Features of childbirth in a pig
In breeding any type of animal, the key point is bearing and giving birth to healthy offspring. Pig breeding in the territory of the post-Soviet space is the most profitable branch of livestock farming. The popularity of gilts is due to their unpretentiousness in feeding and keeping, as well as their good adaptability to any weather conditions. One of the advantages of these animals is their high productivity. Every breeder should know everything about pig farrowing.
Pig farrowing
Duration of pregnancy
Pigs reach sexual maturity at 8-9 months. It is not recommended to carry out fertilization earlier, because the animal's body is not prepared for gestation. Covering is not allowed for individuals weighing less than 100 kg. Pregnancy lasts 3 months. Pigs are farmed at home from 101 to 126 days.
Determining the exact date in days is quite difficult. It is necessary to prepare in advance for the appearance of offspring. If the animals are housed in a group, the queen is usually housed separately. There is a table by which you can calculate the approximate date of birth of piglets. In 95% of cases, this happens on days 108-118, usually the table indicates 110 days.
If fertilization was carried out on April 13, then the intersection with the fourth month is looked for in the calendar table and the date 1.08 comes out. It is in this period that the female is transferred to a separate content. Farrowing earlier than the scheduled date occurs in rare cases, about 1 in 100. Many breeders ask: "Can I make an accurate calculation in days?"
A calculator will help you calculate in days when it is time to give birth. The video describes the calculation process and the schedule in great detail. Knowing the approximate date of birth of babies is very important. Such calculations help determine the timing of changes in the diet and the transfer of pot bellies to a separate room. Some individuals can walk for several days.
Which indicates the approach of labor
The sow farrowing calendar is not the only way to determine the approach of labor. The behavior of the pig changes before farrowing. The labia and nipples are enlarged. Signs of farrowing are observed a couple of days before delivery. Vietnamese sow behaves cautiously.
Already during this period, you need to start preliminary preparation. First of all, they prepare the room. The main thing is sterility: there should be a clean, dry bedding on the floor, which is changed every day. Provide the sow with a sufficient amount of clean drinking water. The far corner of the room is equipped with ultraviolet light or several simple incandescent lamps.
In the first few days, especially if the sow is expected to farrow in winter, the young need to be heated. The room lighting should not be too bright, otherwise the animal will start to get nervous and feel uncomfortable. It is recommended to keep the piglets in a wooden box or basket for the first few hours.The sow is not fed or walked before the interview.
The behavior of the sow before giving birth is strange: she begins to drag hay into the farrowing pen, trying to arrange a kind of nest. Behavior often becomes restless, especially in firstborns. The sow often lies down and then gets to her feet, cannot find a place for herself. Sow farrowing usually begins at night. Excessive evening activity is a sure sign.
Duration of the process
How is farrowing going in pigs? How long it will take to farrow a pig at home is impossible to determine for sure. It all depends on the course of pregnancy. In severe cases, the process can take up to 11 hours. In a normal pregnancy, farrowing will take 2-3 hours. For the most part, it all depends on the physical health of the animal.
No matter how long the process takes, each baby should receive milk within 30-60 minutes after birth. Before feeding the young, a small amount of milk is decanted, after which the nipples are wiped with a damp, warm cloth. Piglets are born not adapted to the external environment, so they need help finding nipples.
It is important to provide optimal care for newly born offspring. Weaker piglets in the first few days need to be held at the mother's nipples on their own. They are applied to the front nipples because they contain the largest amount of milk.
Birth of young
Immediately before the start of the process, the animal walks around the pen or lies on a barrel, eats nothing and does not drink water. This is a sure sign that labor is about to begin. At this point, the pig begins to struggle. The 3-5 minute interval between contractions signals the approach of labor. At this time, the release of white mucus is observed, water begins to flow.
As soon as the first pig appears, it is necessary to check whether the amniotic membrane has ruptured, otherwise you need to make a tear with your own hands so that the baby does not die from suffocation. After birth, each pig is rubbed with a dry towel, his sinuses are cleaned and mucus is removed from the oral cavity. The umbilical cord is cut and treated with iodine. All offspring are placed in a box under the lamps.
Postpartum period
After farrowing, the sow needs special care. When all the pigs are born, it is important to wait for the placenta to pass and remove it as soon as possible. The main thing is to prevent eating the placenta, otherwise the female can eat the entire offspring. In wild animals, this phenomenon is far from uncommon. In some cases, pigs are injected with oxytocin to speed up the process of placental rejection.
When the pig has finished farrowing, it is necessary to replace the dirty litter. The back of the sow's body should be treated with soapy water and rubbed with a dry towel. If, after 5 hours, the placenta has not come out, you need to call the veterinarian at home. The pig must be given about 4 liters of warm water to drink. Feeding of the female is carried out 2 hours after giving birth.
Feeding features
How much and what kind of food the sow will receive during pregnancy and after it is one important point. Overeating leads to swelling of the mammary glands. Around a week before farrowing, the amount of feed is gradually reduced. At this time, the pig's diet should be the same as during the suckling period.
Half a month before the pig gives birth, roughage with a high fiber content and silage are removed from the diet. At this time, you need to establish digestion in order to avoid constipation in the future. When the pig walks a little, the metabolism is disturbed, and therefore constipation is possible. Beetroot is recommended to avoid stool problems.
After childbirth, the diet is gradually changed. New products are introduced carefully so that the young do not have diarrhea. The diet is enriched with vitamin supplements so that the offspring develop normally. The development and growth of the young will depend on what the sow eats.
Fertilization features
After a month, the piglets are weaned from the sow. At the same time, you can re-coat the pig to increase the herd growth. Hunting for pigs takes place every 17-24 days, lasts 2-3 days. You can find out when the sexual hunt began by the behavior and condition of the external genital organs. At this time, the pig behaves restlessly, sometimes a little aggressively, does not eat well, at the sight of a boar, it emits a characteristic grunt.
After mating occurs, the presence of pregnancy is checked after a week. The female is shown the wild boar again, and if she does not allow him, the insemination process was successful. At home, natural mating or artificial insemination can be carried out. The second option is more in demand in the presence of a large livestock. The method allows you to cover the maximum number of females, and if all the rules are followed, it can be done at home with your own hands.
Individuals are allowed to fertilize:
- who have reached 100 kg and more in weight;
- with well-developed mammary glands;
- nine months of age, no younger.
Final part
How farrowing occurs in pigs, every breeder should know in order to be able to help the animal in time with complicated births. There is a special calendar by which you can calculate the approximate dates of the birth of babies. On average, the uterus carries piglets for 3 months.
Many novice breeders are wondering if they can give birth to a pig on their own with their own hands. It is advisable that a doctor is present at the first birth, because inexperienced farmers cannot always help the animal if complications arise.
You can understand how long it will take to give birth by the behavior of the animal. A sure sign that pregnancy resolution will happen one of these days is worry.
There is also swelling in the area of the mammary glands, 2 days before giving birth, milk is actively coming in. In any case, the pig will need help with childbirth, so you should in advance:
- prepare as many clean towels as possible;
- equip a corner for young animals with heating lamps;
- clean the room by washing the floor, walls and laying a clean mat on the floor.
There is nothing difficult in giving birth to pigs. The whole process will depend on the physical health of the individual. For more confidence, you can watch the training video. Symptoms of the imminent approach of labor are the anxiety of the animal and the discharge of whitish mucus from the genitals.
It is important to provide good care and nutrition to the sow after giving birth. It is necessary to ensure that weaker piglets receive a sufficient amount of milk - at first you will have to hold them near the nipples on your own. In the photo you can see what the newborn offspring looks like. To know exactly what to do during a pig birth, you can watch the video and consult your doctor.