How long does a pig's pregnancy last and how to know if a sow is pregnant if for the first time


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A pig is an animal highly prized by people for its delicious meat. The pet was domesticated a long time ago, which is why all its habits have been well studied, and the rules for caring for it have been developed. Recently, it has become very common to raise pigs for sale at home. Such breeding requires a lot of effort, time and skill. In addition, in order to breed these animals, you need to know how much a pregnant pig walks.

How long does a pregnant pig walk

Even just raising these animals for yourself saves a lot of money and keeps you from low-quality meat and many diseases. Farmers need to know how many piglets a pig is carrying, how to feed a pregnant pig, how to prepare a pigsty for offspring. These are all important questions for those who decide to seriously engage in animal breeding.

How to tell if a Vietnamese pig is pregnant

Unlike the Pietrain and Landrace breeds, the Vietnamese sow and boar are ready for mating at 3 months. But experienced farmers say that the first mating is best done in 5-5.5 months, like in ordinary breeds. Read about how many days the pig walks in this material.

Despite the early puberty, the older the pig is, the easier it is to give birth. Also, the percentage of healthy offspring increases with the age aspect.

Signs of pregnancy and bellied mumps

Gynecological signs by which the breeder understands that fertilization was successful:

  1. The sow calms down, is more passive and good-natured.
  2. A sharp increase in weight begins, the forms are rounded.
  3. The animal constantly carries straw to one place, as if building a nest.
  4. The nipples swell, turn red. If you gently press on them, then a clear liquid appears - colostrum.
  5. After intercourse in an ordinary pig, repeated attraction is noticed after 2-3 weeks. The absence of this is another sign of pregnancy.
  6. On the genitals, you can sometimes see white, porous discharge.

The rapid set of muscle mass helps to determine that the female is preparing for childbirth and rearing of the offspring. All of the above signs signal the owners that the pig is ready for farrowing.

How many months does a pregnant woman bear offspring

In terms of the duration and course of pregnancy, Vietnamese pigs differ little from ordinary ones. The simplest terms in obstetrics are called 3 triplets: 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days. More precisely, from 114 to 120 days. The term varies from the number of pups born, the weight of the pig, what kind of pregnancy is in the account and other gynecological factors.

A quick birth process is preceded by a prolapse of the abdomen, a clear selection of the cotyledons, the restless nature of the animal.

Number of piglets

It is difficult to predict how many offspring a sow will give birth to. As a rule, during the first pregnancy, this is about 5 piglets, then the numbers vary from 9 to 14 per farrowing.

Factors affecting duration

The full period of pregnancy depends on certain points:

  1. Pig age. Mature individuals carry offspring in fewer weeks.
  2. Number of farrowings. The first and second occur much later than all subsequent ones.
  3. Season. In summer, the gestation period is lengthened, in winter, delivery occurs much earlier.
  4. Number of offspring. If fewer than 6 piglets develop in the womb, the pregnancy is delayed.
  5. Breed. For example, in Vietnamese individuals, pregnancy lasts 114-117 days, and in large whites - even longer.
  6. Conditions of detention and quality of food.


It is possible to notice that the animal's body undergoes obvious physiological changes after insemination by the following signs:

  • discharge of a curd consistency from the vagina;
  • lethargic state (the pig lies more often than walks);
  • lack of normal appetite;
  • significant increase in mass in the female;
  • lack of signs of sexual desire.

Conditions for the sow

Healthy offspring are born under the most comfortable conditions during the pregnancy of the sow. Particular attention must be paid to nutrition: it must be complete and balanced. Read here how to do pig breeding at home.

  1. The animal is allocated the driest, cleanest and softest, warmest enclosure in the barn... The place is prepared especially carefully in winter.
  2. Try not to give to other pigs go to her personal territory.
  3. Avoid stress since despite the calm temper during pregnancy, at the same time, the animal is very shy and cautious.
  4. Providing a complete, balanced diet. This is an important point, since after farrowing, the pig throws off a large mass and it is very difficult for her to recover, since the piglets require nutrients, vitamins in her milk.


Feeding table

Preparation rules

At the end of pregnancy, the pig can be compared to a long ball, as the belly becomes simply huge. After the lowering of the belly and the appearance of other signs of imminent delivery, they begin to prepare a place for it.

2-3 days before the process of birth of piglets, the pig is allocated a separate, isolated stall, in which to separate half for future offspring.

A few days before the start, food and drink is limited and minimized; the floor is covered with thick straw... The pig itself is washed, especially carefully passed over the belly and udder; the skin is treated with an antiseptic.

Also, before giving birth, prepare all the necessary things for this:

  1. Burlap, clean old towels. They wipe off the mucus from the pig.
  2. The umbilical cord cut is treated with iodine
  3. 2-3 buckets of warm, room temperature or warmer water temperature will be useful for washing pigs and pups after farrowing.
  4. Newborn boxes and an incandescent lamp are needed to heat the newly born piglets. It's a good idea to additionally wrap them in burlap.
  5. Oxytocin stimulates the process and speeds up labor.


Oxytocin is injected to induce labor.

Oxytocin is sold in ampoules at a regular, non-veterinary pharmacy. Injected into the skin under the ear twice if childbirth is expected to be difficult.

Signs of near farrowing: refusal to eat, dripping milk

To understand the imminent signs of farrowing Vietnamese pigs, you should carefully monitor the animal:

The first thing that catches your eye is that a calm and good-natured sow begins to rush, get nervous and tries to be closer to people.

  • a week before childbirth, the abdomen drops, the nipples swell strongly;
  • One of the sure signs that in a few hours farrowing will begin: milk begins to drip from the mammary glands instead of colostrum;
  • the sow stops eating and drinking, or the number is significantly reduced.

Disinfectants must be selected without odor and any fragrances.

Care

After giving birth, especially the first ones, it is worth paying attention to the pig and helping her to adapt after giving birth, and the piglets to a new life.

For the sow

One of the basic rules for the fastest recovery and increase in milk volume is high-calorie, vitamin-rich food and in large quantities. But the first dish after childbirth is a liquid talker made of milk and oatmeal.

Make the pig get up and walk around the pen; if she doesn’t want to and is lying all the time, call the veterinarian. Take her outside after 5 days to relieve her postpartum condition.

Piglets

Absolutely everyone, Vietnamese pigs and ordinary, impeccably healthy, suffer from anemia, that is, the body of newborns initially lacks iron and copper. The main signs are:

  • piglets are freezing;
  • eat poorly and lag behind in development;
  • in difficult cases, the temperature rises with a rapidly developing fever.

After 10 days, the piglets are injected with Ursoferran and Ferroselenite, but the baby's weight should exceed 1 kg.

After the first week on mother's milk, the piglets begin to introduce chalk, clay, then little by little compound feed and water with drinking water. After 2 weeks, the cubs are ready to completely eat adult food. You can find out what to feed the piglets by following this link.

Weakened newborns are force-fed from a bottle and try to keep a constant room temperature above 30 ° C.


Weakened piglets should be additionally bottle fed.

Pregnancy stages

Each animal develops in two stages. Ontogenesis is understood as the embryonic (uterine) period, then the time of the postembryonic cycle begins. The fruits in the pig's body are growing all the time, changing and gradually becoming similar to adults with the genotype of the parents.

The direct growth of each pig is laid down at the level of the genetic code, but it is difficult to say how the main characteristics of the breed will be inherited, here everything happens purely individually.

The embryo develops in several stages:

  • germinal;
  • prefetal;
  • fetal.

At every stage of development, the embryo needs sufficient nutrients. That is why the farmer must find the right feeding for the pregnant pig. The diet should contain vegetables: tavern, zucchini and others. If you don't have your own garden, you can grow, for example, zucchini in boxes, and not in the open field. Or pre-purchase vegetables from a trusted farmer.

The table shows the pig pregnancy calendar, which will help determine the date of the upcoming birth.

Pig pregnancy calendar

The duration of the embryonic stage begins at the moment when the egg is fertilized and lasts up to 18 days. The formed zygote begins to divide, and on the fourth day the morula will be formed. When examined with a microscope, it will be possible to see the embryo inside it. At this point, nutrition begins at the expense of the uterus. On the 6th day of pregnancy, a rupture of the transparent membrane of the embryo occurs. The stage of active growth and development is coming. From the second week, the fetus becomes more well-nourished. At this point, the formation of germ layers occurs:

  • ectoderm;
  • mesoderm;
  • endoderm.

The formation of the organs of a future living organism occurs precisely from them.

The duration of the prefetal phase is 18-32 days. From day 20, embryos already have a number of internal organs (heart, lungs, nerves, etc.). At this time, the laying of all systems occurs and the active functioning of the placenta begins.

Pig embryo

From day 32, the beginning of the fetal stage begins and it ends with the birth of an animal. From 50 days after coating, the weight of the fetus increases tenfold, by 72 days this figure increases even more. The fetus has its own immunity, which is a kind of determinant of how well the animal will tolerate the adverse conditions of the outside world.

What complications can arise during reproduction

Not always in childbirth and the course of pregnancy, everything goes perfectly, sometimes a failure occurs, and the piglets are born dead, without limbs or generally incomprehensible shape.The birth of inferior piglets indicates possible latent diseases of the female. This happens quite often and for a number of reasons.

  1. Mating too early.
  2. Latent diseases of the genital organs, including those of an infectious nature.
  3. Scanty boar semen.
  4. Lack of oxygen during pregnancy.
  5. Hormonal disruptions of undetected nature.

Accurate determination methods

However, if you do not want to wait two weeks, you should use veterinary methods. There are three types of examination.

  1. Pig pregnancy test. This is an expensive procedure, and it takes a long time. 22 days after mating, the pig's blood is taken from the ear region for chemical analysis.
  2. Vaginal biopsy. In this case, samples of mucus from the genitals are taken for analysis using a special medical instrument. It is inserted into the pig's vagina and a certain amount of fluid is captured, then the samples are placed in a container and taken to the laboratory. The procedure is also expensive, so they resort to it as a last resort.
  3. Ultrasound examination. For this, the animal is examined using a special scanner, which is similar in structure to the equipment used to screen people for pregnancy. In this case, it is possible not only to establish that the animal is pregnant, the equipment can even record the fetal heartbeat.

In commercial production, sows are shown to the veterinarian three weeks after mating. He examines the animal by the rectal method and determines that the pig is carrying a litter by the pulsation of the uterine and urogenital arteries.

A pregnant pig requires special care
After accurately determining the pregnancy, the animal should be transferred to a special containment.

How to give birth at home: how to help

As a rule, animals intuitively know what to do during childbirth, but a person should always be there to control the process.... Contractions last from 3 to 12 hours, and each push produces one piglet. At the same time, the temperature in the stable rises to 30-35 ° C and is maintained for several days and after giving birth.

During farrowing, the pig lies on its side, while the piglets hatch in film and water. As soon as the newborn appears, remove the film, dry it with a towel and wrap it in burlap. And the umbilical cord is cut and treated with iodine.

It is necessary to immediately cleanse the nose, otherwise the piglet will suffocate in the amniotic fluid.

Piglets are added to the sow for feeding, even if labor has not yet ended, since for full development they must receive colostrum in the first hours of life. Before this, the udder of the pig is washed and massaged to avoid milk stagnation. And after a week, piglets can be given milk replacer.

If the first farrowing

The Livensky, Duroc and Vietnamese breeds have highly developed natural instincts, so the first and subsequent farrowings do not differ from each other. The difference is possible in the number of piglets, in the first process there are 3-5, then more.

How is farrowing in pigs

Before the pig begins to give birth, it must be brought into a special maternity station. Attempts in these animals occur approximately every 10 minutes. With each attempt, only one newborn pig can be born.

The total duration of labor in pigs is approximately one and a half to six hours. Provided that childbirth lasts longer, and not all babies have come out of the womb of the mother-pig, it is necessary to stimulate her labor activity.

Photos 312

A giving birth pig must be placed in a special machine so that childbirth would take place without excesses.

Pig labor stimulation

Step 1 - preparatory stage

In order to stimulate labor in a pig, we will use the offspring just born to it.

So, you need to do the following at the preparatory stage:

  • wash piglets from dirt;
  • thoroughly wipe the pig's belly and teats with soap and warm water;
  • process the belly and nipples of the mother-pig also with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
  • then rinse the mother's belly again with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.

Photos 313

Newborn piglets need to be wiped off mucus and blood clots

Having thus prepared the mother and her children, we proceed to the second step.

Step 2 - apply the piglets to the nipples

Natural stimulation of labor activity occurs due to the release of special hormones into the pig's blood, the production of which is stimulated by the sucking of milk by the newly born young from its nipples.

Piglets are brought to clean nipples so that they begin to suck. Thus, you will soon not only wait for the release of the fruits remaining inside the womb, but also stimulate the trouble-free discharge of the placenta.

Photos 314

Sucking mother's milk is a natural stimulation of sows' labor

Castration: why is it necessary, determine the term

Castration or hollowing is used to eliminate reproduction forcibly. This includes not only the surgical removal of the genitals, but also such types of castration as hormonal, chemical and radioactive. But the latter are not popular with farmers.

Necessity

There are several objective aspects due to which it is necessary to bring castration, sex hormones affect not only the behavior of animals, but also weight gain, the presence of diseases and much more.

  1. Monthly sex hunt negatively affects the mood of animals, all individuals become restless, eat poorly and gain little weight. Castration significantly relieves aggression in boars.
  2. Uncastrated hog is unsuitable for food, as its meat has a specific, unpleasant odor.
  3. Surgical operation also solves problems with a number of animal diseases, for example, hernia, inflammation of the genital organs, neoplasms and others.


The sequence of actions for castration of a boar.

Castrated hogs are more resilient and grow faster.

At what age is it necessary and possible to castrate (trim) the boar

Many farmers believe that it is necessary to castrate boars as early as possible, starting from the 10th day until the 45th day of life.... Thus, significant blood loss is avoided, babies become more good-natured and calm, pig milk contains antibodies that promote healing.

Also, with early castration, an early restructuring of the body occurs, which significantly affects growth, blood quality and weight gain.

Feeding rules

As soon as you can determine the pregnancy in the pig, it should be immediately transferred to a special nutritious diet. The essence of such a diet is as follows.

  1. Young sows who are still growing need nutrients that are useful for the development of the fetus and for themselves. The growth of the body is carried out through the use of protein feed, that is, food with a high amount of protein. True, reasonable caution should be exercised here - an overabundance of such food can destroy the embryos. According to practice, during the entire gestation period, a young sow should gain from 45 to 55 kilograms of live weight.
  2. Older individuals only need to maintain their weight while carrying future piglets. Their feed should no longer contain the amount of protein that was required for young sows. You constantly need to monitor the weight - if an adult sow begins to gain weight, her diet is revised downward, while the duration of motor activity is increased. During pregnancy, an adult should not gain more than 40 - 45 kilos.
  3. The last month of gestation is especially important. By this time, the sow is gaining maximum weight - about two-thirds of the total volume. In the last month, easily digestible proteins and carbohydrates are included in the feed. Food should not provoke high gas production in the pig's stomach and stimulate fermentation processes.
  4. Feeding of pregnant sows is carried out three times a day.Fresh drinking water should be available around the clock.

It is forbidden to feed pregnant pigs with foods such as:

  • sunflower husk;
  • chaff;
  • hard cake;
  • rotten and frozen feed.

'' Sows
Feeding sows "in position" is carried out three times a day with a special nutritious diet.

About artificial insemination with your own hands

Artificial insemination of pigs is now popular, as it helps to avoid a number of problems that can occur during sexual intercourse.

  1. Sexual diseases are excludedaffecting the continuation of the breed, if any, it is worth abandoning the procedure and making a decision after treatment.
  2. The boar requires the cost of care, maintenance, the cost of feed, an increase in the area of ​​the barn. With the help of the semen of a breeding bull, these economic problems are easily solved.

With such insemination on a farm, it is desirable to have animals of the same age, while ovulation occurs simultaneously.

How insemination takes place: hunting, when to happen

  • with the help of ferromone hog, the readiness of females is determined;
  • finished pigs are marked with paint and placed in another shed;
  • semen is heated to a maximum of 39 ° C;
  • do fertilization with their own hands.

The insemination process is carried out in two ways:

  1. Fractional. In this case, the sperm is injected in several stages: 35-40 ml, then 70-80 ml of a solution consisting of 30 g of glucose, 4.5 g of salt and 1 liter of pure water.
  2. Non-fractional... 100 ml of diluted semen is immediately admitted into the uterus (the pure component of the working substance is 80 ml). Artificial insemination of pigs is cutting costs for farmers.

Insemination is carried out with the device UKP-1, UZK-5 and POS-5.

A positive result from artificial insemination is visible on the 20th day after the procedure. A fertilized pig does not experience repeated sexual attraction. But there is a possibility of re-hunting for 35-40 days, which is why sows are monitored very closely until this day.

conclusions

As you can see from the article, farrowing of Vietnamese pigs is practically the same as farrowing of other pig breeds.

  1. The ideal beginning of mating / happening (covering a normal or pot-bellied pig) is not earlier than 5 months of age, if this is done earlier than the norm, then there may be complications.
  2. For a successful delivery, an animal needs human help, as well as a clean, warm, separate place, complete pre- and post-natal care and feeding (quality food). How to properly feed a pregnant sow can be read in this article.
  3. To save money on keeping, breeding pigs in 1926, artificial insemination was invented, which greatly facilitated the work of farmers.
  4. It is not necessary to exclude possible deviations in childbirth (when it starts to pig on the calendar) or in newborns. This is taken into account when calculating the profit for animals.

How long does a pig's pregnancy last on average?

Pig farming is a highly profitable business
Pig farming is a highly profitable business
It is said that a pig's pregnancy (or gestation) lasts 3 weeks and 3 days. This is approximately 114 days. These figures can be considered an average value, since the gestation time depends on the breed of pig, boar and expected offspring.

The main thing during pregnancy is to separate the sow from the rest of the herd. It is better not to keep the individual in the pen, but to allocate a separate room for its maintenance in the pigsty. The floor in the future nest must be covered with hay. It will be easier to put a handful of fresh hay in the corner, the pig will distribute it as it needs.

At the same time, the sow may lose her appetite. There is nothing to worry about, you need to continue to change the feed in the tub. Leftover food can be fed to the remaining livestock. During this period, clean water is required.

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