Archived News

15th April 2010

Based on only one siting of Percy mating with Prudence on 21st December last year, I had roughly calculated that we could see more piglets on the farm any time from 9th April, that's if the serving was successful.  A more specific pig chart gave 14th April as the due date.  Well sure enough, Prudence bagged well in the last few days with milk easily squeezed from her teats yesterday.

Christopher and George gave Prudence a fresh bed of straw today and she helped by moving the straw into place with her mouth; her nest building continued for a few hours and she gave birth to her first piglet at 4.06pm and the fourteenth piglet at 9.45pm!

This was Prudence's third litter and I expected her to pop the piglets out without help, just as she did last year and allowing them to feed inbetween each birth.  But today was a different story and she tried to bite each piglet as it was born and ventured round to meet her.  This sometimes happen with first time mums but was totally unexpected third time round.

The grey saddleback was first born and received quite a nip from his mum.

For their own safety we put the piglets under a heat lamp to stay warm until the farrowing was complete. 

Once twelve piglets had arrived, Pru was calming down a little and by number thirteen, she layed still long enough to have the piglets brought back to her for feeding.  As each piglet dropped off to sleep we moved them back to their bed under the lamp, then Prudence gave a final swish of her tail and out slid number fourteen!