Mini Horses
Herd Master
But they're lovely. Things will get better!! 
rachels.haven's Journal
- Thread starter rachels.haven
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Baymule
Herd Master
I used to lamb in February, which also is our coldest month. With sheep, if I take lambs to auction, the best prices are December, January and February. I try to lamb in September or October. Now, after moving twice, it’s all over the place. I have 8 due now.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
It is easy to breed Nubians in August for early January kids - they have such a long breeding season. LaManchas are the next easiest. I love January kids. If too cold hang up a shop light with a 100 watt bulb, they will cuddle under it , as long as they have shelter from cold winds.
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
The piglosion has begun.
The first is a litter of 5. Mom is a little young and not really being attentive to them (so of course big mom hog is trying to mom hog them and she probably already squished one in the process, I gotta split my sows...) So these guys may not make it, but we have two more sows/gilt to go.
An ugly brother.
A...less ugly brother.
SageHill
Herd Master
Well the second one is kinda' cute
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
Remember those fetal pigs from HS science you dissected and now ugly they were? Well...they don't come out looking any prettier, lol. Give them a few weeks.Well the second one is kinda' cute
I don't think this litter is going to make it. Mom really looks to be ignoring them. If they die, she can have another strike before striking out. She's very young.
SageHill
Herd Master
Oh gawd - yup I remember those! That was the best part of class
Baymule
Herd Master
They are cute! Baby piggies are cute, wrinkled little faces!
I hope the mom gets more interested in the litter, or at least gets better on the next litter.
I hope the mom gets more interested in the litter, or at least gets better on the next litter.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Cn you separate the mom and babies into their own smaller space now?
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
Well, mom has no milk and no desire to feed them or even lay around like a post labor pig should. The remaining three were desperately thirsty for the syringe and are now on a Pritchard nipple and goat milk and have lost that emaciated look. Mom is still not filling. She didn't really get full milk bars before farrowing either so these guys caught me by surprise. I guess she can have another try after this litter but that's not great. I may try beer on her next litter if I can catch her in labor to make her lay around and hopefully next time she'll have milk.
The boar is in with the barrow now and I'd like to get my females moved over to the field I made for them next chance I get. They each have their own pens and pig houses there. The boar wasn't messing with mom or piglets at all. Totally disinterested. This time I don't think the boar had anything to due with the losses.
Three bottle pigs left...one casualty looked like it ran out of gas before I got to it this morning, one got eaten (a little concerned about that, AGH people will tell you to cull all if that starts happening even if farrowing in groups) and the three remaining are inside gorging on goat milk until their bellies are fat several times a day now.
As a heads up, I suspect my xl mom hog will have a large litter and crush half to most of them again. These piglets are smaller than pop cans and she is like 300+ lbs huge. She was very determined in her farrowing trance last time to just lay there and let them nurse last time to the point she squished several in the process even after I separated her male room mate out. And once the trance ended she was still a nurse a holic to the point I was able to give her three more unrelated, different age piglets. I'm hoping her daughter has the same mothering instinct but in smaller size. Either way, big mom hog nurses everything that tries to nurse and after the piglets have their feet under them the causalities should stop and hopefully even my bottle piglets (if they try) should get fed.
It's getting noisy in here.
The boar is in with the barrow now and I'd like to get my females moved over to the field I made for them next chance I get. They each have their own pens and pig houses there. The boar wasn't messing with mom or piglets at all. Totally disinterested. This time I don't think the boar had anything to due with the losses.
Three bottle pigs left...one casualty looked like it ran out of gas before I got to it this morning, one got eaten (a little concerned about that, AGH people will tell you to cull all if that starts happening even if farrowing in groups) and the three remaining are inside gorging on goat milk until their bellies are fat several times a day now.
As a heads up, I suspect my xl mom hog will have a large litter and crush half to most of them again. These piglets are smaller than pop cans and she is like 300+ lbs huge. She was very determined in her farrowing trance last time to just lay there and let them nurse last time to the point she squished several in the process even after I separated her male room mate out. And once the trance ended she was still a nurse a holic to the point I was able to give her three more unrelated, different age piglets. I'm hoping her daughter has the same mothering instinct but in smaller size. Either way, big mom hog nurses everything that tries to nurse and after the piglets have their feet under them the causalities should stop and hopefully even my bottle piglets (if they try) should get fed.
It's getting noisy in here.
