How long does a pregnant pig walk: what determines the timing and how to determine

Each owner of a farm containing sows should know how much a pig walks pregnant and what are the features of this process. Without sufficient knowledge, it will be difficult to prepare well for childbirth, provide assistance to livestock, and also properly equip and raise offspring.

What changes occur in the body of a pig during pregnancy

The gestation period is considered difficult in the life of a pig, so preparation for it must be appropriate. At this moment, the following changes occur in the body of the piglet female:

1. Intra-abdominal pressure increases, in connection with this, acts of defecation and urination become more frequent, breathing quickens. Protein can be found in the urine of pregnant pigs.
2. There is hypertrophy of the heart muscle of a pregnant woman, especially the left ventricle, vascular tone is significantly increased.
3. There is a change in metabolism, namely, violations of mineral metabolism, the volume of calcium and phosphorus decreases, the alkaline reserve in the blood is depleted.
4. Possible accumulation of nitrogenous substances, placental hormones, improved absorption of carbohydrates and fat in a pregnant woman.

Important! You can find out about the pregnancy of a female based on many external signs, but conclusions can only be drawn after 1 month.

What determines the timing?

The duration of pregnancy in pigs in theory lasts an average of 110 to 126 days. In practice, a pig carries piglets for a little less than 4 months. Experienced farmers indicate the average gestation is 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days.

The duration of this process also depends on many factors that affect not only the timing, but also the course of pregnancy as a whole:

1. Breed. Small and fast-growing types of pigs carry offspring much less than others. For example, the Vietnamese bellied pig gives birth to more than 20 piglets in one farrowing, while the pregnancy lasts significantly less than 4 months.
2. Age. Young individuals need more time for the normal formation of offspring. Pigs of the same breed are capable of carrying smaller piglets.
3. Number of births before farrowing. The first time pregnancy lasts a relatively long time, already by the next offspring, the uterus gets used to the load and helps the formation of the fetus in a short time.
4. The size of a pig. Large females take more days to develop a he althy fetus, while smaller sows of the same breed can carry and give birth to a piglet faster.
5. Conditions. The weather is of great importance, because in cold times, pregnancy usually passes quickly and without complications.

It is worth considering that the gestational age of pigs is an individual feature that may vary depending on external and internal factors.

Important! Experienced experts say that everything necessary for childbirth should be prepared by the 110th day before the expected moment of conception.

How to tell if a pig is pregnant

It is possible to determine the pregnancy of a pig 1 month after fertilization by several signs:

• lethargy, smoothness of movement, apathy;
• excretion of cottage cheese secretion from the vagina;
• nipple swelling;
• no desire for sexual intercourse during the month;
• appetite change;
• increase in body mass.

There are other methods for determining the pregnancy of an animal, which differ in accuracy and availability.

Test

Many farmers resort to the Burkina test, which helps to determine at home whether a pig is pregnant with an accuracy of 98%.

Test instructions:

1. Collecting subject's urine.
2. Filtration of the received liquid.
3. Adding 2 drops of hydrochloric acid, an aqueous solution of filinhydrazil hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide 3%.
4. Boiling the resulting mass and cooling.

If the liquid turns dark red, this is a sign that the pig is pregnant. If the urine has not changed its yellow color, then the cattle is not pregnant.

Examination by a specialist

Veterinarian, or other specialist with the necessary skills, conducts rectal examinations, they are possible only 30 days after mating. Before the procedure, it is necessary to fix the pig, insert a gloved hand treated with petroleum jelly into the rectum and palpate the subair, urogenital and uterine arteries. The latter should increase in size and vibrate. This condition indicates that the pig is carrying piglets.

An experienced veterinarian can determine the timing of pregnancy depending on the enlargement and pulsation of all three arteries.

Doppler instrument

Doppler device detects the heart rate of the fetus carried by the pig. Its accuracy on the 21st day after fertilization is 90%. In addition to the first month, it can be used in the future to control the condition of future offspring.

Ultrasound

You can determine pregnancy using an ultrasound machine, usually this method is used on large-scale farms and farms that breed pigs. It can be applied on the 20th day after fertilization. If you follow the terms and rules, the guarantee of the result is 95%.

The device, depending on the capabilities of the equipment and its modernity, determines whether the pig is pregnant by availability:

• fetal heart rate;
• fluids in the uterus.

The pig can be both standing and lying down, as long as it does not move.

Biopsy

Vaginal biopsy is an expensive method that relies on analysis of mucus from the genital tract of a pig and allows you to know for sure if the animal is pregnant. To do this, a special instrument is inserted into the vagina at least 150 mm so that the device is covered with liquid, and a small amount of mucus is caught, which is placed in a special container and sent to the laboratory.

False pregnancy

A pig can experience a false pregnancy - a phenomenon in which similar symptoms appear and estrus stops immediately after mating. In such a situation, after a while, you need to place the female with the males and observe her behavior. If a pig behaves rudely and does not let anyone near her, then she is pregnant.

Care for the sow and piglets

While waiting for the offspring, farmers should carefully prepare and create favorable conditions for the birth and further maintenance of the sow:

• wash the pigsty of dirt with hot water using alkali;
• whitewash the walls with lime;
• set the correct temperature (15-25 degrees), humidity (65-70%);
• cover the bottom of the room with straw or sawdust.

Experienced farmers are advised to purchase special maternity cages and send a pregnant pig there a few days before birth in order to minimize the mortality of piglets after asphyxia. In contractions with an interval of 5 minutes, the birth of babies is already beginning. For stimulation in hot weather, you can pour water on the animal.

Important! At the first contractions of a pig, a veterinarian should be called in order to avoid various consequences.

In the first days after the farrowing of the sow, it is necessary to accustom each piglet to a specific nipple and control that all babies suck their nipples.

This is important not only for piglets, but also for the sow, as it will protect her from mastitis. Also keep an eye on how the umbilical cord dries up in piglets.

A tired woman in labor should be given peace, her he alth should be monitored and certain care should be arranged, which includes:

1. Permanent access to water.
2. First feeding 12 hours after farrowing in the form of a liquid mash. And in a day - a full-fledged diet in full, containing a large amount of animal feed and fat-containing products.
3. Short-term walking on the 3-4th day, which will improve digestion.

Veterinary Signals:

• pig refuses to feed;
• purulent discharge from the genitals;
• udder swelling.

Possible problems and illnesses

There are many problems at the time of pregnancy of a pig, which arise from errors in nutrition, animal maintenance, as well as in the presence of various diseases.

Causes for the birth of sick, non-viable piglets:

• lack of dietary protein, vitamins and minerals;
• use of poor-quality moldy or sour feed;
• drinking ice water;
• injuries to the uterus and fetuses due to hauling and moving through narrow passages;
• anomalies and diseases.

Among the most common swine diseases that cause mass abortions are brucellosis, leptospirosis, mycoplasmosis, transmissible gastroenteritis, enterovirus infection, distemper, Aujeszky's disease.

Features of pregnancy of Vietnamese pigs

Vietnamese pigs have a shorter gestation period than other breeds. The maximum term is 110 days. The gestation period depends on the number of fruits. During the first pregnancy, the output will be an average of 5 piglets, and in the future from 9 to 12.

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