# If I run my boar and sows together how do I deal with birthing piglets



## Pumpkinpup (Jan 20, 2010)

I am very new to breeding pigs. I have raised a shoat for meat many times but never had my own boar and sow before now and need advice on housing and management of the two sows and boar.
I fear if I run them together that the babies will be put at jepordy by the other sow and boar. What to I do to handle this situation?


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## jhm47 (Jan 20, 2010)

You MUST separate them when they get close to farrowing.  If you don't, the babies will likely be crushed by the older ones.


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## Livinzoo (Jan 21, 2010)

I would say that it depends on how large of an area the pigs have.  If they have a large pasture you might be able to let them farrow in the pasture.  Here is a good site about pasture raising hogs http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2007/06/petra-pigs-pastured-piglet.html

It is what I intend to do come April and my litters are due.


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## kstaven (Jan 21, 2010)

Crushing and violence is a very real potential, but not necessarily something that will happen. Space and individual traits of the animal are big determining factors in this. We have a friend here who ranges 50+ and never pens. Some people just seem to be able to manage animals in ways that others say are impossible.


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## Pumpkinpup (Jan 21, 2010)

I am not lucky enough to have large paddocks. I had considered building a three stall hog house with small open paddock connected to each stall and give the animals the choice to go in and out at their own whim. I have two sows and a boar. If I did it this way each hog would have it's very own space.
How do you think this would work?


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## jhm47 (Jan 21, 2010)

One of our neighbors used to raise his pigs this way.  They usually all ganged up in the same pen, but when a sow got ready to farrow, she would go into her own "private" pen and have her babies.  Worked quite well for him.


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## WallTenters (Feb 15, 2010)

I raised breeding pigs for several years with a lot of success... some advice:

A good sow will always seperate herself and her litter from the "herd" for at least three days, possibly more. I had one sow that would not communicate with the others until her piglets were 7 days old. During this time frame, I always put the sow and litter in a farrowing shed. The sow will eat and drink very little during the first few days of the piglet's life. She will eat if it's tasty, but don't be surprised if she goes off-feed for the first few days.

A GREAT sow will head for the hills if she can. She won't look for food or even water sometimes during the first three critical days of her piglet's lives. When they are ready, she will come back and rejoin the herd.

I usually kept my sows separate for about a week or more after they farrowed, depending on the sow and pasturemates. 


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All of that and no answer!  My concern would not be for the piglets - pigs are usually very docile towards each other. My concern would be fertility issues. 

Some sows will not settle (or not stand at all) for a boar that they are pastured with. I had read about this but didn't have any problems until two of my replacement gilts didn't settle after being covered several times. My boar was settling other sows, and these gilts settled right away when bred with another boar. The only thing I could think of was that they had been either pastured with him or in a run next to his the majority of their lives. I had another sow refuse to stand for my other boar with the same situation. 

I think it's best to keep boars separated anyway. They can easily exhaust themselves breeding if more than one sow is coming into heat at once (which they will eventually all cycle together), and you will end up with a tired boar and only 1-2 covered sows. It's better to expose the sow to the boar when she's in standing heat every 12hrs or so until she goes out of standing heat (usually 1 day). I bred in the morning and evening, and again in the morning if the sow was still in heat. 

This helped the boar concentrate on the lady in front of him instead of having to chase them all!  He didn't have to do all the checking - I helped him skip that step. I had great success with this.

When my sows were pregnant (after 21 days) I would turn the boar out with them. They didn't bother them if they weren't in season, but I always kept gentlemen boars as well. Only one boar at a time though! They will fight! 


Hope that helped!


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## 77Herford (Aug 23, 2011)

Livinzoo said:
			
		

> I would say that it depends on how large of an area the pigs have.  If they have a large pasture you might be able to let them farrow in the pasture.  Here is a good site about pasture raising hogs http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2007/06/petra-pigs-pastured-piglet.html
> 
> It is what I intend to do come April and my litters are due.


Sweet blog.  One of my Hereford Sow's came pregnant and the farmer wasn't sure when she was due as he was in the hospital for a while.  I have minor expierence with Pigs but have researched some.  She is making a nest near some bushes, lol.  I guess we'll have piglets soon.


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## Lisellev (Feb 5, 2018)

Hi, not sure if this thread is still active but I'm having a bit of a pig emergency and thought I'd reach out:

I read this thread (among other things) when I realized my newly acquired Agh sow was preganant and prepared a birthing shed from her.  I moved her along with the rest of her family down to a pasture away from the shed a couple of days ago while I finished up securing her birthing space.  Today I went to love her back up to the birthing space and she ran off into the forest on blm.  Before now she has always come very easily and willingly to a bell. I ring when I have treats for her but this time she just bolted.  I thought of the comment "a good sow will run for the hills before she gives birth"  from this thread and am thinking this is what she did.  I'm of course it oookinh for her and ringing her bell, but I have a feeling she is off preparing her nest deep in the forest and I can only pray that she and her piglets are safe from the predators (main one she'll have to worry about around here is cougars and maybe bob cats).  Any advice?  Any idea how many days she may be gone before heading back to her herd?  I won't move them until she does, but I want an idea of how long I should hold out hope that they may return.  Thank you and your wishes and prayers and positive thoughts for her are also welcome  thank you!!


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## Latestarter (Feb 5, 2018)

First off... Greetings and welcome to BYH! This was a dead thread, last posted to 6.5 years ago. No matter. Sorry that your run away pig brought you to us but glad you joined us. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!Not sure how you'll get her back if you can't find her and she doesn't want to come. Hopefully, after birthing, she'll decide to come back with the piglets. Keep your hopes up and keep going to where you last saw her and calling and ringing.

Oh, if you haven't done so already, PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. Old folks like me   will never remember from this thread. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes.  Thanks! Hope you enjoy the site!

@Mini Horses @misfitmorgan @Farmer Connie @farmerjan   Any (of the many) others?


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## farmerjan (Feb 6, 2018)

If she is that close to farrowing, and she has "bolted for the wilds" then it is very unlikely she will come to you at this point.  It is true that they will often not eat or drink much for the first few days if in a semi-wild state.  If in a comfy pen and the owner is at their beck and call they will more often be willing to get up and leave the babies to eat and/or drink and to go to the bathroom.
So, that said.... leave the other pigs/hogs in the field where she "bolted from" for at least 2 weeks if at all possible.  And make sure when you go feed them, to ring the bell that she is accustomed to.  But be prepared for her to come back by herself and not bring the piglets for awhile.  If she comes back for feed, you might be able to follow her back to the nest where she had the piglets, but be aware that if she feels threatened by your presence, she also could move them.  Or she could bet very aggressive and protective and you could get bitten or otherwise hurt.  

Not saying she will do any of these things.   BUT, you said she was newly acquired, so is less likely to be as trusting of you as one that you raised.  And when a hog has a litter, you just don't know, how hormones will affect her, and what  attitude she will take.

There is little that you can do to protect her from predators, because if you get near her and she has not farrowed, she could move, or if she has them and gets upset, sows have also been known to kill their own pigs when in a state of agitation.

The pigs will become pretty active by about 2 weeks, but they will tire easily and moving them might be difficult.  

Hopefully you will be able to find them, and she will realize that coming for feed is preferable to being a "wild hog".

Next time, do whatever you have to do to prepare a place for her, then move the others away and leave her, or any other sow, where they are.  They often will not like being moved that close to farrowing.  They prefer to choose their own space and it is often  not too far from where they are familiar.


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## Lisellev (Feb 6, 2018)

Thank you so much for the warm welcome and encouragement!

I found her!  It was truky like finding a needle in a haystack.  Found her this morning and doing well with 9 of the 12! Piglets she had birthed!  It was a feat, but we did manage to get her and the piglets moved to safety!
Thanks again!


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## Farmer Connie (Feb 6, 2018)




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## Latestarter (Feb 7, 2018)

Wow... that's great to hear! Post some pics if you get the chance. I as well as others would love to see.


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## farmerjan (Feb 7, 2018)

So glad that you found her and was able to get her moved with no obvious physical "damage" to yourselves. 9 piglets is a pretty good sized litter to take care of, it is sad to lose a few but as long as she takes care of these after getting her moved then you did good.


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## Dani4Hedgies (Feb 7, 2018)

Congrat on finding your wild Nellie and getting 9 healthy happy piggies out of it. Can't wait to see pictures of them.


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## Lisellev (Feb 8, 2018)

Yes, we were sooo lucky to find her and be able to move her and piglets safely (for all).  Here she is with the babes just before we moved her.

By the way, I haven't had a chance to get into my profile yet, but we're in Southern Oregon


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## Latestarter (Feb 8, 2018)

Nicely done!


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