How do I??

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:45 pm

How do I tell when a gilt is about to farrow? she is due tomarrow, she is in the farrowing crate, right now. Her poop smells really bad, her vulva is very swollen, she wont stop moving. How much longer should she be?

jandcshowhogs · Post by **jandcshowhogs** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:45 am

have you try to get milk from a tit if she has just a little she around 24 to 48 hrs from having them if there a lot she due any time .

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:19 am

OK thanks a lot, I tried last night at about 3am and she didnt have any.

She has calmed down, but now she wont eat very much??

I really need these pigs born this weekend, is there a way to induce her, so she will have them this weekend?

ter · Post by **ter** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:22 pm

Yes, there is a way to induce them, but I would never do it until after their due date is passed. Also, when and if you HAVE TO induce it takes the medication 24- 36 hours to work and if it doesnt work after 36 hours you can give one more dose and wait another 24-36. So really, its best for you to just wait it out. She isnt due until tomorrow anyway and you might just have babies by then. Usually, they will start to produce milk before they farrow, go off feed, and act a bit agitated.

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:04 pm

OK thanks a lot, I was just wondering if i could induce them if i needed to.

she is still isnt milking, but here udder is very firm not the teat but the udder, it isnt lumpy or anything just firm, may that be the reason she isnt milking yet??

magnumPIG · Post by **magnumPIG** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:45 pm

hi. today is her "due date" correct. avg gestation range is 112-116 days. avg 114. is this day 114? i would not induce until day 116 or after. you should have babies soon, best of luck. Mark

ONeilShowPigs · Post by **ONeilShowPigs** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:54 pm

i wouldnt 100% go by milk i would say if she has milk you can go by that rule but i have a few that have no milk at all until they are farrowing

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:52 pm

Here are some pictures of her, her swelling has gone down a lot. what do you think?

http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii29 ... ing009.jpg

http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii29 ... ing014.jpg

http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii29 ... ing008.jpg

SpotHogs · Post by **SpotHogs** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:46 am

Gilts tend to farrow past their due date. Usually not more than 3 days though but it varies. As long as she is content in the crate and is laying down and on her side and not continously fighting the crate then I say wait it out. The question is, does she have any discharge from her vulva? If you choose the 2cc lutalyse route you need a 2cc follow-up shot 12 hours later. Lut is not reccomended unitl 36 hours of farrow. As far as feed, they will go off feed just before farrow. A good rule of thumb is to wait 24hrs after farrow for first full feeding (so the sow will lay and milk and prevent any mortality due to the sow up and down) and you want to feed your sow all she can eat from there on out. Depending on which lactation feed you are using, it will usually aid the sow tremendously to top dress some fat for added carbs as she will be burning her body condition rapidly with nursing those babies. Depending on her bowl movements, you may want to add wheat bran to her rations as well, as they tend to get stopped up and you could loose your sow in the crate due to constipation.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:53 pm

Thanks a lot, yes at about 8am this morning she had a whiteish yellowish discharge, she may have had some before but i didnt see it. It wasnt very slimy but it kind of was

I am still feeding a gestion feed, because they said I could feed that all the way through just feed more of it. I am feeding sunglo sow cubes. If I dont feed her right on time, or not enouhg she will go nuts. If i feed her about 4-5 lbs of feed a day she is fine and she will just lay on her side.

What does the lutalyse do for the sow? We use it on cattle when we are AIing them.

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:54 pm

She has quite a few bowl movements through out the day, i would say 5-6 maybe, and each on is fairly good sized

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:53 pm

this is going to be day 115

magnumPIG · Post by **magnumPIG** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:11 pm

i'm glad to hear she is not constipated. from your 1st post, you mentioned her bowl smelled bad (worse than normal) i was thinking that because she went off feed or not eating much. your at day 115, so i think your right on schedule. as stated in a previous post, don't rely on the lack of milk as an indication she's not close. some gilts/sows won't drop milk until the last hour or so. if memory serves me correctly(been awhile since i farrowed any) she will again become restless, and begin pawing and rooting at the bedding, this is a "nesting " instinct. it varies, some are very diligent, some won't do it much at all. this will a good indication she is close. keep us informed

good luck!!

Darin · Post by **Darin** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:59 pm

You asked what lutayse does...........

It does the same thing as in cattle. It is a prostaglandin. It removes the corpus luteum from the ovaries, which is producing progesterone, which builds and maintains the uterine wall, sustaining pregnancy. With the CL gone, progesterone is insufficient to sustain pregnancy and labor begins. Same concept to induce heat. With the CL gone, new follicles sprout and the estrus cycle begins..........

Do not give 2 - 2cc injections of lutalyse 12 hours apart. If you want to induce labor, the most succesful method is 1cc of lute, followed by another 1cc 6 hours later. Both injections given in the perineum with a 18ga or 20ga 3/4" needle. Estrumate will work equally as well with the same protocol and is less stressful to the gilt, but is a bit more costly.

Standard protocol in many commercial farms is to not allow gilts to go beyond day 116. At this stage of gestation, the piglets are normally strong and viable. By inducing labor on day 116, you avoid many problems with pigs getting too large and making a more stressful labor for the gilt.

Ummm · Post by **Ummm** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:12 pm

Darin wrote:
Do not give 2 - 2cc injections of lutalyse 12 hours apart. If you want to induce labor, the most succesful method is 1cc of lute, followed by another 1cc 6 hours later. Both injections given in the perineum with a 18ga or 20ga 3/4" needle. Estrumate will work equally as well with the same protocol and is less stressful to the gilt, but is a bit more costly.

Standard protocol in many commercial farms is to not allow gilts to go beyond day 116. At this stage of gestation, the piglets are normally strong and viable. By inducing labor on day 116, you avoid many problems with pigs getting too large and making a more stressful labor for the gilt.

about how long after you give the second shot of lute, will they go into labor??? and where is the perineum???

Thanks a whole lot for all of your guy's very helpful info