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Pig’s gestation
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Oscar Akindele
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Hello Oscar!
Pigs are pregnant for three months, three weeks, and three days
That’s a total of 115 days.
The normal range could be between 111 to 120 days measured on the first day of mating. A pig expelling piglets before 109 days should be categorized as abortion, and any piglets born between 109 and 112 days as premature farrowing.
Variation in pregnancy length can be due to age, environmental situations, a specific breed, or time of the year.
It’s recognized also that, gilts and pigs carrying larger litters tend to have a shorter pregnancy length.
During pregnancy, it is ideal to keep the pig in a familiar routine, including her normal feed ration, to minimize stress and increase the implant rate of the fertile eggs.
The viable fetuses secrete the pregnancy maintenance hormone progesterone, informing the sow she is pregnant.
Also, pregnant pigs should not be mixed with new pigs without a gentle introduction. She can remain in her existing group right through to farrowing, but the other pigs are likely to show a lot of interest and increase the chances of her piglets being squashed.
A week or two before her due date, it is advisable to give the pig separate accommodation, which has been cleaned, disinfected, and bedded down. Use shorter or chopped straw for bedding material because the newborn piglets are less likely to get caught up or bury themselves making them harder to see by the pig.
I hope this helps you?
Thanks for reaching out Oscar.
A week or two before her due date, it is advisable to give the pig separate accommodation, which has been cleaned, disinfected, and bedded down. Use shorter or chopped straw for bedding material because the newborn piglets are less likely to get caught up or bury themselves making them harder to see by the pig.