How long does pregnancy last in a pig (pregnancy calendar)

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Kira Stoletova

The pig is an animal that is extremely valued by people for its delicious meat. The pet was domesticated a long time ago, which is why all its habits have been well studied and rules for caring for it have been developed. Recently, raising pigs for sale at home has become very common. Such breeding requires a lot of effort, time and skills. In addition, in order to breed these animals, you need to know how long a pregnant pig walks.

How long does a pregnant pig walk?

Even simply raising these animals for yourself saves a lot of money and protects you from low-quality meat and many diseases. Farmers need to know how many piglets a pig bears, how to feed a pregnant pig, and how to prepare a pigsty for the birth of offspring. All these are important questions for those who decide to seriously engage in animal breeding.

How long does a pig's pregnancy last?

Pigs are famous for their fertility. Depending on the breed, a sow is capable of bringing from 6 to 12 cubs, however, there are exceptions when animals brought 15 and even 34 piglets.

A healthy and mature sow in good housing conditions can piglet twice a year. Experienced farmers say that a pig stays pregnant for almost 4 months, 114 days to be exact. On average, an animal carries piglets for 110–118 days, but this period may change under the influence of certain factors. Young individuals sometimes carry their offspring to term, while mature ones, on the contrary, give birth earlier.

Many pig breeders plan mating so that the birth occurs in February. Especially if you plan to sell piglets. This allows you to save on feed: young animals that have grown by spring gain weight well by eating greens on the pasture.

Preparing for childbirth

As soon as it becomes known that the pig will bear offspring, you need to prepare for childbirth. First of all, you need to reconsider the sow's diet, since it must contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and nutrients for bearing future piglets. It is strictly forbidden to either underfeed or overfeed the animal.

If a pig is undernourished, the fetus may simply dissolve, and if it overeats, it will be difficult for her to give birth. An incorrect diet can also affect the health of future piglets, their presentation and quality of meat. To avoid infections, it is necessary to vaccinate and thoroughly disinfect the entire pigsty. You also need to remember about antihelminthic therapy about 1 month before giving birth.

Problems arise with the fact that during pregnancy the pig does not walk much on its own initiative. That is why she needs to organize a walk. It is extremely important to gently force the animal to move.

During childbirth, it is important to have a first aid kit on hand. If this is the first experience, it is recommended to call a veterinarian for consultation and delivery.

A sow definitely needs vitamins, minerals and quality nutrition, even if she has not yet produced offspring. If you feed a pig with low-quality products, problems may arise during farrowing, sick offspring will be born, or a miscarriage may occur. In order for the piglets to be born healthy and strong, the female must be well taken care of, and a properly balanced diet and walking regime must be selected. You should also remember that at least once during the entire pregnancy you need to show the animal to the veterinarian, then the piglets will be healthy and will soon bring a good income.

What affects the duration

The length of the gestation period in pigs is influenced by the following factors:

Season. It is known that in summer the period lengthens, and in winter it shortens.
Age. Mature sows bear offspring faster, and young sows sometimes “walk around.”
Number of farrows. The first two farrows occur later than the subsequent ones.
Number of cubs. If a pig carries more than 6 piglets, then she walks in a smaller position.
Method of maintenance and diet.
Heredity of partners.

How long it takes before farrowing depends on the breed. For example:

Vietnamese pigs carry their young for 114–118 days.
Representatives of the Landrace breed are distinguished by their fertility, so pregnancy in Landraces is short - up to 110 days.
The Hungarian Mangalitsa is considered a low-fertility variety and bears its young for 118–126 days.

Development of the pig embryo and fetus

At 1 month, the length of the embryo is 1.6-1.8 cm. All organs are laid. Species outlines are drawn up. The abdominal cavity is closed.

At 2 months, the length of the fetus is 8 cm. The specific exterior outlines are clearly visible, and the sexes differ. Ossification of the tubular bones begins, fangs form on the lower jaw, eyes are closed, body weight is from 90 to 190 g.

At 3 months, the length of the fetus is 14-18 cm. Hairs appear on the lips, eyebrows, tail and ears. The palpebral fissure is open, fangs develop on the lower jaw; on the upper jaw they begin to erupt, the incisors and first molars appear.

At 4 months the fruit becomes mature and covered with bristles. The length of the fruit is from 20 to 25 cm, weight is about 1 kg. The bones of the skull become ossified. There are sharp incisors and fangs.

During pregnancy, the size of the fetuses varies, sometimes there are 1-2 “little ones”. The main reason for the rapid growth of the fetus or its stunted growth (other things being equal) lies in the individual characteristics of the fetus itself, its stability and biological activity. The more fruits, the smaller the size and weight of each fruit.

How to tell if a pig is covered or not

Successful mating of a sow depends on the competent choice of the boar and the future mother, as well as on the age of the mated pets. Pigs reach sexual maturity early - at 5–6 months. However, animals should not be bred at such an early age, otherwise the offspring will turn out frail and sickly. The optimal age for mating is 9–10 months, when the pig has gained 100–110 kg of weight.

Animals can be mated only after the owner is convinced that they are ready for mating. The following signs indicate this:

the female expresses anger and anxiety;
redness and swelling of the genitals;
appetite decreases;
vaginal discharge is observed.

Sexual intercourse lasts 15–20 minutes. It is possible to accurately determine whether a pig has become covered only by the onset of pregnancy.

To increase the chances, experienced farmers leave the animal with the boar for 2 hours and repeat the process the next day. In large farms, the method of repeated fertilization is used. After the first mating, the female is matched with another sire to increase productivity.

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

There are two ways to determine pregnancy in pigs: using special tests or by the behavior and external characteristics of the animal. The first method is the most reliable and accurate, but will cost the farmer more.

After mating with a boar, the pig is placed in a separate compartment, where good living conditions are provided. Experienced pig breeders know that a pregnant pig changes: it becomes contented, relaxed, rests a lot and eats. You can definitely be sure of pregnancy by testing or observing the female.

Behavioral features

You can determine if a pig is pregnant at home by the following signs:

The animal is brought to the boar a couple of days after mating. If the female shows aggression, then pregnancy has occurred.
A couple of days after mating, a pregnant pig develops a white vaginal discharge.
During pregnancy, rapid weight gain occurs, the nipples turn purple, and the back sag.
A pregnant sow is characterized by increased laziness and goodwill: she eats and rests a lot, grunts affectionately.
Before farrowing, the female prepares the nest in a secluded place, chewing hay and straw.

Pregnancy can be accurately detected a month before farrowing using the following steps:

The pig is placed on its left side.
Massaging the abdomen, gently feel the area of the abdomen between the hind legs.
Palpate the area between the nipples, feeling for the babies.

Carrying out tests

At pig farms, the pregnancy of sows is determined using special examinations carried out by veterinarians:

Analysis of material from the vagina. Samples of vaginal discharge are taken using medical instruments. The method is considered expensive, so it is rarely used.
Ultrasound examination - performed with a scanner that helps establish pregnancy.
Pregnancy test - carried out 22 days after mating. Blood is taken from the ear for a test that will confirm whether the pig is pregnant or not.

Sometimes the sow becomes covered only after mating again. If the animal becomes pregnant and is safely delivered, then mating can be repeated after six months.

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.

For more details, see the article “How can you tell if a pig is pregnant or not?”

False pregnancy

In some individuals, after mating, primary signs of pregnancy may be present, but in fact conception has not occurred. To avoid imaginary pregnancy, pig farmers use two methods to guarantee offspring:

Pigs are mated not to one boar, but to two, to increase productivity.
Some time after mating, the females are taken to the boar's pen. If animals show aggression, it means they are pregnant sows.

To recognize a false pregnancy, it is enough to wait three weeks. If the conception is imaginary, then after three weeks the signs will disappear.

What changes occur in a pig's body 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 piggy female’s body:

Intra-abdominal pressure increases, due to this, acts of defecation and urination become more frequent, and breathing becomes more frequent. Protein can be found in the urine of fertilized pigs.
Hypertrophy of the heart muscle of a pregnant woman, especially the left ventricle, is observed, and vascular tone increases significantly.
There is a change in metabolism, namely disturbances in mineral metabolism, the volume of calcium and phosphorus decreases, and the alkaline reserve in the blood is depleted.
Accumulation of nitrogenous substances and placental hormones is possible, and the absorption of carbon and fat in a pregnant woman improves.

Important! You can find out that a female is pregnant based on many external signs, but conclusions can only be drawn after 1 month.

How to correctly determine the time of farrowing of a sow

On average, the gestation period in pigs lasts 114 days, but experienced farmers recommend preparing for childbirth a week before the event. A special table will help you accurately determine the date of birth of the offspring.

The table is very easy to use. If mating occurred, say, on May 10, you should find the number 10 in the leftmost column, and the number 5 in the top column (the month of May). At the intersection of these two numbers we find the number 28.08 - this will be the expected farrowing date of the pig.

Feeding and maintenance of pregnant sows

Providing nutritious feed and creating normal living conditions for pregnant sows has a great impact on the course of pregnancy in the sow, on the development and growth of fetuses, and also allows animal owners to prevent metabolic disorders, various prenatal and postnatal diseases associated with a lack of minerals in the body and vitamins Scientists have found that in the first period of pregnancy, up to 50% of the embryos in a sow can die. In order to prevent the death of embryos in the womb of the sow and to obtain large and healthy piglets, animal owners must provide sows with a complete and balanced diet in accordance with existing zootechnical feeding standards. Proper feeding, maintenance and use allows owners to get almost two farrows from a sow, or 16-18 or more piglets with an average weight of 1.2-1.3 kg each. In fact, the intensity of use of main sows in most farms does not exceed 1.5-1.6 farrows per year. Diets for pregnant sows must be compiled depending on age, weight, period of gestation (the first two months are taken as the first half of gestation, the 3rd and 4th months before farrowing are taken as the second half) and on their condition of nutrition. At the same time, feeding rates for young pregnant sows should be higher than for adults, since sows need the nutrients they receive not only for the formation of fruits, but also for the growth and development of their bodies. In the first half of pregnancy, young and adult sows require less nutrients than in the second. This is due to the fact that in the first period of pregnancy, the embryos grow slowly, and the formation of organs and tissues occurs. So an embryo at 30 days weighs 2g, at 60-100 from 80 to 400g, 90-550g, at 100 days - 1060g, at birth -1300g or more. For every 100 kg of weight with average body condition, owners need to feed sows over 2 years old about 1.5 feed units of feed - in the first half of gestation and up to 2 feed units of feed - in the second half, and for young growing queens this norm increases according to the period of gestation to 2-2.5 feed units. In order for fruits to grow and develop normally, the diets of pregnant sows must contain complete protein, calcium, phosphorus, microelements and vitamins in the required quantities and proportions. Requirement of adult pregnant sows for protein per 1 feed. units is about 100g in the first half of pregnancy, 110g in the second, and 110 and 120g in young growing sows, respectively. In the diets of pregnant sows, owners must additionally include mineral supplements and mixtures of microelements per 1 feed unit: - calcium 6-7g, phosphorus - 5-6, table salt 5-10g, iron - 100mg, copper -10, zinc - 50, manganese -40, magnesium - 400, iodine -0.2 mg. Vitamins (feed additives for pigs) play an important role in the nutrition of pregnant sows. When fed with feed poor in vitamins, they develop hypovitaminosis - hypovitaminosis A in piglets and pigs, hypovitaminosis E in piglets, hypovitaminosis C in pigs, hypovitaminosis B5 (pellagra), hypovitaminosis B 2, hypovitaminosis B 12 in pigs, hypovitaminosis B1, rickets.

With insufficient or inadequate feeding in the second half of pregnancy, fetal growth slows down, piglets are born weak, with low live weight, and sometimes there are stillborn and mummified fetuses. In the first period of pregnancy, sows are given more bulky feed: 1.5-2 kg of hay or grass meal, 3-5 kg of juicy feed (beets, potatoes), 1-2 kg of skim milk and 1.2-1.5 kg of a mixture of concentrates. It is better to add hay flour to other feed without boiling or steaming it, since heat treatment destroys a significant part of the vitamins. It is recommended to feed potatoes boiled. Approximate diet for sows in the first half of pregnancy (weighing up to 160 kg): hay flour (clover) 2 kg; boiled potatoes 4 kg; wheat bran – 0.5 kg; ground barley -0.5 kg; ground oats -0.6 kg; return 1 kg; chalk -10g; salt – 35g. In the second half of pregnancy, sows' feeding rations should consist of easily digestible and good-quality feeds; animal owners should avoid giving large amounts of roughage and succulent feeds, especially dairy feeds. In the diets of sows in the second half of pregnancy, it is advisable to introduce 1-1.5 kg of hay and grass flour made from legumes, 2-3 kg of succulent feed, 1.5-2 kg of a mixture of concentrates and 1-2 kg of skim milk. Approximate diet for a sow in the second half of pregnancy (weighing 200 kg): hay flour (clover) - 1 kg; boiled potatoes 3kg; wheat bran 0.5 kg; ground barley 0.5 kg; ground peas 0.6 kg; ground oats 0.6 kg chalk -25 g; salt -40g. It is best to feed sows with moist thick mash 2 times a day - morning and evening in specially equipped canteens or pens. Feeding sows three times a day is used only in cases where large amounts of succulent and roughage are used in the feeding rations. It is necessary to feed sows with clean water from troughs or automatic drinkers. Skinny and obese sows during pregnancy produce small, non-viable piglets and have low milk production. After feeding and watering, sows must be driven out into the courtyards for 20-30 minutes. This technique makes it easier to keep the pigsty clean and dry. In the first three months of pregnancy, sows can be kept in summer in groups in pens of 20-30 heads, and in winter - in pens of a pigsty of 10-15 heads. The area per sow in the first three months of pregnancy when kept in a group pen is 1.5 – 1.8 m². In the last month of pregnancy, sows should be kept in groups of 3-5 animals, as the behavior of the queens changes: they become cautious and slow. 10-15 days before farrowing, sows are kept one at a time in a pen (with an area of 5 m²). In industrial pig farming, a pen of a special design is used.

Source of the article: https://vetvo.ru/%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1% 81%D1%82%D1%8C-%D1%83-%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8C%D0%B8.html

How long does farrowing last?

Using the table and calculating how long your pet’s pregnancy will last, you can prepare for the upcoming birth with peace of mind. Knowing when a pregnant pig will give birth, farmers begin preparations a week before the event. It should be remembered that the animal will not be able to give birth on its own, so the process is controlled by an experienced pig breeder or veterinarian.

On average, birth lasts two hours, with piglets appearing at intervals of 14–18 minutes. In rare cases, labor is delayed and lasts for 5–7 hours. The exact time depends on the number of babies and the age of the pig.

Regardless of how long the female gives birth, newborn piglets need to be fed with mother's milk for 40-60 minutes. The mother herself is fed two hours after farrowing.

Pigs are prolific animals, and maintaining and raising these artiodactyls does not require much time and money for the owner. Even a novice pig breeder should know how to determine pregnancy and calculate the due date in order to provide comfortable conditions for the expectant mother in time and prepare for farrowing.

Sow selection

The quality of the offspring and the number of piglets, and therefore the farmer’s profit, depend on the correct choice of the sow. A pig is selected for reproduction by assessing its fertility and fertility . The following indicators are taken into account:

Average number of piglets per litter (only live piglets are counted).
The weight of each piglet.
Number of piglets surviving to one month of age.
Number of lactation periods.

The fertility of the sow is assessed according to the following criteria:

When did the first hunt begin?
How long does the sexual cycle last (the shorter it is, the better).
How many unsuccessful matings did a particular pig have?
The number and shape of nipples are taken into account - individuals with funnel-shaped nipples and those with less than 12 are rejected.

The choice is also influenced by the weight gain of the pig in infancy, because a potential sow for the breed begins to be selected long before the onset of puberty. If by two months the piglet gains weight of 18-24 kilograms, it is taken into account. Subsequently, from the selected females, those who have a good appetite, have a wide back and reach a weight of 120 kilograms at ten months of age are selected.

Reference. Of the possible candidates, preference is given to females with a calm character.