Sow being ornery *now Munsie had 9 babes*

[robynsa]

Anyone ever had a sow that behaved like a mean boar?

Lollipop is around 7yo and is a PB x commercial pig. Never had a litter. She's normally fairly aloof, never been mean really. She and sister Xena were raised as extremely obese pets for 3 years before we got them so they came with icky pet manners. They're much more respectful now and I'm normally not wary of them at all.

Munsie is due today and for the last couple of days Lollipop has been horrid. She came at me twice today and only backed off when I whacked her with a gumpole. She's twisting her body and hackles are up and she keeps trying to mount and bunt her sister who squeals her head off and Lolli stops. She's also been standing facing the boar on the fence line. She is also trying to mount Munsie. If I go to the pen she's blocking the gate and following me along the fence with hackles up. I'm not doing anything to incite the behaviour. I can't decide if she's on heat (boar doesn't seem terribly interested in her) or if Xena is on heat or if Lolli is being set off by Munsie's hormones or....? She doesn't seem to be upset by Albert's presence.

I've never noticed the behaviour before, though it could be that I've never really been around them for long enough periods of time to see it. I typically feed and water, give them a cursory check for general health and wellness and go on my way. The past few days I'm there more, checking on Munsie. Xena and Munsie are their normal sweet selves.

If Munsie doesn't have the babies tonight I'm going to move the PBs out of that pen tomorrow. I don't feel safe around Lolli and I have to go into their pen to get to Munsie's new "nursery".

I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt to some extent, but I'm also thinking that if she is going to be like this every time Munsie farrows, then I might be better off culling her.

Anyone have any experience in this sort of behaviour?

[robynsa]

Just to add, I do always go into the pen and give Munsie belly rubs (the PBs don't like being handled) a few times a week, so it's not like Lolli doesn't know me or like I'm doing something drastically different. My number of visits has increased in the past week but it's not like I've completely changed the routine.

[Nonesuch Melissa]

Pork chops... It's what's for dinner.

[robynsa]

Nov 28, 2014 15:40:22 GMT -5 Nonesuch Melissa said:

Pork chops... It's what's for dinner.

It's 11pm here and I've just been to check on Munsie. She's building a whopper of a nest - OUTSIDE her pen - she's jumped over the fence and is choosing sticks and rocks instead of all the hay, shavings and straw that I left in her nursery. This is the first sign of nesting she's done all day.

Please tell me that we have until 7am before she has these piglets. I can't stomach the thought of the PBs chomping her babies and I have no way to get her into her pen, or the PBs out of the pen, before then. At this point I have every window in the house open so that I can hopefully hear if anything does down. And I've told the tenant to sleep with his ears open as the pen is right next to the cottage.

[Nonesuch Melissa]

She will probably farrow overnight. Do you have a gun? If the other sow comes after her or her piglets I would shoot her. I had a sow crush a gilt and I'm telling you there was no way I was getting in the middle of that without losing a limb or worse. They can just go bonkers and it sounds like there is something about your girls imminent birth that is driving the other sow over the edge.

Sorry. I truly wish I had something more positive to say.

[robynsa]

Melissa!!!!!! You're not helping. I say that with respect

I don't have a gun. I think the only thing I can do is lure the PBs out of the pen entirely but that will likely mean bye-bye veggies.

[Nonesuch Melissa]

Leave them and just keep an eye then? Unless you have two pens or anywhere you can separate the pregnant sow to, even a stall or kennel possibly. 

You know another possibility is that she is protecting the farrowing sow in which case she and piglets will be fine but watch yourself.

Hard to know what goes on in their little piggy minds sometimes. 

[haecklers]

My sows are usually very picky about who they let near their babies - maybe their daughter, but not a pig they don't like. I think Munsie will probably take care of the situation. If it's chilly out, tho, I"d toss her some hay to make a better nest out of than rocks and sticks!

[simplynaturalfarm]

Problem is, while trying to keep babies safe from other sows, they kill a lot of babies sometimes. I would find a way of getting her out of there or you could lose all the babies.

[robynsa]

It's 6am. No babies but Munsie is frantically nesting and didn't get up when I went there, only sat up to see what was going on and them went back to nesting. Albert and I are going to lure the PBs to their old pen with food. I hope she waits another hour! Lolli biting the fence the fence at me this morning

[Nonesuch Melissa]

You need Lolli bacon.

[robynsa]

Off they go to their old pen, my relief is palpable! I'm going to ask my neighbour if her son can come shoot Lolli. I can't stand to go through this anxiety again. Didn't sleep a wink! I get that she's likely being protective of Munsie but not at the expense of my safety, thanks very much.



And just because pigs are funny, here's Kevin Bacon very upset at seeing the food come and then leave again! He's not bothered by Munsie's state at all. Just another day on the job for him.

View My Video

[suzorse]

sorry you have to put her down but anytime an animal goes after a person ,when not protecting its young needs to be dinner, I had 1 also that went to slaughter , she had been someone else's pet ,and would not stay in ,and when she broke out of her pen and pulled the wheelbarrow out of my hands because she wanted fed right now ,not in 5 min
after I fed the cows , as she became dangerous with that behavior ,and she would not listen to a pop on the nose
Suzanne

[robynsa]

Teats filled and beginnings of labour now. Contractions a few minutes apart and coming faster. I am sitting in a camping chair next to her, quite happy that I'm not being mauled by an ornery sow. Lolli's had 4 happy years of free loading here, so I don't feel bad. Now I just need to find someone to actually shoot her, have called 3 people and none shoot pigs.

Ok wow, first piglet out.

[elnini]

How's she going ??

[robynsa]

I think we're all done! 9 very vibrant pink babies, mostly girls. Only one very tiny one but she's fiesty so I think she'll do fine!

She had them all in her self-made open air nest, and I put a garden umbrella over her. It's cooking outside today AND there is a massive storm brewing. So we picked up the piglets and put them in the house, then made them squeal so she came running.

Outdoors



In her house



When she lay down in her house she passed what seemed to be the last bit of placenta, so I'm sure she'll make a better nest in the next few hours. She had a wallow on her way to the house (probably more because she was p/ssed at us than anything else) so she should be good to go now.

As I said, I think we're all done with piglets, but I'll keep an eye on her. I felt bad forcing her to move but it's in all their best interests. It's a new house that we made, so hopefully next time she'll choose it anyway.

[elnini]

Congrats !!!

[bhfmomma]

They are adorable!! I can't wait until we get pigs:)

[robynsa]

haecklers had a valid comment about Munsie maybe not wanting to be in the shed because it is metal and might be too hot, so here's my comment on that.

The shed is lovely and cool inside as it's thick 0.5mm Chromadek widespan IBR and it's open halfway on two sides - so it's basically shaped like this:

I ]

If that makes sense We placed it so that it gets minimal direct sun in summer - there's a row of 10m+ tall Black Locust trees behind it - but it will be warm in winter as the BL trees shed all their leaves. And we can fit a heat lamp if she farrows in cold weather.

[corrae]

OMG--those babies are SOOOOOOOOOOO cute!!!!!!