[Tweedle]

I have just come across an opportunity that I can not pass up. A friend of a friend of a friend raises his own pigs for his catering business, and wanted out that part as he no longer has time to care for them. He offered to sell me 2 pregnant gilts (I can't remember the breed off the top of my head) I took a drive out to look at them and took the deal right there on the spot. Now here is my dilemma.... I have raised growers before but never a pregnant sow let alone 2 and I am in a mad scramble for information on feed requirements of the gilts, what if anything needs to be done at the time of farrowing, how long till they get weaned from the mother, and anything else you can think of that I don't know that I don't know. So if any of you have advice on what I should be doing that would be great, thank you all in advance.

[Malc]

They need to be separated a couple of weeks before they are due to farrow and settled into their pens. Make sure there's plenty of room in the pen and a creep area with a heat lamp next to the sow's bed so the piglets can escape being crushed. We fed our sows the normal ration up to farrowing, then gradually increased after the birth to three pounds per day plus half a pound per piglet, rising to a pound. We weaned at seven weeks, but it's variable. Some sows are happy to keep the piglets another week or two, but many have clearly had enough by six weeks.

Farrowing was very different for our two sows. Kim popped her eight piglets out in a matter of an hour while I was having my evening meal. Molly needed help cleaning up - get plenty of old (clean)towels and a source of warm water - as the last few of her 12 were pretty gooey and needed a lot of cleaning up.

Most important - talk to people who have done it before and read a couple of books

Good luck

[pigsatlesrues]

Take a look on  www.pigsinfrance.com/

There is a wealth of information on there. I think if you have a look on here as well you will find a lot of info on here to.  Look through the pig section.

Kate 

[Tweedle]

on a similar note does anyone here breed there own pigs? If so does anyone know anything about AI?

[gavo]

Hello,
   It all depends on the breed you're dealing with. Our OSB's and Tamworths (and rare breed pigs generally) are left to their own devices - we provide them with an arc with farrowing rails, and, if there isn't enough vegetation to hand closeby to make a nest, some bedding in the arc. We rarely have any problems. Once the sow has farrowed we remove the afterbirth and check everyone is OK. The odd time we would have to intervene and these would become pet pigs (if we have to hand rear them that is).

Cheers

Gavin

[Tweedle]

Thanks the pigs we are getting are mutts. They have been crossed so many times with different breeds it really would be easier to just list of all the pig breeds to tell you what they are. They have some of the best meat that I have ever tasted though. The previous owner had bred them for his catering business.

Since I want to breed them for growers and market hogs I am not trying to push a specific breed just good mothers large litters and wonderful meat.  Where we live is not by any stretch of the term "Hog Country", so it makes getting the pigs I wanted very very difficult.  So I have settled on trying to breed the best meat that I can out of mongrel pigs, as that is all that is around here.
 What I want to do is to mix Berkshire and Tamworth bloodlines into the breed at alternating matting’s to breed a super pig and establish my own breed of pigs i would call Tweedles.... (Insert sinister laughter here)

[Tweedle]

  ok anyone who has farrowed pigs before. Do you have to clip the needle teeth on the baby pigs? or it that something that is done on large commercial farms like tail docking? 

[gavo]

Hello,

Do nothing to the little ones. Teeth clipping and tail docking are commercial traits that shouldn't be encouraged outside of factory farms. If the piglets have a good environment - i.e. spacious arc/sty and unrestricted access to the great outdoors then they will exert their natural instincts.
Only when they are confined to a small concrete enclosure do they exhibit unnatural traits such as biting the mother's teats and biting each other.

Cheers

Gavin

[Tweedle]

Thanks that is what I wanted to hear. I thought it sounded kinda mean and cruel, but I figured I would double check.

[pigsatlesrues]

I agree 100% with Gavin - deffinate no no to these horrible traits.  I would recommend a Tamworth over and above any other breed for breeding with another race of pig.  The meat is wonderful, and enhances the meat of any other cross.  They also have the most wonderful temperament which if you are lucky will come out in your litter.

Good luck and please tell how you get on.

Kate 

[carole]

Hi
I know others have already said this but please please do not dock or clip, it is not humane. I also have a problem with ringing noses and farrowing crates, good luck in the pending births

Carole

[Tweedle]

I don't plan to ring there nose  either as i want them  to do  what pigs do. We will have them fenced into what will be garden year after next, and right now is over grown lawn. I'm getting nervouse as the mommas will be here tommorw and they are due nov 6th ish.. So i will have only amonth to prepare myself.  I won't be putting them in any sort of farrowing crate. I have two stalls about 10ft x 10ft  that they will each be in. I was going to bed them down with about 6 inches of straw and hang a heat lamp off to one side for the pigglets any ideas if that is enough room too much room? should I use straw? the stall have dirt floors in them so do i still need to give iron shots? It seems i like the deep end of the pool. lol

[carole]

Sounds all ok to me Tweedle, but if I am wrong Pigsatlesrues, Francis Bacon  or HM will tell you.They are the ones I know are into breeding pigs, I am sure there are others too !!!!!!!!!!
I am a believer to let things happen naturally, if they need a helping hand then we do but pigs are all fantastic creatures and know what they have to do when the time is right.
I am so pleased that you too do not agree with farrowing creates, they seem so barbaric, also if you are rearing pigs naturally leave them be, but there is always some who will disagree.
Good luck and keep us posted on the progress please
Cheers
Carole

[Hilarysmum]

Hi (thanks Carole for the lovely compliment) Tweedle,

Not too much straw as babies can get caught up in it when moving from birthing to teat.  Mum will make her own nest, best to shake up plenty of straw and let her put it where she wants.

They dont need iron shots, if mum has had access to mud and grass during pregnancy and it will be available during lactation.

Good luck and enjoy.  HM

[Francis Bacon]

Hi Tweedle,

My you are in at the deep end  But I see you've already had lots of sound advice & seem to be asking all the right questions! They are a great bunch on this site & between everyone there is a wealth of knowledge.

About AI, there is Simon @ pigsinfrance.com who has written a very good article on AI, he has kept pigs for many years, also take a look at Britishpigs.org  (BPA) they have a article on AI & a list of suppliers.  I've spoken to Robert Overend who was very helpful too at Deer-parkpigs.com they supply semen from several different breeds of pedigree pigs. Good Luck & all goes well with the little ones 
Regards
Donna