Author Topic: What to do with cold piglets (Read 5599 times)

ScotsGirl · « **on:** January 30, 2014, 01:13:13 am »

Our sow has just farrowed this evening and had 12 piglets but one was dead and one died. Two others are really weak and not able to feed. Do piglets have a sucking reflex like lambs?

We have taken them home, put in a box and warmed up with hair drier and currently trying to get a bit of lamb colostrum into them. I think they might have taken a but of mums milk that I took off.

How often do we have to feed? I would really like some sleep!

Berkshire Boy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2014, 07:03:50 am »

With very little ones I feed them with a syringe, you then know how much they are getting. They will only want a few ml but you will need to do them every few hours. To keep them warm I put them in a box with some towels and stick them next to the radiator.
I have never had much luck with rearing them when just born problems arise, but we did rear a whole litter from 3 days when the sow died.
Good luck and try to get them back with mum as soon as possible.

Fowgill Farm · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2014, 08:42:27 am »

As BB says try to get them back with mum as soon as they are warmed thro as they need her milk with its antibodies though this will be depleting as the hours pass, we too use the syringe method mainly on wreckilings but sadly have never had any success in rearing new borns this way

Hope you have more luck, don't lose sight that you will still have 8 good piglets looked after by their mum. Keep checking they're warm and not wandering off into the cold, they will wander off for a wee but should quickly return to the warmth of mum or a lamp if you have one set up. The first few days are always nerve wracking, keep an eye on your sow make sure she gets up has a walk about and does her business, build up her feed gradually over 3 or 4 feeds a day if you can. Make sure she has plenty to drink too to keep her milk flowing.
best of luck

Mandy

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2014, 04:26:53 pm »

I've used a lamb bottle to good effect in the past - just left the teat in the piglet's mouth and got someone else to keep milking off the sow into an empty bottle, screwing on a new bottle as soon as there was a couple of spoons of milk in it. If the piglets are so weak they don't have a sucking reflex then I don't think the outloook is particularly good.

Sbom · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2014, 05:20:56 pm »

I bottled reared two with lamb teats and goats milk last year, I kept them in a chick box under an electric hen brooder, they were toasty

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2014, 08:20:03 pm »

Well been an eventful day. Took the two warmed up piggies back, one was ok but other was still too weak and got cold again so home to heat lamp. Unfortunately another had died of cold in night and another was cold. She then stood on it and seems to have injured a back leg. It can sit up but not able to move the leg. Seems strong though.

The little one is sucking well from bottle and moving about. Tempted to try and put back with litter in morning if mum comes out to feed but don't want to if she will just kill it. She seemed to accept other one after it had been away for 6-7 hours.

Looking like we will have to kill the other one if it is still unable to stand tomorrow.

shygirl · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2014, 08:34:35 pm »

the best way to warm up a baby animal, especially piglets is to give them a warm bath, then towel dry.
sugar water was what our vet said to give to ours who was weak.

its difficult farrowing in january - lots of straw and a heat lamp/creep are a must.
taking away from the mum may not be the best idea tho, she should keep them warm by snuggling with them.
has she farrowed ok before?

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2014, 08:46:06 pm »

Supposedly she had a litter before we got her of ten and all survived but probably not in January! She was very restless and kept getting up and we had power issues for heat lamp as no mains electric at moment. First piglets didn't get a chance to keep warm and suckle.

shygirl · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2014, 09:25:16 pm »

january litters are usually for the showring and are a big commitment because of the weather.
is she indoors? its often the last ones in the litter who are the weakest and need a bit of help to start breathing. if you missed the birth then they may have died anyway - ours often needed a good rub and a swing to get started whether it was cold or not..
if the sow is restless its better to put the piglets in a heated box until shes finished farrowing. then give them back so she can feed them.
are the remaining 8 ok now?
i cant think how to advise you if youv no electric but best wishes anyway.

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2014, 05:57:36 am »

As of tea time remainder with mum are ok. The runt at home is now fine although not so keen on cold bottle.

I am going to try and put back with rest. Thought if I rub bedding on it and remaining bit of afterbirth mum might be fine with it. Depends if either we can get in to put on her or she will come out to eat.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #10 on:** January 31, 2014, 08:47:32 am »

Your ideas on making the piglet smell the same as the others are good. I suggest putting it back with a full tum by tempting Mum out with her favourite food (apples?). Once the piglets have snuggled up together for warmth for a while they'll all smell the same. Our farm was already equipped with block built sties with a creep area at the back - the blocks absorb the heat of the lamp and the whole space is like a storage heater. It works brilliantly - even in January!

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #11 on:** February 01, 2014, 02:38:22 pm »

Unfortunately we found the piglet dead at lunch. It was slightly away from others. It seemed to be looking for a teat to feed when we put it in and mum was lying quiet so not sure what happened. It was really tiny though.

We definitely need a permanent brick sty with rear entrance and creep area. Project for the spring I think.