(Hog farming) Pregnant sow: what to expect?

Hi y’all, I’m really glad to see this new forum here, and it’s here just in time for a very pressing question!

I own a small family farm but up to now have always focused on crops. I’ve just started to branch into livestock and bought a couple of pigs this past spring.

Well, nature has taken its course and one of my sows is pregnant. Embarassed to say I haven’t really prepared much in the way of equipment for raising livestock, will the sow’s milk output be sufficient for the litter, or should I prepare for hand feeding or automated feeding?

Also, what’s the average gestational period, and what can I expect in terms of litter size? BTW, she’s an American Landrace, about 500 lb.

Now that I’ve been moved to the “just the facts” forum, I must confess that may have exaggerated my farmer credentials just a tad. Just got all excited about The Barn House and wanted to join in!

So for you GQ straight arrows, please take my OP in the line of “general inquiry” about hogs, not “personal experience”. Still would be interested, though, in case I do decide to buy a couple of pigs some day.

I know nothing of it, but will bump the Thread for you.

Can’t help you on the issue of supplemental feeding, but I can tell you that the gestation period of a sow is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days.

I’ll confirm the gestation period. Sows are notorious for having huge litters, then squashing many of them. A well built farrowing pen helps reduce neonatal mortality.
ETA: if my advice helps, ya owe me a pork chop!:wink:

Not only squashing, but eating. Is this a 1st time “mom”? Note that my experience is also limited. This is likely not the 4H board. :stuck_out_tongue:

Well, you can see why a forum called th’ Barn House woulda got my hopes up!

Thanks for the replies. FTR, I am genuinely curious about pigs. Out in the park here, I’ve seen people walking great big ol’ hogs they keep as pets.

After the usual gestational period, roast suckling pig?

d&r

Assuming you’re serious - here’s what to expect:

Most sows have good maternal instincts and will do their best to raise a brood. Landrace are known for their mothering. Newborn piglets are kinda fragile, however, for their first 3 weeks of life. After that they’re pretty darn tough.

After the aforementioned 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days (and pigs usually are very tight to that time frame, although I’m assuming you don’t have a breeding date) gestation you can expect somewhere between 5 and 15 piglets. They come out squealing and running around, and should get their first meal within an hour of birth. It’s best to let nature take its course here, if you try to push a piglet up to the teat, it will fight the pressure and things will slow down.

If you don’t have a farrowing crate it’s best to give her a large area with thick straw bedding. Piglets cool off quickly so you’ll have more survive if you provide a heat source. Don’t put a heat lamp too close to the straw, however, or else you get your BBQ early. If you make a box the piglets can get into but the sow can not with a heat source over it, probably most of the piglets will huddle up there when not nursing and will avoid being crushed by mom.

Feed mom well and she’ll make enough milk for her babies. Again, in a place mom can’t get to, have out some Starter ration that the piglets will start gumming at a very early age.

Some more pointers: If the piglets aren’t on dirt they will probably become iron deficient and would benefit from an iron shot.

Most piglets are “processed” at about 2-5 days of age. This means: getting an iron shot, getting vaccinated, getting their needle teeth clipped (these are baby canines and can tear up mom’s udder line and decrease her tolerance for being nursed), castrating the males, plus or minus docking tails and notching ears.

One final pointer - if Mom is skittish at first and won’t let babies near her - give her a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It will help her let down and she’ll pass out and allow piglets to nurse.

Good luck

Damn, the SDMB even has a pig expert. That’s great!:cool:

Long Time First Time stole all my thunder… here I thought I was going to be an asset to the board with my hog experience!

So, I will just say “ditto” to all LTFT just said, and also… I’m a little turned on:D

This is damn near the funniest thing I’ve heard all week. I really have no need to know about sows–pregnant or otherwise–but there’s a part of me that some day hopes to be able to put this piece of knowledge into practice.

You know, I see the thread title ((Hog farming) Pregnant sow: what to expect?), and I can’t help but think, well, probably piglets, as opposed to say, baby giraffes or wombats or dolphins or something.

There are many large animal work-arounds that are cool to know. I had a friend ask me to euthanize her horse, after the equine vet diagnosed colic and the horse had not responded to medical care. My friend could not afford surgery.

I suggest an old time remedy as a last resort. I mad a big pot of ridiculously strong coffee, allowed it to cool, then gave it to the horse via a nasogastric tube. About thirty minutes later the horse expelled bushels of feces, and went on to do fine for a couple more years.

Yeah, but that caffiene buzz…

Reminds me of the joke about the man who missed his coffee so much after stomach surgery that he persuaded his doctor to give him a coffee enema. Against his better judgment, the doctor complies, but after he squeezes the bulb, the patient howls – “AUUUGGGGH!” The doctor frantically asks, “too hot!?” The patient gasps, “No – too sweet…”