About Farrowing Pigs

Before Farrowing

• Farrow means to give birth. From the time a sow is bred or artificially inseminated to farrowing takes about 114 days. The parturition process requires planning and close supervision. Sows are moved to clean and dry farrowing stalls from one to five days before giving birth. The stall are designed to prevent the sow from rolling over on the newborn piglets. Mother pigs are checked every 30 to 60 minutes until they farrow. Enlarged mammary glands and milk secretion are signs the birthing is near.

Farrowing

• When a sow lies on her side and starts straining, farrowing begins. The process is preceded by passage of bloody fluid. After the birth of the first piglet, the rest of the litter follows with a delivery every 15 minutes. The baby pigs are born half head-first and half tail-first. Farrowing usually takes around two and a half hours, unless the litter is very large. The placenta is expelled from two to four hours after the last delivery.

Difficulties

• Sometimes pigs have problems requiring the farmer's intervention while farrowing. A gestation period lasting more than 116 days is a sign of trouble. If a blood-tinged discharge occurs along with straining and no delivery, or if the piglets arrive more than an hour apart, the uterus and birth canal should be examined for the cause of the complications. With an arm inserted into the birth canal, the unborn pigs can be pulled out by the snout and manually delivered.

Post-Farrowing

• Baby pigs are most vulnerable from the time they are born until they are weaned. Regular observation prevents the loss of piglets from disease, not getting enough to eat, or crushing by the mother. The pigs' living quarters are cleaned and sanitized with disinfectant. Stalls are regularly mucked out to remove manure. Floors are scrubbed with lye, and the entire farrowing house can be fumigated to prevent scours, an often fatal type of pig diarrhea.