Ferguson K
Herd Master
I missed the not eating part. I second this.
Bad mama pig
- Thread starter arrowti
- Start date
I missed the not eating part. I second this.
- Thread starter
- #12
She did expel the placenta, and she is doing better today. Her feedings are longer and she's somehow managed to avoid squishing other piglets. The 10 survivors are currently doing much better, and she is finally letting them feed longer.
Today she is up and eating and is a lot more careful. We'll keep watching her. We've got an antibiotic ready should she show such signs again.
Today she is up and eating and is a lot more careful. We'll keep watching her. We've got an antibiotic ready should she show such signs again.
- Thread starter
- #13
It's been a week so I just wanted to do another little update. Bell's 10 piglets are all doing fine, and the injured one is healing. No more leg dragging, just a limp. She hops after her brother and sisters when they run. Pebbles (Wilma's baby) is doing wonderful. We found two more dead piglets in her nest, so in total she had 6. She is extremely protective of her baby, and growls at anyone who approaches, but hasn't attacked anyone. Mostly just warning us that she will protect her piglet if we hurt her. No plans on doing that!
Bell, on the other hand... she has to go. Once her piglets are weaned, she's going. This morning she walks all the way to Wilma's hut (a good 30 feet at least), charges in and attacks her while she's lying down with Pebbles. Fortunately Pebbles is unhurt and Wilma attacked her right back and chased her out. We're putting up a wire to separate them completely. I can't understand why she would attack Wilma who is not even in her line of sight, especially when she's nursing a piglet. Wilma has never gone anywhere near Bell's piglets, and she'd never hurt a piglet, and hasn't even snapped at one before, even when it wasn't her own. Wilma is unhurt.
I don't know what's going on with Bell. She's acting like a completely different pig altogether. She'd never attacked another pig before.
Adding a few pictures of the piglets, since everyone loves pictures:
Pebbles with Wilma: http://screenshot.sh/n7XXScdr3dJax
Bell's 10 piglets: http://screenshot.sh/m1OymBKzKznND
Wilma is a pure mulefoot, and so is the father of both litters, Fred (Flintstones, anyone?). Bell is a Tamworth/Duroc mix, so her piglets are much bigger than Wilma's piglets, even from the last litter.
Bell, on the other hand... she has to go. Once her piglets are weaned, she's going. This morning she walks all the way to Wilma's hut (a good 30 feet at least), charges in and attacks her while she's lying down with Pebbles. Fortunately Pebbles is unhurt and Wilma attacked her right back and chased her out. We're putting up a wire to separate them completely. I can't understand why she would attack Wilma who is not even in her line of sight, especially when she's nursing a piglet. Wilma has never gone anywhere near Bell's piglets, and she'd never hurt a piglet, and hasn't even snapped at one before, even when it wasn't her own. Wilma is unhurt.
I don't know what's going on with Bell. She's acting like a completely different pig altogether. She'd never attacked another pig before.
Adding a few pictures of the piglets, since everyone loves pictures:
Pebbles with Wilma: http://screenshot.sh/n7XXScdr3dJax
Bell's 10 piglets: http://screenshot.sh/m1OymBKzKznND
Wilma is a pure mulefoot, and so is the father of both litters, Fred (Flintstones, anyone?). Bell is a Tamworth/Duroc mix, so her piglets are much bigger than Wilma's piglets, even from the last litter.
Glad Bell didn't cause any damage or further loss of piglets. Hope everything goes well moving forward.
Baymule
Herd Master
What size/weight do Mulefoots get to? Wilma and Fred.... 
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- #16
Baymule
Herd Master
I am considering pigs and researched Mulefoots. Weights were crazy, different articles had different weights, from 500 to 1200 pounds. I am thinking about Idaho Pasture Pigs because they top out at 350 for sows to 450 for boars and have short upturned snouts. I don't want a 1200 army tank on pig feet rooting up everything. But you are saying weights are from 400 to 600 pounds, that is intriguing. Will they get bigger?
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- #18
I believe they can. Ours are only a year and a half old (will be 2 years this fall). We just started raising pigs with them.
Mulefoots grow much slower than other breeds, so they probably can get to huge sizes after a awhile. The weights are probably all over the place because people might just raise them for meat and change out the breeding pairs every so often before they reach their full size. Time will tell I guess!
Mulefoots grow much slower than other breeds, so they probably can get to huge sizes after a awhile. The weights are probably all over the place because people might just raise them for meat and change out the breeding pairs every so often before they reach their full size. Time will tell I guess!
Baymule
Herd Master
Thanks for the info. Be sure to keep us updated on how they do.
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- #20
Well, I have been reading all the cute threads about goats kidding and I am quite envious. Today, I finally got the gender ratio on Bell's piglets. SEVEN males, 3 females. The 3 piglets that died were also male. So out of 13 piglets, 10 males, 3 females!
We'll be castrating the males this weekend. Castration is my third least favourite thing (after sending them to the market (I get really sad, even though they taste good), and finding dead piglets). We've never had so many males in one litter! Too bad it was too cold last weekend to do it, they would've been a little easier. Thank goodness Pebbles is a girl!
We'll be castrating the males this weekend. Castration is my third least favourite thing (after sending them to the market (I get really sad, even though they taste good), and finding dead piglets). We've never had so many males in one litter! Too bad it was too cold last weekend to do it, they would've been a little easier. Thank goodness Pebbles is a girl!
