Farrowing sisters together?

[Jayzandra]

We have two gilts that were bred within a week of each other. They are due (if prego) on the 22 and 24 of this month. Can they be farrowed together? It is very difficult to separate them and they don't like it at all. I think they are yorksire/hampshire crosses.

And we most definitely need to separate the dad, right?

Thank you

 

[farmerjan]

Yes, boar has to be out and asap. The gilts....how much room do they have in the pen/farrowing area? Normally they will prefer to be separate, and will get territorial when getting close but not always. The biggest problem is the one farrowing will not be interested in the other one being near her, you do not want them to get into a fight and the one not having hers can do one of several things. She could kill the pigs as they are born, she could easily lay on them if she comes into the spot where the one having them is, she could lay down and the pigs could go to her when she doesn't have any milk/colostrum for the new babies.....I would get them separate when the date gets a little closer; I am assuming you meant the 22 and 24 of Oct since sept has gone by....Let them stay together if you are around to watch closely until one starts to make a nest and then separate them. I have had several together to pig, but they have had an area of 1/4 to 1/2 acre to farrow with several huts and they pick their spot and I have fixed it so they have panels of some type so they can be sectioned off.If it's a big pen and they pick opposite ends, just divide them until the pigs are a couple weeks old and getting around then let them together. Better apart and safe even if the mommas aren't too happy.

 

[Jayzandra]

All three of them are in a pen 100x50 ft. Would it be ok to just separate the boar if they have that much space or is building farrowing pens a better option?

 

[TAH]

I have a very good friend and he leaves all his pigs together when they farrow. His pigs have 2-3 acres to run around on so you may want to separate them. His farrowing crates have enough room for them to get up and walk around this way they are not stressed out and they can act like pigs.

 

[Jayzandra]

Ok, thank you.
When should we be able tell they are for sure prego? One looks kinda round, the other not so much. I'll try to get a pic later on.
We assume they are because we saw them mating and haven't observed them going back into heat again since.

 

[farmerjan]

You said they are due the 22 and 24th. They are 3 months now? They were bred the end of June, first of July? 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 in the morning is the old saying around here. They should be rounding out some by now and should start to have the udders showing a bit within the next week or so. They won't get alot of udder until a week or less most of the time, but it should be getting obvious they are pregnant. The belly drops a little and they will look like they are waddling a bit. Ist time gilts aren't as big as sows, but usually show a little udder sooner as it develops. Sows will look a little more drop belly but often won't udder up until real close as the glands are already developed but "dormant" so to speak.
With a pen that big, with the boar out, you could just wait and see if they decide to go to separate ends; but if one starts and the other is hanging around, you need to have a plan to split the pen so they can have and bond with their own babies. Is there a shelter for each or is it inside? They need for the babies to have a draft free spot and that means huts or something if they are outside. No sawdust for the first few days at least, it will get in their eyes and mouth and suffocate them before they can get to the udder. Use straw or fairly decent old hay that is not weedy. The sows don't clean them like cows or sheep or goats or anything. They are born, wiggle out of the sack, and crawl around to the udder. The sow will expel the placenta when she is done with each "side" or horn of the uterus. They normally deliver one side then the other, seldom do the 2 come at the same time. Sometimes they get up and eat it, sometimes not; I usually take it out so the little pigs don't get "lost" in it.
Some sows will let you stay close and some will not want you anywhere near. Don't interfere but make sure the pigs get around to the udder and don't get lost crawling away as they sometimes will. Nature performs miracles, but a new sow can be clueless about what TO do, and NOT to do. If she gets up and down or if the pigs get to squealing at all, they can get stepped on, laid on , or she can go after you. I advise not being in the pen and that is a good reason to have them penned so that you can be outside the protection and still close enough to help if need be.

 

[Jayzandra]

Thank you very much farmerjan. The first one bred looks pretty round and yesterday I noticed that she looked like she might be bagging up a bit. Her vulva also looks a bit swollen. I actually saw her being bred, the other one I didn't but I do know she was in heat roughly about a week after the first one. The second one is showing no signs at all.

As far as the huts go, everything we build gets destroyed within a week or two. I'm at the point where I'm like lets weld something that they cant tear up, but realistically, that's not an option.

We have tried separating them in the past because we had one in there for meat and we didn't want to have to chase him around when it came time to load him up an the trailer, but over night he busted out to be back with the other pigs. They DO NOT like being separated. Oh, and that was FUN trying to get him trailered loose like that. HAHA.

It's been frustrating to say the least.

 

[farmerjan]

Do you own the trailer that you use to load them on? I trained my pigs to load themselves on the back of the 2 ton GMC truck by backing it up to the chute and they learned that their dinner was on the truck!!
If your pigs are destroying the huts and stuff, then they are bored. We built huts out of pallets and put a roof of sorts over it to keep out the rain. Sometimes the little pigs would get between the slats on the pallets; tried to always use the ones that only had like 3 or 4 slats on one side so they couldn't get stuck. If the other sow was in heat approx a week after the first one then she won't be due until the 28th or 30th not the 24th.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Part of the problem is the small space 100-50ft is a small space for keeping breeding pigs. They are super bored and that is why they are destroying stuff. If you can give them a bigger pen they will stop wrecking stuff so much. I would separate the gilts since they are in a small space like that. Lots of people farrow all their gilts/sows together but that is in a larger pasture 1-20acres usually where they can find their own spot to nest.

 

[Jayzandra]

No, we don't own the trailer. We are looking into getting one, though, for that same reason.

How do we keep them from being bored? I put lots of things in there to play with, even one of those horse balls. Most of the time they just sleep in the shade and mud because it's always so hot. It's just now starting to cool down a little.

Also, I got some pics of the pigs today. I have to email them to myself before I can post them...