Piglet Disaster!

[Pamela]

Well, we've lost 2 more. I mixed up the recipe yesterday because they were all looking skinny. All of them took to the pan feeding ravenously. This morning, the smallest was dead, and now the next smallest is too. The mom won't cooperate and lay so they can nurse very often.. we have 4 out of 15 left. I am so disgusted and sick about the whole thing. I also have no idea as to how to proceed. I think they'll all be dead by the end of the week.

 

[Pamela]

How is it that piglets you want so bad get squished by their Mom, and feral hogs proliferate like fleas?

I know, right ? This whole thing has been a nightmare

 

[samssimonsays]

I am so sorry that this is going so devastating for you... has she done this before?

 

[Pamela]

This is the first litter she has had on our place. She is an older experienced sow that came from a falls brand hog farm.

 

[samssimonsays]

And you don't have any history at all on her?

It could be a fluke or it could be that they were pawning off a problem onto someone else instead of being open about it or just dealing with the problem themselves... I hope it was a fluke.

 

[Pamela]

I don't know what to think about this mama pig (Penelope). I wonder if going from a structured hog farm to our little hobby farm has been too much change for her maternal instincts. It makes me very nervous for Clementine, who is next up. She came from the same place. My 16 year old son is wanting to make some money for his dance team's tour to Macedonia next summer and for an LDS mission the year after that. He was hoping to raise and sell piglets to help offset the costs . That's not going so well . I am starting to hope that Clementine is not bred. I don't want to do this again in another month.

 

[micah wotring]

Sooo sorry this is happening to you.
To be honest I'm not sure what's going on.
Hope the rest live for y'all.

 

[Baymule]

Does structured hog farm mean a confinement farm? If so, she doesn't know any other way to behave, it isn't her fault as much as she is a product of her environment and raising.

Find someone who pasture raises pigs. They will be more likely to live and thrive on your farmstead than a commercial hog.

 

[TAH]

Find someone who pasture raises pigs. They will be more likely to live and thrive on your farmstead than a commercial hog.

x2

 

[Pamela]

our Mama pig does pretty well, as long as we get her in the farrowing crate very soon after she gives birth. She has been raised on our place though. We got her when she was 6 weeks old and while, she has had losses, she also raises some really nice piglets. we will be keeping her. Penelope will not be staying with us.