Help! Pregnant pig??

[jobird]

Anyone and everyone please chime in with your pig pregnancy knowledge and experience!

We acquired this (I am assuming) little mini pig at a farm auction about a month ago so we know nothing at all about her history. She was soooo tiny. We had suspicious she may be pregnant after getting her home and having a chance to look at her closely. I was not sure if her growth over the past few weeks has been due to eating well/overeating or normal growth… or if she truly is pregnant.

Today I noticed her ‘lady parts’ seemed to be noticeably more swollen and more red than usual and it almost seems to me that she is starting to get milk lines. Is it my imagination? Her belly hangs and swings when she walks! Is this girl pregnant or is she just getting too fat? Any ideas how long she has if she is pregnant? Thanks in advance!

 

[Finnie]

I can’t help you, but I’m sure other people with pig knowledge will come along.

@Mini Horses
@rachels.haven

 

[farmerjan]

If she is showing milk lines then usually a month or so.... MAYBE... I am not any expert on mini pigs. When you said so tiny, I thought you meant like little baby tiny... she may seem small to you for a mini but she looks plenty mature and big enough for farrowing...

 

[jobird]

Thanks for the replies! This was her this morning. Since yesterday she has just been nibbling at her feed and hanging out under her shelter. She usually screams at me to be fed at feed time and cleans her bowl for morning and evening feeds and is pretty active most of the time. So, I closed her shelter off from the other other animals to keep an eye on her just in case (she is fenced in with goats).

I’ve seen photos of other minis whose bellies drug the ground before farrowing and others whose didn’t. Having no history on this girl, I’d just like as much input from others as I can get so I can be as prepared as possible

 

[jobird]

If she is showing milk lines then usually a month or so.... MAYBE... I am not any expert on mini pigs. When you said so tiny, I thought you meant like little baby tiny... she may seem small to you for a mini but she looks plenty mature and big enough for farrowing...

Edited to add: a photo a couple weeks after we got her. Maybe that will help! So this first photo is on August 7th, the day we got her and the second is on August 18th.

Sorry for the misunderstanding… not baby tiny, but she didn’t seem big enough that you would suspect she was pregnant! This is a photo of her the day we brought her home. A friend of mine that used to be a commercial pig farmer took one look at her and said “I believe that pig is pregnant”! I thought, no way! Anyway, She’s grown substantially over the past month. Understandably, if she was very young AND pregnant.

If she is showing milk lines then usually a month or so.... MAYBE... I am not any expert on mini pigs. When you said so tiny, I thought you meant like little baby tiny... she may seem small to you for a mini but she looks plenty mature and big enough for farrowing...

 

[canesisters]

What are the measurements of the boards behind her?
I'm sure it's just the perspective of the camera but it looks like she could sleep in her feed pan.

 

[jobird]

I can’t help you, but I’m sure other people with pig knowledge will come along.

@Mini Horses
@rachels.haven

What are the measurements of the boards behind her?
I'm sure it's just the perspective of the camera but it looks like she could sleep in her feed pan.

It’s the perspective I believe they are either 54 or 56 inches. The only reason I can remember is because I just measured them the other day for perspective for building a chicken coop. Lol. It’s just a long pallet flipped sideways

What are the measurements of the boards behind her?
I'm sure it's just the perspective of the camera but it looks like she could sleep in her feed pan.

 

[farmerjan]

The picture from this morning makes me think that farrowing is VERY CLOSE... Individual teat development is usually a sign of close to having pigs.
Off feed is another sign. I think you could be looking at pigs very soon..
And the perspective is really something... the first picture made her look much bigger than the picture of her up against the pallet type fence behind her.

 

[jobird]

Yes! That’s why I tried to add some photos. Depending on how she is standing really makes a huge difference! The one with her in front of the pallet boards.. she was kneeling, getting ready to lay down so her belly wasn’t quite as pronounced looking but you could really see the individual teat development. The others you’re talking about may have been zoomed in so that can throw you off too.

She started acting ‘off’ about yesterday afternoon-ish wanting to just lay down in her shelter and still hasn’t finished her feed from yesterday morning. So far no signs of active labor besides maybe some rapid breathing but it’s been really hot here. I haven’t been able to get her comfortable enough with being handled yet so I’m hoping for no complications.

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

One of our kunekunes went off feed the morning before she gave birth, and didn't eat for a full day afterward, the other ate right before farrowing AND right after, so it just depends on the pig. But it sounds like you're getting close! If you can handle her at all, try squeezing one of her nipples. If milk comes out, you should have piglets within 12 hours. That was very accurate for us. I hope it goes well! Piglets are so much fun!