...but Charlotte is getting very close to delivering! She is resting comfortably in her stall with fresh water, hay and grain within easy reach. It has been hot the past few days here, so she has a fan hanging on her door to help keep her cool. My students have kept a close eye on her, making sure she's comfortable and happy.
She started bagging up a few days ago, then took a bit of a break, and now has slowly begun to continue. She has begun to go off feed and hasn't been eating as much as she normally would, which is another sign that delivery is getting closer.
Whisper_the_wind left an interesting comment about the mothering nature of pigs. Would you mind sharing more of your insight? Any advice on delivery and caring for the newborns? I'm new to this and could use all of the help I can get! Also, if anyone else has any words of wisdom or stories, please leave a comment!
Tomorrow is the full moon, so I am guessing she will deliver tomorrow night. For now, we just sit back and wait for nature to take it's course...
Also, if anyone would like to come down to see the farm and meet Faith, Linus, Charlotte and all of our other "famous" critters, you are more than welcome! We love visitors!
.
She is such a pretty color!!! She just looks too sweet to not remain that way babies or not. Best of luck with her.
ReplyDeleteSows often lay on their piglets (by accident) and they are killed. My dad put a railing around the bottom of the pen so that the piglets could scoot under it should the sow lay down near a wall and they had no escape. Other than that, I don't remember much about pigs.....my Dad and brothers took care of them.
ReplyDeleteI am learning so much on your blog! I worked at a farm museum way back in high school, but didn't have much interaction with the pigs. I was told to tell visitors to avoid the mamas with babies and never pick up the piglets - the mama pigs were very protective. Apparently a mama once jumped a (fairly high) fence to to a squealing piglet and gave a visitor a big scare. (But that's why you listen to the guide when s/he tells you which animals you are allowed to pet!)
ReplyDeleteSows will sometimes become very aggressive / protective when they have piglets so be careful. Do you have homes for all the piglets?
ReplyDeleteContact www.colchesterneighborhoodfarm.com, Ron and Connie raise a couple litters every year - I'm sure they woul dbe happy to help!
ReplyDelete