pig update

[simplynaturalfarm]

Well, the giltss are doing thier best to keep me guessing as today is day 117, 116 and 115 for thre three. I have been good and had heat lamps going for them just in case and they are loving it. I checked them about 1/2 hour ago and they were sprawled out flat, dead to the world in their houses so something tells me I can relax tonight.
And I don't mind in the slightest since we have had influenza for the last 5 days and I am so tired and just beat even though I have done nothing but be sick all week. My back is still so weak that I can only spend a bit of time up before I need to lay in the recliner - I think it is because I spent the last 4 nights sleeping upright in a chair because I cough whenever I lie down and now my back and hips are protesting from doing that. Unfortunately we had to get sick with something that is actually contagious to the pigs right before they are farrowing, thus we are doing out best to just feed and water and not touch or have any contact otherwise. DH had to cancel his swine work at the clinic as he did not want to infect the swine barns! HONESTLY.
Anyway, for those who were curious, no piglets yet.
I phoned DH this evening and asked him to listen to something for a minute. He had no idea what I was doing and asked, "piglets?"
(we know they will never have them before year 2009 - I remember the same feeling when I was waiting for my last girl to be born 10 days late )
No, the outside hydrant started working today so I could actually hook up a hose to water animals rather than haul eighteen 5 gallon pails per day out to the animals - whoo hoo!!!
Heather

[Janene]

Woo-hoo you are thawing out!!! Yipeee!!
Those piggies will come when they come...you know: a watched pot never boils!! HA At least you have a vet 'on call' if you need one!

Maybe once your sickness is gone your back now will get a deserved break from hauling water. Been there, do that, no fun!!!
Let us know when you have piglets!! (They ARE cute when they are little!!) ;D
Janene

[mrskk]

Heather,
So sorry to hear that you have been so sick. I had influenza a couple of weeks ago - it attacked my sinuses - and I still get really sore when I have to do chores, throwing hay, etc.

Thank you for the knowledge that influenza is also contagious to pigs. Is there a list somewhere that shows the diseases that cross species lines? It would be good to know...

Hope you have an update soon with little piggy pictures! Our friend's piglets are a week old, it is surprising how fast they grow. Good luck.
Karen

[Robert]

janenefromtx said:

Those piggies will come when they come...you know: a watched pot never boilsJanene

Janene,

I wonder if a watched pot bellied pig will ever boil... perhaps I need a nap!

Blessings, Bob

[Joann]

Oh Heather, what misery.
But I am so happy to hear that your water is running.
Are you remembering to take your cod lover oil?

Joann

[simplynaturalfarm]

Yes Joann, I am religiously taking it, as do my little girls and DH. I have the oddest children who call it their "medicine" and Elise licks the spoon with relish and asks for more.
Still no piglets though. *sigh*
Heather

[simplynaturalfarm]

I'm beginning to worry a tad about Wilma as she started nesting yesterday morning early and then started doing serious heavy breathing around noon. Ben said that is common and she would be farrowing soon, but here it is today and she isn't doing anything but lying there groaning and moaning although I can't say I have seen any contractions? You experienced pig people - is this normal?
Mattie was nesting last night and at 5 AM had nothing but this morning I went out and found 5 and one was actually outside having crawled out a hole in the creep area. I quietly pushed him back in and he took to squealing his brain off, Mattie jumped up snorting and killed at least 1 that was just born - I see it is now lying motionless in the straw. My heart is broken as I am sure that I could have done something differently so at least one would not be dead, and so I am keeping away from the whole set up so she doesn't freak out again. I did notice the babies scream every time she considers moving (Ben warned me that baby pigs scream easily), so maybe it is a bit of a self preservation.
I'm going to go be depressed because of my mistake and then get over it.
Heather

[Mitra]

Don't beat yourself up about it Heather. You just wanted to put the baby back with its littermates and Mattie which is the right impulse. You even tried to do it quietly. What happened was an accident. I would feel horrible too. I know, not much consolation.
Congrats on the piglets you do have already. I hope Wilma is just one of those gals who labors a long time and all will be well. This is exciting and nerve wracking.

[simplynaturalfarm]

Well, she had a total of 6 piglets including the one that got killed. She seems to be a good Mom although a tad nervous and I do not disturb her at all. She has moved a couple of times (based on her position now), and there are still 5 live ones, but they sure scream their little bellies out when she starts to move and so I have to leave as it always sounds as though she is going to kill them.
Here are the only 2 pictures and I took them through a hole in a blanket.


As far as I can tell, three of them are girls.
Heather

[simplynaturalfarm]

I'm astounded at how big these guys are compared to many of the piglets I am accustomed to seeing - okay the pink ones. They are very filled out and husky and not skinny the way I expected them to see. Anyway, had to post the last picture I just got - Matti only goes bonkers when the little things go under the creep area and then she jumps up and snorts and shoves at the creep, keeping at the snorting til they all hop up and go back to her. They finally sorted things out and she shoved her head under the creep area with 4 of them which seems to have everybody warm and happy - except for the 5th one who is busily nursing at the other end and hasn't let go yet. Hopefully he or she stays warm.
Heather

[Shalali]

How is Wilma doing now?

They are SO cute!!!!!

[Shelley (whistlingtrain)]

Heather, they look good. RE: the jumping up when the babies squeak--this is why I always just stay away for the first 24 hours, unless there's obviously something I can do without interfering. I can't say how many times I've done the same thing--go in to try and help one, and end up with mom squishing one or two. And I can't stand the squealing, so I just stay away. I'd rather find them squished than be there during the squishing. Sometimes I will even skip a meal to keep her quiet, but not often.

And RE the size--the fewer babies there are, the bigger they are. If the litter was bigger, they would probably have been smaller. I'm happy that she didn't have any problems, being a first-timer. She'll mellow out the next time around I bet. And there will probably be more in the litter.

Also, in my experience the red heat lamps do a better job of keeping the babies warm--they produce more of a spreading, absorbing kind of heat than the white ones, which seem to produce a hot spot.

Also, FYI, I always wait to increase the mom's food until after she poops or else she seems to get constipated easily.

Congratulations!
Shelley

[simplynaturalfarm]

Thanks Shelley - I guess I know better for the next time, although can you give me advice on how I could have moved the one who was outside the stall? She had no way of actually getting back in except through the same little hole, so I am trying to figure out if there is a way to move them so they don't squeal or what.
DH just came home and I told him the story and said I was sure she had killed 2 of them, but only found 1 body so was glad. Well eagle eyed fellow that he is, he found the other dead one that I thought she had killed, so she had a total of 7. She is a good Mom and calls them to her head and then slowly and carefully lies down while they all sleep under the heat lamps.
They seem very happy and cozy, and as it is supposed to actually get warmer all week, I hope they do allright. It is 40 right now, so thankfully no cold spell was predicted.
She has just been out once to drink and not eat, so hopefully no constipation. Wilma finally got up and drank some and at least I know she is moving and alive. *G*
Heather
Heather

[Deleted]

They're so cute!

[Shelley (whistlingtrain)]

The best way to move them that I've found is to use a board or shovel or something and nudge them where you want to go, slowly but surely. If you can at least get them moving and they can find mom, as soon as she grunts to them, the baby will head in the right direction. As soon as you pick them up they squeal, and all it takes is a split second to get mom moving.

A lot of times, they will get squished and the mom buries them with her nest-fluffing, so they kind of sift to the floor. Sometimes you won't find them for days, until they roll around to the top of the pile. (Sorry to be morbid, but that's the best description.) When Katie had her last litter and it was 20°, I didn't realize she'd had 13 until several days later. I had only counted 11. And Edna had 16, but I only found 10 right away. I kept finding more babies (that had been stillborn) for days. It sounds like they'll all be in good shape, and the first night is the hardest. As long as Wilma is eating and drinking and moving around, she's fine. But when she looks and sounds exhausted, you should get in there and help. If she's truly exhausted she won't mind you there. If she's not exhausted yet, she might not "want" your help. Keep your fingernails short, just in case. :-)

Isn't it cute how they'll sleep with their head in the creep to be near them?

[simplynaturalfarm]

Thanks Shelley, I will know to use a board or something other than me next time.
They are all fine and were nursing when I left. Mattie got out while I was there and came over to the fence to have her head scratched. She is extremely laid back today, so I see what you mean about the first 24 hours. She didn't touch any food, but is drinking and has pooped several times while I was there, so no constipation. She is so careful when she lies down and I feel better with the heat lamps as there is no worry of her crushing them when she lies down because they are all in the warm creep area by her head.
Wilma got up today and was walking around outside. She still hasn't touched her food and that makes 2 days but she is carrying a lot of weight and so I have to assume she is all right. Lots of drinking and she's nesting again this morning. I'm sure if she just had something stuck in there she would not be walking around drinking, grunting at me for a scratch and nesting some more. Gwen is still hungry as ever, basking in the sun and no signs of nesting. Boy these girls have long gestations and we'll be going into a week later than I expected.
Thanks again
Heather

[simplynaturalfarm]

Gwen had 4 little piglets this afternoon and as she passed th eplacenta already I guess that's it. She broke through her pen three times and was sleeping in with Wilma, so I had to shoo her back every time as there is definitely not enough room for them to farrow together and everybody would be getting crushed. One little one didn't move at all the one time I checked - the other three and Gwen were lying together - and he was just sitting in the corner shivering so I left him figuring one dead one was better than 2 crushed because I intervened. I went back in 2 hours and he had dried afterbirth crusted all over and had not moved so I carefully took a blunt piece of wood and slowly pushed him towards his Mom. When he finally got close to her, he got up and snuggled up to her and gave a deep sigh. I don't know if he is just weaker or will not survive, but I got him close enough to find food if he can move. They are doing the typical screaming every time she moves so I have left them alone since it irks me to see her almost squish them when she moves around.
Mattie's five are very good and obedient and she was completely calm and happy 1 day after.
Heather

[simplynaturalfarm]

Okay, I did not fail math or algebra in school, but Gwen had 6 and possibly there are others that got buried in the straw. . . . I feel ridiculous but I honestly only saw 4 before. Wilma has been having contractions for a while now but nothing else.
Mattie's 5 are looking adorable and rooting around the straw now while she looks proudly on.
Heather

[Laurieks]

They sound so cute, I wish you all the luck with them
'Laurie

[Janene]

Heather, yes, I, too think they are 'big' compared to those squeely little 'pink' ones!!!
They are cute, I like colored anything. Not so boreing that way!!
Janene