Having missed the farrowing of 3 sows it is vital not only to book down all pertinent service details regarding your pigs BUT TO READ THE INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE! Had the weather not been so kind I could have faced a total disaster.
Sow with litter having farrowed in field.
Pigs generally farrow better given an area to themselves. Ideally this area will have been cleaned and disinfected before the sow is put in it. I like to put the sows in their farrowing area about a week before they are due so they can settle in their new surroundings.
Sows will make a nest and so should have material available to do this. I don’t like to give too much straw as new born piglets can get lost in too much bedding and get squashed. Sometimes sows will gather everything from around them, including buckets and soiled bedding, so make sure you keep their farrowing area clean. Or by the time they mix everything in together it is not such a clean, warm bed. You can read about my sows that recently caught me out in our news section.
John.
