Vulva & Pregnancy - PIC

olivehill · #1 08/09/10, 07:51 PM

I keep second guessing myself on this gilt and finally came to a breaking point tonight and took a picture of her vulva in hopes some of the more experienced breeders might be willing to weigh in.

I know for sure this gilt was bred. Earlier in the pregnancy she was carrying very, very much out to the sides -- usually one side or the other -- and I both saw and felt fetal movement. And then it disappeared. I *think* she just dropped and started carrying it looser/more downward, but I still worry that she aborted. It had been extremely hot here so I suppose that's a possibility. (Note: Yes, she has always had access to both shade and a wallow.)

I've looked at her vulva so much I don't think I'd see changes in it if they jumped up and bit me. Obviously every gilt's vulva will look a bit different than any other's, but if your experienced eyes had to call this one would you say bred... or not?

She was co-housed with the boar this spring and I estimate her due date to be around Sept. 4th. if that's of any help.

Vulva & Pregnancy - PIC - Pigs

HeritagePigs · #2 08/09/10, 08:42 PM

I don't think you can tell by looking at the vulva if she is bred until the last day or two. That's when I've seen it swell up to twice it's normal size. Of course by then you can see the piglets moving around inside...

olivehill · #3 08/09/10, 08:53 PM

Hmmm. Breeding is a new endeavor to us, but I was under the impression that the vulva would tilt upward more and more throughout the pregnancy. Is this not true?

HeritagePigs · #4 08/09/10, 10:15 PM

I have never seen that nor read it and I do a lot of reading. Walter said something about it the other day. Walter?

Curtis B · #5 08/10/10, 11:10 AM

I have the same question, as mine was due (to my calculations) last week. I believe Walter said something about the clit hood pointing up. Can you tell much by her "bags"? I know when I weened my sowslast litter she really shriveled up, and her bags looks fuller every day, I tried to express some milk last week, but I have never milked a sow, don't know if you even can milk a sow......

olivehill · #6 08/10/10, 11:56 AM

This is a gilt, this would be her first litter so her teats are still small and relatively tight as they have never filled before. I was under the impression that they would not begin to fill until 1-2 weeks prior to farrowing, if at all as I've read some gilts and sows won't fill up until they farrow. If my calculations are correct she's still 3 weeks and 4 days out. So no help there either.

I do think she's bred. She doesn't have the hugely protruding sides like she developed around month one, but her belly hangs in a way that makes me think there's something going on in there and her hips just seem different as well. Her vulva does seem slightly swollen to me and more pointy but like I said I've looked at it so much over the past couple of months that my eyes could certainly be playing tricks on me, making me see what I want to see.

Hurry up and wait, I guess...

lisarichards · #7 08/10/10, 12:47 PM

My Tamworths have never done the pointy thing, for the record.

This is a picture of my gilt 3 weeks before she delivered, if it helps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanh/4799502018/

HeritagePigs · #8 08/10/10, 01:29 PM

Generally when you can see milk in her teats and can express some milk by lightly milking them she is about a day away. But there's always exceptions; we had two gilts that had no milk when they farrowed.

I'm waiting for the pee test strips. Course then I gotta follow her around all day waiting for her to pee...

Rogo · #9 08/10/10, 04:11 PM

=== I'm waiting for the pee test strips. Course then I gotta follow her around all day waiting for her to pee... ===

I have a friend who has used the human pregnancy test on her horses. When the test said 'pregnant,' they were. Something I'm not interested in trying!
-LOL-