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Author Topic: Farrowing slowly.....  (Read 2849 times)

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Farrowing slowly.....
« on: May 19, 2017, 12:23:59 pm »
Our gilts first litter. I've only seen experienced sows farrow before....  This one had her first piglet three hours ago. Doesn't seemed distressed but none since then??

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2017, 12:52:39 pm »
No experience at all but that "feels" like a long time.
Have you got a vet you can phone for advice?

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2017, 01:14:21 pm »
That isn't unusual. My second time sow did something very similar a couple of nights ago. First piglet 8ish. Then nothing until 12. Took till 4 in the morning and 17 live piglets.


Sometimes the first ones are slow then you get a rush.

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2017, 01:20:56 pm »
The vet will probably give you oxytocin if you feel it is time she got moving.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2017, 01:32:42 pm »
They vary enormously.  Our GOS gilt had 12 piglets in under two hours on Monday, with a pause followed by a fair bit of puffing in the middle when we suspect the last piglet from one horn of the uterus coincided with the first from the other, as one piglet eventually shot out so fast it banged its nose on the wall, followed 30 seconds later by a second one.  Have you seen any afterbirth?  Have you had any other litters sired by that boar?  She may just have a very small litter.

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2017, 01:45:11 pm »
Any more babies?

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2017, 03:22:11 pm »
No more piglets.  It was AI so boat should be ok

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2017, 03:52:22 pm »
There are a few things that can go wrong with AI, particularly the temperature at which the sperm is stored at all through the process. 

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2017, 04:57:26 pm »
There has been no sign of afterbirth and she has had the odd grunt and mini push it nothing much, indeed right now she is asleep and apparently dreaming. I did feel inside an hour ago but couldn't find any obstruction at least not in the first 30cm

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2017, 05:52:14 pm »
I would be speaking to vet. It is a long time now. There is either no more or a dead piglet causing a blockage.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2017, 08:49:02 am »
How is everything going? :)
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2017, 05:14:12 pm »
She seems OK in herself. Been on her feet a bit but less lively than usual. We are reasonably convinced we saw the end of the farrowing as it was first thing in the morning rather than the beginning- which is what we had originally assumed.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2017, 11:00:00 am »
Our sows usually start farrowing in the late afternoon or early evening.  Don't wish to be gloomy but she may have eaten some piglets and/or afterbirth before you saw her.

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2017, 02:09:16 pm »
I reckon farming on the Marches must be pretty gloomy stuff!  If there was some sort of horror fest she was mighty tidy on the clean up as only a few drops of blood and nothing else to be seen. It was a very wet night and some leaked in so difficult to tell what wet might have been her and what was the weather.  She is really quite charming with the one piglet she has so if she gobbled some up she went all Jeykl and Hyde as good as gold before and after. So no doubt ate the afterbirth (after all she is usually pretty hungry and wasn't bothered yesterday) but I prefer your small litter scenario. If it was the horror scenario she would be a fabulous conspirator to the perfect crime. Incidentally sow 2 is looking less and less likely to deliver her overdue litter.   If it is not here by tomorrow the AI is looking distinctly dodgy.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2017, 02:12:47 pm by pharnorth »

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Farrowing slowly.....
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2017, 02:21:30 pm »
Sorry to hear you have had a disappointing litter but that is the way sometimes. AI isn't always easy. Any chance you can borrow a boar next time? Even if you have a cross bred litter it is best to get them breeding.


I don't think she has eaten the rest of a litter and kept the chosen one, I think you have just been unlucky. If a sow is that aggressive in my experience she sees you as a target too and they don't do a clean up job.


She is going to have one fat piggy!

 

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