FARROWING – Being prepared Part VIII

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

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