How long do pregnant sows walk? How long does a pig carry piglets: what determines the duration and timing of different breeds

Pigs are fun pets. Despite the fact that they love to wallow in the dirt, they are recognized as the cleanest. Growing them at home and obtaining offspring depends on a properly organized place of detention, preparation of the necessary feed and nutritional supplements. It is necessary to monitor that the animal is gaining weight normally, not to miss the period of sexual heat and to properly care for it during pregnancy. The article talks in more detail about the latter phenomenon and how long a pregnant pig can walk.

How long can pigs of different breeds stay pregnant and bear piglets?

There are more than 100 species of these animals around the world. 22 breeds are popular in the CIS, such as, and others. A pig must be five months old to reproduce. Then you need to find a suitable boar and bring them together with the sow.

After this event, everyone has a question about the duration of pregnancy. Veterinarians say it ranges from 110 to 120 days. According to popular sayings, a pig bears offspring for 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days - 114. It is convenient for anyone to navigate.

Features of pregnancy of the Vietnamese pot-bellied breed

But the gestation period and time of puberty for each breed is slightly different from that indicated. So, in a new variety of pigs - the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, you can breed a queen with a boar from the age of three months, the main thing is not to miss the period when she begins to walk.

And this is easy to understand from her behavior:

• the animal's genital loop becomes plump;
• the pig begins to behave restlessly;
• when you press on her croup, she does not run away, but stands;
• Certain discharge may appear.

Despite the fact that Vietnamese breed pigs, unlike ordinary ones, mature faster, you should still not bring a boar to a pig that has not yet gained 30 kg. This limitation is due to the negative impact of pregnancy on the expectant mother and her piglets.

How long does a pig walk? The exact timing of pregnancy in practice undergoes slight changes and is equal to 101-126 days. For the pot-bellied Vietnamese breed the figure is 114-118. A large white pig can farrow on day 114, or maybe on day 122. These average figures are indicative and are only needed for approximate expected litter. Almost 90% of pigs produce offspring on day 118. Therefore, the calculation of the time of birth begins with determining the 110th day of pregnancy, and then 9 days are given to wait for the birth.

You can read about breeding the Vietnamese breed.

Usually a pig gives birth twice a year. There are from 5 to 14 piglets in one litter. But there have been cases, for example, in a breed that is rare today - the Hungarian Mangalitsa, where 22 piglets were born.

The following factors influence the duration of a sow's pregnancy:

• area where animals are bred;
• how many times has she already given birth;
• conditions for keeping pigs;
• number of piglets in the previous litter. If it was less than six, then the pregnancy will be longer;
• season.

Signs and symptoms of pregnancy, what a pig looks like

They are varied. This is influenced by the character of the animal and its physical condition. How to determine whether a pig is pregnant or not? After successful mating, the first symptoms of pregnancy appear around the fifth day:

• cheesy discharge from the genitals;
• the animal’s apathy to what is happening, the pig can just lie there almost all day long;
• lack of appetite;
• cessation of estrus;
• weight gain in a short period of time;
• absence of signs of sexual heat.

Almost before giving birth, the animal tries to build a nest for itself, its nipples on the udder turn red, and when pressure is applied to them, colostrum is released, the pig begins to eat intensely, and purrs incessantly. If pregnancy occurs during a hot period, then they do not just swim in puddles, but lie there for a long time and blow bubbles.

When farrowing begins, the animal must be placed in a special pen. Labor pains in a pig occur within ten minutes. Each of them gives birth to one piglet. Childbirth takes 1.5 – 6 hours. If the birth time is longer than specified, then you need to disinfect her nipples and attach newborn piglets to them. This will speed up labor and remove the placenta faster.

This will help you understand how to care for the Vietnamese breed.

How to find out about pig pregnancy and how long it can last

There are several methods for determining the pregnancy of this animal:

• daily observations;
• tests;
• ultrasound examinations;
• vaginal biopsy.

After mating, it is necessary to periodically examine the female’s vulva, look at her behavior and attitude towards the boar nearby. This is especially important to control on days 18-22 after insemination. This is explained by the structure of the pig's uterus. After fertilization of the eggs, the embryos begin to move along the two horns of the uterus and are distributed in its space. If they survive the 10th day, then pregnancy has occurred; if not, then the animal will return to heat again on the 22nd day.

You will find a pig weight table at.

With artificial insemination, implantation occurs within 12-14 hours. Out of the total number of implanted embryos, at least 5 must survive. If this does not happen, then the pig begins its belated hunt on days 23-36. But there is also pseudopregnancy, in which the fetus is reabsorbed. The result of this will be visible on the 15th day, the pig will want to walk.

These traits apply to all breeds of pigs and even new breeds, such as the Vietnamese Fold. If after the expiration of the specified periods (on average 20 days) the pig behaves as if pregnant, then the following methods will help to make sure of its condition.

How to determine if a pig is pregnant using a Doppler device

They can be used throughout the animal's pregnancy. The first examination is carried out on the 26th day after mating. The device guarantees 90% accuracy. It can detect the fetal heartbeat, its movement, and the movement of the placenta.

Determining timing using tests at home

Routine tests can help you find out if a pig is pregnant. It is advisable to carry out serological testing on the 22nd day of pregnancy. The process involves using a scalpel to cut a vein in the animal's ear and draw some blood from it. And then they test her for the presence of pregnancy using chemical analysis. This procedure takes a lot of time and is expensive, so it is not particularly popular among farmers. There is a similar test using animal feces, but it is still undergoing additions and changes in its implementation.

The express test is designed to perform diagnostics on early stages, it can be used on the 15th day of pregnancy. Animal urine is taken for research; the accuracy of its readings is 98%.

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Examination by a specialist during pregnancy

A veterinarian may perform a rectal examination. It is advisable to do this in the third week of pregnancy of the pig. The doctor determines the pregnancy of the animal by the pulsation of the urogenital and uterine arteries.

The most accurate are ultrasound examinations, which accurately determine the fetal heartbeat in the walls of the animal’s uterus.

Vaginal biopsy

Provides for the analysis of mucus from the genital organs of the animal. To obtain it, a special instrument is inserted into the pig’s vagina; it must be deepened by at least 150 mm. Using its end, a small amount of mucus is caught and placed in a prepared container, which is taken to the laboratory. This expensive method is used in extreme cases.

Ultrasound scanners

They are similar to machines for detecting pregnancy in humans. These high-precision devices can be rationally used in large farms.

Video

This video will tell you how to determine if a pig is pregnant.

Pig pregnancy is an important period for farmers. After which they will become the owners of piglets, so you need to know many nuances about its course, and also be ready to accept the offspring. During pregnancy, you need to provide the sow with proper care, feed her healthy food and keep her clean. You can read more about the Duroc breed.

The average pig gives birth to 12-14 piglets in six months, on average their weight reaches 110 kg.

To breed pigs you will need a pigsty, a boar and a sow. A pressing issue is caring for a pig during pregnancy and everything connected with it.

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

It is said that pregnancy (or gestation) of a pig lasts 3 weeks and 3 days. This is approximately 114 days. These figures can be considered an average value, since gestation time depends on the boar and the 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 in the pigsty for its maintenance. The floor in the future nest should be covered with hay. It will be easier to put a handful of fresh hay in the corner, the pig itself will distribute it as it needs.

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

How can you tell if a pig is pregnant?

. Most simple option will call the veterinarian approximately 3-4 weeks after mating.

Attention! After mating, a false pregnancy is a common occurrence, when all the signs of a successful mating persist for several weeks. It is possible to notice that a pig is not pregnant only after long-term observation.

By behavior

Depending on the breed, the pig's behavior during pregnancy varies. Thus, in the Central European pig and its varieties, behavior becomes aggressive before mating. During heat, a pig may wander aimlessly around the yard, hit the walls of the pen and rush at other pigs. At the same time, the animal loses its appetite.

After mating, the pig will lie down a lot if you take it to a separate room. A successful mating makes the pig calmer.

As for Malaysian pigs, which include the pot-bellied breed, the character of these animals is softer. During the sexual hunt, the animal begins to spin around a lot and build a nest for itself. Behavior after a successful mating is similar: appetite disappears, the animal spends most of its time lying in a pre-prepared place.

With the help of external signs

It is much easier to determine pregnancy by external signs. The most striking manifestations of ongoing pregnancy include brightly swollen nipples. Regardless of the condition, so much milk is collected that the belly begins to droop towards the floor. Some nipples may even leak milk. This indicates a large offspring.

Another external sign- This is a white discharge on the outer labia of the animal. They appear 2-3 days after a successful mating. They will disappear after a few weeks, and the nipples, on the contrary, will swell more and more.

Separately, it is worth checking pregnancy later. For this, the palpation method is used. The farmer needs to place the pig on its side and use a gloved hand to feel, without applying too much pressure, the space between the animal’s hind legs. In the 3rd month of pregnancy, the formed heads of the fetuses should be felt.

Using tests

To determine pregnancy, special studies (ultrasound) are performed and tests are taken (discharge from the animal’s labia, blood, etc.). But all these procedures are expensive.

Therefore, they are more often used only on large farms, where the owners can afford to maintain a laboratory for constant monitoring of the health and quality of the livestock.

What determines the duration and timing of different breeds?

The gestation period of any breed depends, first of all, on the size of the offspring. A large litter means a short gestation period. A pregnant pig never walks for less than 108 days. Therefore, with a large litter of 12-14 heads, birth will take place on the 108-110th day. For the same reason, low-fertility breeds have a longer gestation period.

Malaysian pigs have a shorter gestation period with approximately the same litter. This is due to the characteristics of the breed. In some German breeds, due to the small offspring, the gestation period can be up to 130 days.

Factors influencing the duration of pregnancy

The duration of pregnancy, in addition to the breed and number of piglets in the litter, is influenced by the sow’s body. A weak animal may not endure childbirth or may produce weak offspring after a long pregnancy. In order for the birth to be successful, the female at the time of mating must weigh at least 100 kg.

Among other factors, only the time of year is important. Animals that were mated from February to March usually walk less pregnant. Summer mating will lead to a longer gestation period.

How to correctly determine the time of farrowing of a sow

According to the condition of the pig's belly and nipples. About 1.5-2 weeks before birth, the belly with the future piglets drops almost to ground level. If by this time the pig has not yet been transferred to a separate pen, then after signs of imminent birth appear, it is necessary to transfer the animal to a separate room.

A pig cannot give birth on its own at home. Therefore, you will have to call a veterinarian or wash the sow’s belly yourself, wipe the nipples with a solution of potassium permanganate, and after the birth of the piglets, cut their umbilical cords.

Conclusion

During pregnancy, the sow needs constant monitoring. The best solution would be to keep a diary where you note the manifestation of various signs of pregnancy.

The simplest option would be to call a veterinarian to determine the pig's condition. On large pig farms, to consolidate the result of mating, it is carried out twice with different boars. If possible, it is worth doing the same on private farmsteads.

Pig farming is profitable business, and pregnant sows occupy a central place in it. Favorable maintenance, high-quality feeding, proper care are the key to an easy and healthy pregnancy for a pig. Timely conception, creation of the most optimal conditions during the period when the pig is bearing piglets, guarantees healthy offspring. However, this period may vary, so we’ll talk about this in the article.

Selecting a sow to produce offspring

So, let’s figure out how long a pig remains pregnant, and what this period depends on.

When choosing a female for fertilization, it is better to give preference to local breeds. To safely carry piglets, she must weigh at least 110 kg. At the same time, activity and health are the most important qualities. A long body and well-developed nipples located along the entire body are necessary for the sow to feed her offspring. It is important that their bottom line does not overlap the top row. Only in this case can piglets have easy access to their mother's milk.

A late pig will be ready for pregnancy after a year of life, and for an early maturing breed, the first mating is recommended at the age of 9-10 months. It is important that the animal is fully formed. To obtain numerous healthy offspring, it is better to choose a pig that has already given birth and is between 2 and 4 years old. While the pig’s pregnancy lasts, it is necessary to provide her with a complete, balanced diet and comfortable housing.

How to determine pregnancy at home

A healthy sow can give birth twice a year. Controlling fertilization and pregnancy in pigs makes it possible to create optimal conditions for effective pig breeding.

5 days after mating, the following signs of pregnancy can be determined:

• discharge white from the vagina;
• lack of appetite, apathy;
• redness of the nipples and presence of discharge from them;
• rapid weight gain for animals.

Often a clear sign of a pig's pregnancy is the absence of repeated heat. Such animals do not show anxiety in the presence of a boar.

Pregnancy of a sow can be determined using simple methods under conditions household. First, by scratching the belly of a pig lying on its side, feel the uterus at the level of the last nipples. The presence of fetuses can be noticed late in pregnancy.

Clinical methods for determining pregnancy in sows

In industrial pig farming, clinical methods are used to determine gestation. This allows you to monitor the condition of the sow with a high degree of accuracy. The Burkina test involves testing urine using chemical reactions. Two weeks after mating, it is collected, filtered and 3% hydrogen peroxide, a few drops of hydrochloric acid, and an aqueous solution of phenylhydrazyl hydrochloride are added. When a dark red solution is obtained, this means pregnancy, and yellow urine means its absence.

The serological test involves testing blood taken from the pig's ear vein. This procedure is carried out 3 weeks after mating and detects pregnancy hormones quite accurately, but requires time and material costs.

The method of hormonal provocation involves injecting the animal with a mixture of androgens and estrogens. A pregnant sow, unlike an unmarried sow, remains calm and does not react to changes in hormonal levels. On large pig farms, an ultrasound scanner and biopsy method are often used.

You can listen to the fetal heartbeat on the 26th day after conception using a Doppler ultrasound device. This confirms by 90% that the pig is bearing piglets. With the help of such a device, you can control the process of pregnancy at each stage.

How long does a pig bear?

A healthy sow is capable of bearing offspring twice a year. Let's look at how long a pig's pregnancy lasts below.

Unlike other artiodactyls, a pregnant pig bears offspring faster. In addition, one litter can have up to 14 piglets. Depending on the number of fetuses, a pregnant pig walks inside the uterus for a different time before giving birth. If many piglets are expected, farrowing often occurs 102-104 days after fertilization. Otherwise, pregnancy can last 130 days or more.

In most cases, a pig carries its young for 110-118 days. The duration of pregnancy depends on the age of the animal, time of year, number of previous births, and living conditions. If piglets are being prepared for sale, then pig breeders try to inseminate the sows so that the birth falls in February. On the other hand, this gives enough time for the pig to recuperate in the spring and summer.

The sow's pregnancy ends with farrowing, which lasts approximately 4-5 hours. Only in rare cases can this process take up to 10 hours. It is important that at each term the pig is in good physical condition. This is a guarantee that the piglets will be healthy.

Thus, the gestation period in pigs depends on the above factors. Its average duration can be considered 114 days.

Pig pregnancy calendar

The individual development of a pig (ontogenesis) consists of the embryonic (uterine) and postembryonic stages. Inside the sow's body, the fetus continuously grows and changes, gradually acquiring the features of an adult in accordance with the direction of the genotype.

The growth program of each pig fruit is laid down in the genetic code. Inheritance of the main species characteristics follows an individual path.

Embryonic development consists of the embryonic, prefetal and fetal phases.

Germinal phase lasts from the moment of fertilization of the egg until the 18th day of pregnancy. And it makes up 20% of all uterine development. After formation, the zygote begins to rapidly divide. On the 4th day, a morula forms inside it. Inside which you can already see the embryo under a microscope. He begins to feed from the uterus. On the 6th day after conception, the transparent membrane of the embryo ruptures. It begins to grow rapidly, increasing in size. From the 14th day the fetus gets fatter. At this time, three germ layers appear: ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm. It is from them that all animal organs and the skeleton are formed.

Pre-fetal stage lasts from 18 to 32 days of fetal development. The brain, liver, four-chambered heart, nerves, lungs, and blood vessels are observed already on the 20th day after conception. During this period, all organs and systems are formed, and the placenta begins to actively function.

Fetal stage lasts from 32 days until the piglet is born. On the 51st day after conception, the weight of the embryo increases by 33 times, and on the 72nd day by 150 times. It is embryogenesis that determines the health and immunity of fruits, which determines their resistance to adverse environmental conditions.

Preparing animals for farrowing

If the pig’s pregnancy is confirmed, then more attention needs to be paid to it throughout the entire period. We talked above about how long a pregnant female walks before the birth of her offspring. In order for piglets to be born strong and healthy, the sow’s diet should be reviewed. It is not recommended to underfeed or overfeed pigs. The amount of feed enriched with protein components must be increased.

There are certain norms for weight gain by sows during pregnancy. An important point is how much the pig weighs compared to when she was not yet pregnant.

For an adult animal, the norm is considered to be an increase in weight to 45-50 kg during the entire period of pregnancy in pigs. Special attention The sow's diet should be given during the last of the four months of gestation, since during this period the animals gain maximum weight.

Rough food should be excluded from the diet, giving preference to proteins and carbohydrates that are well digestible. In addition, it is desirable to stimulate the physical activity of pigs by providing them with walking.

To prevent postpartum complications, it is recommended to vaccinate the sow against helminths. In this case, the farmer's actions are the same as those usually done after the cow has completed her pregnancy.

How long does farrowing last?

By calculating how long a pig's pregnancy lasts, you can control the entire process of bearing offspring. And the main thing is to be nearby at the time of farrowing in order to insure the sow and, if necessary, help the piglet. This will help avoid losses among the young animals born.

On average, the duration of labor is about two hours, and the cubs are born with an interval of 14-18 minutes. How long the whole process can last is determined by the age of the sow and the number of piglets in the litter. Young healthy females will piglet faster.

But no matter how long farrowing takes, it is important to ensure that babies have access to their mother’s colostrum as soon as possible. This determines the strong immunity of baby pigs for their entire future life. On the other hand, if there are too many piglets, then they will not have enough mother’s nipples or milk. As a result, the weakest individuals may die.

Essential care for piglets after birth

Stillborn babies most often appear at the end of farrowing due to suffocation. It is important to have a clear idea of ​​what to do in such cases.

If these signs occur, you should carefully wipe the mucus from the piglet’s mouth and pick it up with both hands. Place your head on one hand and your torso on the other. It needs to be held with your feet up, bent in half and swaying.

When signs of breathing appear in small pigs, they need to be picked up by their hind legs with their heads down. After this, pat the piglet on the back with your palm until it begins to cough. Then it must be placed in a warm place.

Often the cubs are released in the membranes. They must be torn and removed immediately. After this, the babies should be thoroughly wiped with a dry soft cloth and returned to their mother.

Don't go wrong with your due date

Different pig breeds have different gestation periods. How long a pig's pregnancy lasts can only be guessed approximately in advance.

For example, in a Vietnamese female, pregnancy most often lasts 114 days, but it is difficult to say for sure how many days the gestation of a large white pig lasts. A sow of this breed can farrow in either 114 days or 126 days. In 90% of cases this occurs on the 118th day after fertilization.

To find out the approximate farrowing date and be fully prepared for this, pig farmers need to count 114 days from the date of fertilization. To make it easier to remember, you can take 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days as a guideline.

Using the above information about the timing of fetal development, you can easily create a personal pig pregnancy calendar. And using the article, you will never be mistaken with the due date.

Have you ever encountered pig farming? Now do you know how long pregnancy lasts for pigs? If you found the article interesting and useful, please like it.

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A sow can become pregnant no earlier than five months of age, after her puberty ends. This animal bears offspring for approximately 4 months. The sow's pregnancy can last, with slight fluctuations, from 110 to 120 days. The younger generation of sows bears the fetus a little shorter, just like pigs of early maturing breeds. Let's look at this in more detail.

Puberty

It is preferable to wait until the pig gains a weight of 100-110 kilograms, which occurs by the ninth month of its existence.

The following factors are considered to confirm that the pig is already disposed to mate:

• the animal refuses to eat, its behavior becomes unbalanced;
• the genitals turn red and secrete mucus - estrus occurs;
• If a boar is nearby, the pig almost stops moving.

Not every pig can give full-fledged offspring. When choosing a pig for offspring, you need to give preference to the following factors:

• zoned breed;
• strong body, healthy appearance;
• the back is wide, the skeleton is strong, the belly does not sag;
• at least 12 nipples, well formed and located far from one another;
• the lower nipples do not overlap with the upper ones, access to them is provided;
• the pig has an excellent appetite;
• balanced behavior.

For mating, it is better to select a pig whose mother gave birth to healthy offspring.

Signs of pregnancy

Approximately the fifth day after successful mating, the following signs may appear:

• estrus stops, there are no more signs of sexual heat;
• the animal becomes indifferent, loses interest in food;
• curd formations are released from the genitals;
• the weight of the animal begins to grow rapidly.

Veterinarians warn about possible cases of false pregnancy, in which all the above signs occur. In case of false pregnancy, the signs will disappear after 2 weeks, but in case of real pregnancy they will be present throughout the entire pregnancy.

Diagnostic tests

There are 3 types of tests to determine if a pig is pregnant:

• Pregnancy test. 22 days after mating, blood is taken from the pig’s ear area for testing.
• Vaginal biopsy. Samples of mucus from the genitals are taken for analysis using a special medical instrument. It is inserted into the vagina and captures a certain amount of fluid, then the taken samples are placed in a special container and taken to the laboratory. This procedure is expensive, for this reason it is resorted to only as a last resort.
• Ultrasonography. To do this, the animal is examined using a special scanner, similar in design to the equipment used to test for pregnancy in humans. In this case, it is possible not only to determine that the animal is pregnant, the equipment even makes it possible to record the fetal heartbeat.

In farming, the sow is shown to the veterinarian 3 weeks after mating. The animal is examined rectally and it is established that the pig is walking with offspring by vibration of the uterine and genitourinary arteries.

After it is clearly established that the animal is pregnant, it must be moved to special care.

Those farmers who raise pigs have to deal with pregnant pigs. In order for the offspring to be viable, you need to be able to timely determine the moment of pregnancy of the sow, organize proper care and deliver the baby in proper conditions. We have dedicated this article to how to determine if a pig is pregnant, what to feed it, and what to be wary of during this period.

Many livestock farmers do not buy piglets for raising, but create all the conditions for their appearance on their farm.

Exist different kinds pig farming. Some people just raise one piglet in their barn for their own needs, others build a full-fledged pigsty for 50 heads and are seriously engaged in breeding pigs for sale, almost on an industrial scale. The second method involves caring for pigs that are about to give birth to piglets, assisting in the birth itself and other chores.

Two things that any pig farmer should be well versed in are:

• when does a pig reach puberty?
• how to understand that the future sow has become pregnant.

In general, the desire to mate in young animals arises early, already by five to six months. But at this age, pigs have not yet reached full physical maturity, so experts do not recommend involving them in mating. If this does happen, the offspring will be born weak and sickly.

So it is better to wait for the moment when the pig gains weight of 100 - 110 kilos, which usually happens by the ninth month of its life. Evidence that the pig is ready to mate are the following factors:

• the animal begins to refuse food, behavior becomes unbalanced;
• the female's genitals turn red and secrete mucus - estrus begins;
• If there is a boar nearby, the pig falls into a stupor and practically stops moving.

Not every individual is capable of producing full-fledged offspring. You need to carefully select a pig for offspring, focusing on the following:

• preference should be given to a zoned breed;
• The pig's body is strong, she herself looks quite healthy;
• the back is wide, the skeleton is powerful, the abdomen does not sag;
• there are at least 12 nipples on the long body, they are well formed and located far from each other;
• the lower nipples do not overlap with the upper ones, free access to them is provided for sucklings;
• the pig has a good appetite, is active, moves a lot;
• The individual's disposition is calm.

Young pigs quickly become sexually mature; by the age of nine months they are ready to mate and bear offspring.

It is better to choose a “contender” whose mother was fertile and gave birth to healthy offspring.

Important. Sexual activity in pigs alternates with a dormant state all year round, cyclically. Therefore, the animal is able to “go hunting” all year round.

Mating for early maturing breeds of pigs is carried out at 9–10 months, for late maturing breeds - after the pig is one year old.

Signs of pregnancy

When pregnancy occurs, it always affects the physical condition of the future sow and her behavior. Approximately on the fifth day after successful mating, the following symptoms may appear:

• estrus stops, there are no more signs of sexual heat;
• the animal becomes apathetic, loses interest in food;
• curd formations are released from the genitals;
• The pig's weight quickly begins to increase.

True, veterinarians warn about cases of false pregnancy, in which all of the listed signs also occur. To be completely sure, you should wait time - with a false pregnancy, the signs will disappear after two weeks, but with a real one, they will be observed throughout the entire period of pregnancy.

Accurate determination methods

However, if you don’t 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 takes a long time. 22 days after mating, blood is taken from the pig’s ear area for a chemical analysis.
2. Vaginal biopsy. In this case, samples of mucus from the genital organs are taken for analysis using a special medical instrument. It is inserted into the pig's vagina and captures some fluid, then the collected samples are placed in a container and taken to the laboratory. The procedure is also expensive, so it is used only as a last resort.
3. Ultrasound examination. To do this, the animal is examined using a special scanner, similar in design to the equipment used to test human pregnancy. In this case, it is possible not only to establish that the animal is pregnant, but the equipment can even record the fetal heartbeat.

In industrial production, sows are shown to a veterinarian three weeks after mating. He examines the animal using the rectal method and determines that the pig is pregnant by the pulsation of the uterine and genitourinary arteries.

After pregnancy has been accurately determined, the animal should be transferred to special care.

Length of pregnancy

If everything is normal, the pig is pregnant for 110 to 115 days. It is difficult to say more precisely, since several factors influence the gestational age of pigs. Let's list them:

• in young pigs for whom this is the first or second birth, the period may increase by five days or even a whole week;
• mature sows are able to give birth to piglets 10 days earlier than average;
• climatic conditions have an effect - at different times of the year the dates can shift. For example, in winter the pregnancy of pigs is slightly shorter, in summer it is longer;
• a lot depends on how many piglets the pig farrowed last time, and how many piglets the pig is going to give birth to now. For example, she will bear six piglets longer than ten;
• influenced by the conditions of keeping the sow;
• depends on the breed of the animal. For example, pregnancy in Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs lasts from 114 to 118 days; A large white breed sow can be pregnant for 114 to 122 days.

By the way, people say that a pig bears offspring for 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. The result is 114 days. Easy to remember.

Important. The lower limit is 110 days. If the pregnancy is shorter, there is a high risk that the piglets will not be born viable.

Rules of care

This factor should be examined in more detail, since the conditions in which a pregnant pig is kept determines which piglets will be born and how much milk she will have. If you have a large farm, it will be better to gather all pregnant sows with the same gestational age into one group, providing them with general care.

1. When the gestation period is short, up to two months, sows are kept in groups of four. Each is allocated three square meters of space.
2. In the third month of free space, each pregnant pig needs to add up to six squares. Now the number of individuals in the group is reduced to two.
3. When the gestation period exceeds four months, each sow is given an individual pen with an area of ​​six or more squares; she stays in this pen until farrowing.

Towards the end of the gestation period, the sow is placed in an individual farrowing pen so that she does not choke the piglets.

It is desirable that the pens in which sows will be kept and give birth should have:

• rectangular shape;
• depth from 2.5 meters;
• width according to the norm is six square meters (or more).

Feeding rules

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

1. Young sows that are still growing need nutrients that are beneficial both for the development of the fetus and for themselves. Body growth is achieved through the use of protein feed, i.e. food with a high amount of protein. True, reasonable caution should be observed here - an excess of such food can destroy the embryos. According to practice, during the entire pregnancy, a young sow should gain from 45 to 55 kilos 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 your weight - if an adult sow begins to gain weight, her diet is revised downward, while the period of physical 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 gains maximum weight - approximately two-thirds of the total volume. On last month The feed includes easily digestible proteins and carbohydrates. Food should not provoke high gas formation in the pig’s stomach and stimulate fermentation processes.
4. Pregnant sows are fed three times a day. Fresh drinking water should be available around the clock.

It is prohibited to feed pregnant pigs the following foods:

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

Feeding sows “in position” three times a day with a special nutritious diet.

Preparing for farrowing

We have already mentioned that the duration of pregnancy lasts on average about 114 days. You need to prepare for farrowing a week before the end of this period.

Here is a special table to help calculate the farrowing date. From the date calculated from the table, you need to monitor the signs that are harbingers of an imminent birth.

• find in the left column the date = 7 (third line);
• We are looking for a column with month = 3 (third column);
• at the intersection of the row and column we find the date - in our case it is June 25;
• On this day, the pregnant sow should be moved to an individual pen, covered with fresh and soft bedding.

Prepare the tools you will need in advance. This includes:

• scissors for cutting the umbilical cord;
• a strong thread used to tie the umbilical cord;
• a clean soft cloth that is used to wipe a newborn piglet;
• 5% iodine or brilliant green for treating the umbilical cord of piglets.

The last week before giving birth is a big stress for the sow, both physical and nervous. She needs to be surrounded by care, providing conditions such as:

• quality food;
• fresh water;
• calm atmosphere in the barn;
• following all rules of sanitation and hygiene.

It would be a good idea to install lighting in the pigsty or install an infrared heating lamp near the sow.

Preparation for farrowing includes calculating the date, creating special living and nutritional conditions, and anthelmintic treatment.

Rough food and silage are excluded from the animal’s diet two weeks before farrowing. Over the course of a week, the diet is reduced, completely switching to:

• flaxseed flour;
• quality hay;
• liquid bran.

Also, a pregnant pig is given anthelmintics a week before giving birth to protect her and future piglets from worms.

Important. To prevent possible constipation, pregnant pigs who already walk and move little are given beet pulp.

Preparing the premises

A few days before farrowing, the room in which the sow is located is cleaned. But it’s not enough to just clean out the dirt, you also need to take the expectant mother out of it, and then:

• wash the pigsty with a hot alkali solution, mixing it in the proportion: one bucket of alkali per 55 liters of water;
• the walls are whitened with quicklime;
• eliminate all possible drafts;
• provide dryness and warmth.

The temperature in the pigsty can range from 15 to 22 degrees, neither higher nor lower. In hot summers, be sure to spray your pregnant pig with cool water from time to time.

Sow farrowing

On average, a pig gives birth to 8 to 12 babies, although at times this number increases to 15-16 individuals. However, in the first year it is considered quite normal for a young pig if there are no more than 6 piglets per farrow.

Complications may arise during the farrowing process, so it will be better if an experienced specialist takes over the birth.

If you yourself do not know how to deliver births to animals, do not take risks, but invite an experienced veterinarian. The stages of preparation for the birth of piglets are as follows.

1. Wash your pregnant pig with warm, soapy water a couple of days in advance. Wipe the sides, limbs and nipples with a one percent creolin solution.
2. On the day of farrowing, a large bowl of water is placed next to the giving birth sow, which will have to be refilled periodically - pigs lose a lot of fluid during childbirth and need to be replenished.
3. Wipe the pig's nipples with a solution of potassium permanganate.
4. The specialist delivering the baby must:

• cut off fingernails;
• remove rings, etc.;
• wash your hands with soap up to the elbows;
• treat your hands with alcohol;
• wear clean and thick clothes.

Medical gloves and an apron will also help.

1. You should be close to the sow throughout farrowing. At this moment, pigs have a large mass and are quite capable of crushing a newborn baby with their weight. It would be a good idea to place the pig in a special farrowing pen three to four days before farrowing.
2. During farrowing, after the birth of all piglets, it is imperative to wait until the placenta is released, which is removed. The process can last about 8 hours. If the placenta does not separate during this time, be sure to call a specialist.
3. Immediately after giving birth, replace the sow's bedding - the old one will already be wet and dirty.
4. The back of the pig's body is washed with warm water.
5. The sow is allowed to feed only two hours after farrowing.

When childbirth is left behind, the sow’s diet is returned to the old one, but gradually, so that the suckling piglets do not have problems digesting food.

Summary

We talked about how long pregnancy lasts for a young pig and for an adult sow. This will allow you to calculate a specific farrowing date. Make sure that the pregnant pig is in comfortable conditions, and that her food is appropriate for the period at which she is pregnant.

It will be better if an experienced specialist takes over the birth; don’t take risks yourself at first.