[hot hog]

My gos gilt has just pigged she only had 2 piglets one gilt one boar all are well and drinking has this happened to anyone else's gilts

[velcro]

Small litters are normal first time around.
One of our GOS only had 2  the first time.

[JulieS]

With GOS the average for a first litter is 5.

I've had as many as 13 (not me personally, one of my GOS!!    ) and the least was 4. 

Good to hear yours are eating and drinking well.  Enjoy those piglets 

[dannidub2000]

The 2 piglets will be excellent big strong piglets im sure!!
It would make me question this sows fertility just producing 2.
Once they are weaned get her back in pig and see what the next serving brings. If you still have a very low number I would question her or the boars ability of fertility??

[Fowgill Farm]

God what i would give for a small litter our last one was 17, 14 of which went on to survive and be weaned!
Mandy

[velcro]

Interesting the comment on fertility, as I said the first litter 2, second litter 6, and she is in pig again so we will wait and see.
Her sister bought at the same time ran with the boar for 12 months, never did fall pregnant and ended up as sausages.
The boar has produced high numbers with other sows so its not him.

[oaklandspigs]

Fertility depends on a number of factors including (but not limited to!)

Gilt/sow condition at time of mating
Boar condition at time of mating
Time of year
First ten days after mating when eggs implant in the uterus and can be affected by many things such as trauma (knocks etc.), stress (eg being put back into a herd and having to re-establish pecking order), lack of feed or water, heat (eg hot spell), and loads of other things.  This period is critical to how many get implanted.
Feeding during pregnancy
General environment and stress during pregnancy (eg sudden trauma can cause absorbtion, as can stressful environment)
Feeding during last ten days,when piglets are making most of their growth - need to feed much more during this last ten days.
The list could go on and on...

Like much of life you wil never know exactly what caused it!

[dannidub2000]

Yes velcro, sounds like the boar is fine!! If your having success elsewhere and not with her, you know your management is fine. See what the next litter produced is 

[Hilarysmum]

Some years ago a first timer produced just 1 (she grew up and became quite a star in her own right) her next litter was 9, looking back at the records she regularly produced double figures from then on.

[Helencus]

Interesting comment re feed in pregnancy. What's the guidelines for feeding throughout the pregnancy and then whilst she is feeding piglets.

[Hilarysmum]

I feed normally up until about 3 weeks before due date then increase slightly.  Once the piglets are born I feed almost ad lib, although the rule of thumb I was given is an extra 1/2 lb (think its lb not kilo) per day for each piglet she is feeding.  Not very scientific I know.

[oaklandspigs]

Like HM,we up the feed during the last 2-3 weeks, and double for the last ten days (more if she clears it quickly). The last ten days is when the piglets put on much of their growth,until then they are really tiny.

After birth, there are a number of rules of thumb.  One is to feed an extra pound per piglet each day until you reach the number of piglets eg with 12 piglets you would feed 6lbs (mums normal feed) on day 1, 7lbs day 2, 8lbs day 3 until you get to 18lbs on day 12 (mums normal 6lbs plus 12 pounds -  1 per piglet). Since all sows are different, we tend to feed to appettite and condition- feed more to a sow who is losing condition, less to one that is able to maintain. Normally they go off food for a couple of days, but then we feed double in the first week,and then watch condition and add/subtract.

It would be highly unlikely that lack of feed in the last few weeks would cause two healty but no more, more likely you wouldhave several small, or somemumified or stillborn in addition to the two.

[TheCaptain]

We had three born last Sunday to my GOS gilt - two boars and one gilt. 5 1/2 hrs in labour!!! Two hours between one and two being born - called vet who was coming out to give shot of oxytocin, luckily she fired the 2nd one out as he was half way here (emergency sunday callout fee!) There just wasn't something quite right with the first one (breach and front legs fist) and he didn't make it even though we'd brought him in and bottle fed him.  Gutted.

Expected a small litter but she was AI'd and i think my timing was a bit crap!  Got 2 v healthy GOS piglets running around now though!

[doganjo]

Some years ago a first timer produced just 1 (she grew up and became quite a star in her own right) her next litter was 9, looking back at the records she regularly produced double figures from then on.

Babe?