New Litter and Treating A Hypothermic Piglet

ErikaMay · #1 09/13/14, 12:14 AM

So Peppercorn finally farrowed last night. YAY! She spent hours on her nest. I gave her a beer which didn't do much, so i gave her another because she liked it so much and i figured liquid carbs were good for her.

She was a GREAT momma last time, so I gave her a more rustic set up. no roller bars, no heat lamp just hay.

So sun goes down and she started to finally give birth. It got cold quick, I wouldn't be suprised if it was in the 30's. Almost crushed the first two because she was having some trouble and was squirming to get in a good position, I assisted moving them. She had a HUGE one come out after almost 40-60 minutes. After that they started flying out. 15 total.

It was cold and I didn't do a heat lamp. Two piglets decided to wander off together in search of who knows what. I found them in the morning next to the fence line with one chilled but okay, the other ice cold, catatonic, no breath. Basically dead. I moved it and its jaw flopped open with a little resistance so i knew there was a glimmer of life, though its eyes were nearly glazed over.

Picked him up, took him inside and gave him a warm water bath. I started off with lukewarm water so as not to shock his system anymore than it was. Slowing warmed it up and he started moving. Convulsions into shivers. Decided when he started squeaking he was ready to come out. Set him up in a blanket with a blow dryer for a bit. After 20 minutes his belly was still cool, though he was clearly pulling through. Stuck him back in water, warmer this time. 5 minutes of a warm bath pulled him back out to dry off (was afraid of him taking a big breath, sucking up some water then choking ). I got my roommate involved so she stuck him in her shirt and kept the blow dryer on him again. I syringe fed him some warm sheep milk (because warm tummies are good for cold), though he wasn't interested at first. Almost purchased some b vit complex the other day, should have!

He made it, though. at 9 am we took him back outside and stuck him with everyone and and he was strong enough to fight for a teat, not a great fight but a little something. Amazing! not 2 hours before was he basically dead!

He was fine when I came home from work 8 hours later. Of course, a warm day helped. Still has a little frostbit on his ear, but not too bad. he looked pretty happy in my friends shirt, probably thought he died and went to heaven.

Moral of the story: a hypothermic pig (or any other animal) can recover using a warm water bath. Also, heat lamps are nice because piglets had a warm place to curl up so they don't have to go on a journey to the ends of the earth.

==

Now heres my only problem: Peppercorn is the only pig in milk right now and she has a total of 15 teats (yeah, uneaven, what of it?~!) and 15 piglets. there seems to be a 1 lb difference between the biggest and the smallest piglets. I'm concerned a few arnt/won't get enough from her back teats alone. Do I need to worry?

**highlands** · #2 09/13/14, 06:14 AM

We too do what we call 'hot tubbing' the pigs if they go hypothermic. This is also useful for killing of infections.

Pigs that we need to intervene on get marked as feeders or roasters, not breeders.

-Walter

njenner · #3 09/13/14, 09:11 AM

Great recovery! Congrats!

ErikaMay · #4 09/13/14, 10:27 AM

Good point, Walter. Sometimes its too bad because it seems its just chance that makes intervention necessary.

After my starving piglet last litter and a skinny one last night I was worried about everyone getting enough to eat. But everyone was fat and happy this morning, so I guess I don't need to worry! I love this pig, she is such a great momma and has such a relaxed and trusting attitude, though shes still alert.

**highlands** · #5 09/13/14, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErikaMay

Good point, Walter. Sometimes its too bad because it seems its just chance that makes intervention necessary.

Aye, but I don't want bad luck pigs either. Luck is a funny thing.

What if it were possible to select for good luck or bad luck? Or more likely what if what we see as good and bad luck are actual factors we don't understand, yet. Thus any pig who gets interventions gets a mark against it. It is at the very least, a pig with bad luck.

On the flip side I have two sister gilts who are pigs with very good luck, if luck is what it is. That is a mark in their favor.

Sometimes we make our luck, sometimes it makes us.

-Walter

3acres · #6 09/13/14, 03:50 PM

Nice save! Good looking pigs! Wow, 15 babies!

ErikaMay · #7 09/14/14, 12:50 PM

Ms.Peppercorn actually almost an intervention piglet. day 2 her back leg's skin got sheared off. I cleaned it once, but it was Janurary so the chance of infection and flies was low so i let it go, just kept an eye on her. She did fine, fought off infection, was happy and healthy.

She made it! She's got a huge scar, but none the worse for the wear.

JenniferLedlow · #8 09/14/14, 11:23 PM

That is a lot of babies! Congratulations!!

bmurphy96 · #9 09/15/14, 09:11 AM

Pigs and cuts are amazing. I have a piglet in our last litter that we think his mamma may have stepped on the side area of him -- he had a big two to three inch skin rip. He was less than a week old and we didn't give him anything for it. He is now perfectly fine and about to be weaned

The antibodies running through a pig must be amazing!

keith

gerold · #10 09/15/14, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmurphy96

Pigs and cuts are amazing. I have a piglet in our last litter that we think his mamma may have stepped on the side area of him -- he had a big two to three inch skin rip. He was less than a week old and we didn't give him anything for it. He is now perfectly fine and about to be weaned

The antibodies running through a pig must be amazing!

keith

Got a runt bluebutt/hereford that the Sow stepped on its ham, torn the hide off. It is 15 days old now. It looks like it may heal up. The Hereford Sow will not let anyone close to her pigs.