Am I just being too paranoid, or what?? I have read past posts to find the signs for when the pig is about to farrow. Well, my pig's milk came in on Weds. We though, oh, that means 24 hours and we should have piglets, Thursday came and went and still no piglets, Friday is coming and almost gone and still nothing! She is not showing signs of distress that I can tell. She is laying around alot of course, but not grunting or groaning or doesn't seem to be in pain that she may need help. Should we just sit tight and see, or do we need to call a Vet and get this moving or what? ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If she will get up and drink and eat, she's OK. When you say her milk came in, what are the signs of this that you are going by. If the milk is dripping from her teats, she should be close. Is her rear swollen up like a tennis ball? When was she bred? If she gets hot and starts panting while giving birth, don't pour cold water on her. Just pour some on the ground where she can lay on the damp area. As long as she will get up and walk she should be all right.
I have 3 kids, one came 2 weeks late, one on the due date, one 2 weeks early, slept on milky sheets before each one. If sow looks ok don't worry. Rule of thumb for pigs is 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, and 3 in the morning!
We are waiting on one of our gilts right now. Her vulva has been swollen (and still getting bigger) for two weeks now. I keep getting excited everytime she lays on her side and starts breathing heavy. She will have them when I least expect it and am not around. Darn pigs.... Jennifer
When I say her milk has come in, I mean by we have to squeeze a teat to get milk to come out - it is not dripping yet. We do not know when she was bred because the person we bought her from said she was due the end of May (he thought) and well, we know that isn't the case LOL. I guess I won't stress out too much then. She is eating and drinking and getting up now and then. Thanks so much for your help and we'll keep you updated.
Another sign to watch for is a waxy coating that appears on their teats a couple days before the blessed event.
