Author: Kim Brook

PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part V

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Sharing mothers food

Feeding Regime

The general feeding regime is as follows:

Piglets approximate 1lb of pig pellets per day for every month of their age. Therefore, 2lb of pig pellets at two months of age then 3lb at three months of age and 4lb at four months of age

  • Then after four months, 4lb a day should be sufficient, although you may find they can take 5lb a day at five months without putting on too much fat.
  • Weaners should ideally be given food with fairly high protein levels (18%).
  • Younger pigs need a diet high in amino acids so that they can grow proportionately more muscle tissue, so there should be more lysine in feed for younger pigs.
  • After three months you can put the youngsters onto the adult feed that will have lower levels of protein.

Please also remember that we have a podcast from Victoria Phillips who is a leading pig nutritionist. Which was a recorded from our zoom event last year. You can listen to it here

FARROWING – Being prepared Part XI

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Bagging up

You will notice that the sows abdomen will drop so much so that when you look from behind between her back legs it is almost touching the ground – referred to as “bagging up”. She will also start to carry straw from one area to another; will generally throw things around as she is having contractions. From the moment this happens it is generally six hours until birthing is imminent.

When your sow/gilt has made her circle of straw she will lie down, her breathing will become laboured and if she is a gilt from her vulva will come a very dark (almost black in colour) discharge (I have not noticed this dark discharge in subsequent farrowings) at this stage her vulva will be a very dark red and swollen, you will notice that the tail with thrash from side to side and then slowly but surely you will see the first piglet emerge.

FARROWING – Being Prepared Part X

Feeding the sow/gilt with litter

During the first couple of days feeding the sow her normal ration is adequate then from day three increase the feed for both the condition and maintenance of the sow/gilt and for the production of milk that is required to feed the piglets.

From day three up the feed gradually to 0.5kg per piglet per day and yes, depending on litter size will be a lot of food, so please split the food to three times a day if possible.

Farrowing – Being prepared Part IX

A knot of Ascaris suum recovered from the small intestine of an infected pig. Credit Photo: veterian key

TREATMENT FOR PARASITES

Consideration should be given at this time, for treating the sow for external parasites and therefore worming her a week before she gives birth to avoid placenta crossover of womb infestation.

It is also a good idea to vaccinate against Erysipelas three weeks before farrowing and if the mother has never been vaccinated before she will need one injection six weeks prior to farrowing and a booster three weeks later.

Always speak to your vet for advice on your medication/vaccination programme.

May be an image of food and text that says "Roundworm Life Cycle Adult Worms In Large Intestine Laying Eggs Larvae Migrate Through Liver & Lungs Lungs Lungs Liver Embryonated Eggs are Consumed Ascarid egg Eggs in Feces Eggs Embryonate 12-14 Days)"
Photo: Rensselaer Swine Services, P.C.

FARROWING – Being prepared Part VIII

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EMBRYOS

Embryos are not embedded until day nine of gestation and at that stage they can migrate from one horn (side of the uterus) to another, so if all embryos are lost in one horn they can migrate from the other one.

As long as there are four embryos in place, and both horns are occupied, pregnancy continues beyond ten days, otherwise it appears to be terminated. After twelve days the number of embryos may be reduced to as few as one and the pregnancy will still continue.

Litters of four or less are suggestive of embryonic death between twelve and thirty days of gestation.

Embryo at 21 days. Credit University of Edinburgh

FARROWING – Being prepared Part VII

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After birth. There are two. Do not pull out allow them to expel naturally

THE AFTERBIRTH

It takes between six and eight hours from the moment the first piglet is born to the two afterbirths passing out and make sure there are two that are passed out one from each horn.

These are normally passed out between two and three hours after the birth of the last piglet is born. Do not pull them out let them pass out naturally.