 hours after the start, both survived unlike the three before that had drowned during delivery and had no heartbeat or chance of restarting them when they came out. The difference in the last two was that they were both fully encased in unpunctured afterbirth, and that must have been what allowed those to come out fully functioning, unlike the three before with only a thinnish membrane round them.

Well at least birthing outdoors gives much better photo opportunities. Three pics from this morning, at approx 12 hours old, attached. Many thanks for the two replies; as a result I decided not to lift or force them indoors, but have re-strawed the ark floor as Liz suggested, and just hope they will go back in sometime. Tamsaddle