Multiple sire litters Can & DO happen, Mamasow gave us proof yesterday

[The_V's]

Ok so my very first pig Mamasow has never been successfully bred until this last time. I tried every single cycle for 7 months to get her pregnant and not one technique worked. Ive learned that with some Kunes, if they don't breed by a certain age they may NEVER be able to be bred like a use it or lose it sorta thing. So in a panic the last time I just told hubby that I don't care which one of our boars gets her pregnant as long as we know she at least CAN be bred successfully. So I proceeded to throw her in with a mini juliana boar who is a Prolific breeder, then our guinea hog Boartus got a day with her and after that I put her back with our Kune boar and finally our pot belly boy.

Well folks, she finally got pregnant. So it was quite the nail biter to wait and see what the babies came out like wondering which one was the daddy. Turns out we got one which is Definitely Boartus' from that nose! We got two that were definitely Oscars the mini juliana and one little girl who is 100% Gus baby from her coloring and snout. Nothing came from Boing Boing our Kune boar unfortunately. I wish we could afford to DNA test them all and find out for sure who the daddies are.

 

[farmerjan]

Are you sure the Kune Kune boar is good? Seems like if she got settled by the others, and you have been trying to get her bred by the Kune, that he is the problem not her. And yes, they can lose their fertility if he has been able to sire litters of pigs in the past. Seems like it is not even worth the testing.... I would get rid of him and get another Kune boar if that is what you need to use.

 

[The_V's]

Are you sure the Kune Kune boar is good? Seems like if she got settled by the others, and you have been trying to get her bred by the Kune, that he is the problem not her. And yes, they can lose their fertility if he has been able to sire litters of pigs in the past. Seems like it is not even worth the testing.... I would get rid of him and get another Kune boar if that is what you need to use.

We had been trying to mate her to an american Guinea hog before that. We think that Kune boar may have simply been to young back then. We have expanded our pigs and breeding program exponentially since then. We now have 6 different breeds on the farm and total of 26 sows 8 gilts and 8 boars and as of yesterday we are at 42 piglets born in the last 30 days. We do have another kune boar now besides Boing Boing who has btw successfully mated since then so we aren't worried about him in the least. Our main fear was that Mamasow couldn't be bred. Now at least we know she CAN be in the future.
This litter isn't ideal but at least she bred and farrowed well so now we can relax about her in the future. Some boars are just much more aggressive breeders than others. We have a couple Juliana boars that would hump the fence post if they could and we have a Kune boar who only shows interest when the sows are in heat and even then he's such a gentleman about it he doesn't pressure them at all he just walks up like "scuse me ma'am mind if I get up there?"

 

[farmerjan]

One thing to consider, that if she has trouble settling again is that you should stop using her for a brood sow. If you continue to breed "hard to breed or settle" animals, you are perpetuating a problem breeder.
I also realize that by the sounds of it you are trying to revitalize some of the lesser known/available breeds; some that might even be on the endangered or rare list? Then I get trying to get some/any pigs out to have a wider choice of breeders and to keep your bloodlines more diverse.
What other breeds do you have besides the Kune, and American guinea and Juliana? I am not familiar with all of them, having always concentrated on the "larger" breeds and what was in demand here. I hope to get back some of my hogs once I get moved to my own place again. I liked my "pigs". I raised simply for the feeder pig market back then.

 

[The_V's]

Yes we focus on the older pet breeds and heritage breeds, basically the smaller pigs for the california small homestead and city folks. I am already trying to add Idaho Pasture pigs(new breed but awesome for small homesteads) and I want to get meishans and mangalitsa pigs too.
Mamasow was the first pig we got when we began and she was our "house pig" and became our love. She was always meant to be a breeder but because she was raised only in the house with the dogs until she was 8-9months old she never really knew what another pigs looked or acted like. By the time she was so big she HAD to go live outside we still kept her in the yard with our dogs by the house and here on the porch. So it was my fault that I didn't socialize her enough for her to know how to be a pig at all. Those first 5 or 6 times we bred her were the only times she would even see another pig here on the farm so again that's my fault. Once we moved her out to be with the other KuneKunes it took her a while to adjust and that was when I had to throw all these boars at her cause i realized she was getting close to that will she won't she age. So really I think Mamasow not being able to accept a boar until now is totally my fault in raising her like my dogs. It seems she's happy with her room mates now and has accepted that she can't come inside anymore. She LOVES being a mom! Based on how she's handling it so far I don't think we will have any more issues with her but I will keep everyone posted.