I...she survived...Piglets!

[frustratedearthmother]

@Mini Horses Aren't you expecting piglets too? If so - when? My gal is pretty roly poly these days but still should have a month or so to go.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yep...both the first week of December.....about 5=7 days apart. Whirlwind romance. Talk about being treated well before butcher, those boys did

Looking at Rosie & Tiny today, they appear in good shape and they are not small. Well, compared to full sized hogs they are. These AGH have such short legs it does make them look chunky (which they are). So, they are end of first trimester.

I have two huts for them and they have been in both but, like to sleep together in one as they have since babies. Will need to watch to see if they will start to each use one when nesting begins, otherwise I will need to split them. Geesh, they are just next door to each other....same size...hope they "get it".
Plenty of room for both of them in either but, with litters, it would be too much. Pigs are pretty smart, we'll see.

 

[Alicia]

Hello all. Updated photo... and I was wondering about their teeth. I have heard of people cutting them....??

 

[Alicia]

Congrats and good luck on the soon to be new arrivals! I've been having a great time with these guys so far

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I was wondering about their teeth

I'm wondering the same. I have AGH's like @Mini Horses does. Most of the reading I've done says that most AGH breeders don't clip teeth. My sow is due in less than 4 weeks. My plan is to keep a good watch on her udder (is it even called an udder in pigs??) and if I see damage being done, I'll try to clip. If no damage - I'm not going to worry about it.

I bought this sow when she had just farrowed - her piglets were 10 days old when I brought the little family home. I looked at her udder then and didn't see any damage. My guess, based on her last farrowing, is that it won't be necessary...

 

[NH homesteader]

I'm going to ask my pig breeder friend about this. I've read it was "necessary" but to my knowledge he doesn't do it. So I'll find out for sure.

 

[farmerjan]

Everyone has a different opinion, but since I farrowed my hogs in dirt lots, never worried about iron shots. Never clipped the needle teeth either. Both are mostly done in confinement hogs and the clipping needs to be done in the first day or two so I wouldn't even wonder about it at this point. Maybe @misfitmorgan will have other advice. Yes it is called an udder in hogs just like any other mammal. If you are in an iron deficient area a shot won't hurt them and it used to available over the counter. It's not much, like a cc or so per shot, just read the bottle. Be sure to have the pigs separate from momma cuz if they squeal and she gets upset she will go after you as a protective instinct. NO JOKE. And I have seen sows get so upset to actually bite the pigs in frustration when a pig starts to squeal. They can't think, they just react.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I did ask the breeder that I bought them from if she did iron shots and she did not - or teeth clipping. Thankfully the AGH's are a very gentle breed. I was handling her babies without more than a glance from the sow. But, I would NEVER turn my back on any mama animal whose offspring I was fooling with. Just not smart! Even though the AGH's are "gentle" doesn't mean they don't have strong instincts. I, for one, will be very cautious until I know how she's going to react.

 

[Alicia]

Thanks for the info! Our potbelly momma has been very calm when we r with her and babies....but she is always watching.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Everyone has a different opinion, but since I farrowed my hogs in dirt lots, never worried about iron shots. Never clipped the needle teeth either. Both are mostly done in confinement hogs and the clipping needs to be done in the first day or two so I wouldn't even wonder about it at this point. Maybe @misfitmorgan will have other advice. Yes it is called an udder in hogs just like any other mammal. If you are in an iron deficient area a shot won't hurt them and it used to available over the counter. It's not much, like a cc or so per shot, just read the bottle. Be sure to have the pigs separate from momma cuz if they squeal and she gets upset she will go after you as a protective instinct. NO JOKE. And I have seen sows get so upset to actually bite the pigs in frustration when a pig starts to squeal. They can't think, they just react.

Not at all i agree. If they are on dirt you dont need iron shots unless your in a deficient area, i dont clip teeth either and yep your past the point of clipping now. If you clip them older then a day or two you can cause abscesses. If you need to get iron, yes you can get it at TSC our's keep it in the same cooler they have the other vaccines in but i have seen it on the shelf before too near the nutri-drench and milk replacer area, it should be called "Iron Dextran" and it has a sketch of a pig on the front. Doesnt hurt to give it to them the bottle is $10 and the dose is 1ml per piggie intramuscular(we do the left thigh) and you can repeat 10 days later if needed but i have never had too. If your going ot give Iron shots they will need it in the first 4 days of life if your trying to prevent anemia.

1,000 times what @farmerjan said about watch mamma pig We watched a ticked off mama sow take out a wall to get to her babies when they were getting shots, clipped, notched, tagged, and docked. It's no joke they are so much stronger then you think. That was not our pig because we would refuse to have that personality in our barn....just be careful.

Also....we had piglet born saturday! Only 4 but oddly very similar colors to yours, 2 all black boys, one black boy with a white head and one red girl with black spots.