I'm sorry to hear this happened to you. A few things come to mind. 1) If she laid down on all at once I'd say that's just bad luck and maybe a 1st time mistake. 2) If she laid down on all at different periods I'd look at why that happened. Did it happen due to the piglet not being able to get out of...

I would feed them 4-6lbs per day up to about 150-180 lbs. I wouldn't limit feed below 4 lbs per day during this growth stage. At the 150-180lbs mark you can start to tweak the feeding program based on what you need to finish the hog appropriately. (Cover vs Muscle, Rib shape, etc.) After 180lbs, I'd...

HogDoc.... How would you deal with short standing heats then? In my barn I have 2-3 that only stand for 24-36 hrs. Only one of mine is in standing heat longer than 2 days. All the pigs are heathly and no issues, and I don't have any problems with litter size or conception rates. They just don't stan...

With the hogs that stand longer I'd wait longer. The ones that don't I'd keep breeding like you do. If you have two doses and they stand for 3 days, I'd go 24 after first heat, and again at 12 just like the sows if they stand that long. If you had 3 doses, I'd breed 12, 12, & 12. Personally, I'm...

Was this sow a gilt last year when you first bred her? If so, remember that she was probably smaller last year. Not only from a frame/weight size but also from the vulva as well. This is more than likely the reason its a bit different this year. If she's standing hard and allowing you to breed, I'd ...

For me it would depend on how many doses of semen I have on hand along with the cost of the semen. Cheaper semen, I'd probably dose 12 hr after standing heat and at 12 hr intervals. More expensive and fewer doses, I might wait 24 hours and do 12-24 hr intervals. Depends on the animal. I dose sooner ...

In the past I haven't had a hard time getting gilts to stand. I've had a few they came in naturally and a few that I gave PG 600 to. Both situations they stood good. Last week I gave a gilt PG 600. Came in 5 days later. Didn't like the boar spray, but when I put pressure on her, ears pinned back and...

It has to do with the optimal fertilization time with in the standing heat period vs. the amount of time the semen will actually stay alive to fertilize the eggs. During a heat, the eggs are moving into the uterus. If semen is placed too soon, it could die prior to the eggs being in the uterus for f...

The other boar there to look at would be Gone Viral. He's similar to full strut and just as correct. As a plus, he's sired many champions, and makes impressive gilts to keep on the farm. Personally I think Gone Viral is a touch better and they are priced the same for semen. Both are more moderate an...

I agree with Norm. Maybe Friday morning was the time. Gilts are tricky. I've had some that will only stand one day. Others that stand for 3 days. Depends on the gilt. Just make a note of that so during the next cycle you know she may not stand long.

Ok. I'm assuming that you are weaning around 3 weeks. If so, all the littler protocol is/should already be done. (Iron, Notching, Vaccinations, castration, & tail docs). After weaning, a good starter feed with high protein is good. I'm not familiar with Ralco at all so I can't comment on that. I...

I only use foam and I think its pretty easy to do. It flows easy but you have to make sure you pull back just a touch after you feel pressure to lock in and give space for semen to flow. Other than that, its a piece of cake. Occasionally, I'll get some back flow but not a lot. I've read that this ca...

In my herd, swelling comes prior to a hard standing heat. If today is day 21, yesterday you saw swelling, I'd say you are close to a standing heat. Keep a close eye on her in the next 24 hrs. I only use hog mate, and it has always locked them up when they are truly in a standing heat. Keep a close w...

How has her bowl movements been? That's another thing to address. Has she had any since she has farrowed? If not, get her to poop. Epsom Salts, enema, and walking will help to loosen her up and go. I'd call your local vet or reach out to hogdoc about treatment, but the above suggestions should start...

If she's not locked up and standing hard, I wouldn't breed until she does. Do you have a teaser or boar spray?

Both will help her lock up and stand hard if she's in heat. Sounds like your a tad early at this point. Maybe in 12-24 hours you'll notice a change. Good luck.