Author Topic: URGENT ADVICE for NEW PIGLETS (Read 2264 times)

zackyb · « **on:** May 01, 2013, 09:39:28 pm »

Hi - I have 9 new Mangalitza piglets - born yesterday all perfect and healthy and gorgeous. Two are very very small though, whilst the rest or medium to big. The two smallest are having difficulty feeding - one more than the other so I have been giving them milk and cream mixed and also electrolite mix to supplement. They can and do suckle from Mum but get knocked off easily so are not thriving.

I was thinking of taking them out and hand feeding them for a week or so to get their strength and weight up, but am worried Mum / others may reject them when I put them back.

Any advice much appreciated please.

Thanks very much

Herdygirl · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2013, 11:12:42 pm »

Hi Zaky

i will be honest i don't have pigs but in my experience if you take away young animals from their mothers, she will rarely take them back. BUT in a litter, to my way of thinking, she might not realise that 2 have been put back in the equation. i would take them away, feed them for a week, and then try to get them back in to the 'family'. it can't hurt and its just you doing your best.

Good luck

OhLaLa · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2013, 11:59:51 pm »

Have you considered supplementing the milk by bottle feeding rather than removing the piglets?

More info here:

http://www.countrysmallholding.com/features-pigs-piglets-in-clover--212513

Took some searching but found this for you re returning runt piglets to the litter:

If the runt is growing quickly and thriving, you can attempt to return it to the sow after a few days of bottle feeding. Often the sow will reject the piglet, so it is imperative that the piglet and sow are monitored closely when attempting to reunite them. If you are able to reunite the piglet with the sow, it is a good idea to leave the runt with the sow after the other piglets have been weaned to allow it to acquire additional nutrition.

http://www.ehow.com/how_8650776_feed-runt-pig.html

Hope this helps.

benkt · « **Reply #3 on:** May 02, 2013, 09:37:03 am »

I'd second bottle feeding runts and keeping them in with the litter. We had a sow who struggled to produce enough milk during a hot spell last summer (yes, there was one!) and I bottled fed the littlest two piglets two or three times a day for the first four or five days and they came through well. We're lucky enough to have goats here so I just used a bit of their milk. Just be careful as those little pointy teeth can give a nasty nip even at a day old.