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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:56 pm
by tim z
SORRY TO ASK ON THIS SITE ,BUT I THOUGHT DUNCAN OR OTHERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP. MY GOS SOW (5 YEARS OLD AND HAS HAD 3 PREVIOUS LITTERS) FAILED TO FARROW IN FEBRUARY WHEN WE THOUGHT SHE WAS DUE,ALL THE SIGNS ETC.,SHE WAS DUE AGAIN THIS WEEK ,YESTERDAY I WENT OUT IN THE MORNING TO CHECK HER AND FOUND HER WITH A LARGER THAN USUAL DEAD PIGLET UMBILICAL CORD STILL ATTATCHED TO PIGLET ,LOOKED NORMAL ,NO SIGN OF ANY OTHERS OR AFTER BIRTH. SOW SEEMS FINE ALTHOUGH SHE APPEARS TO HAVE HURT HER FRONT LEG AND IS LIMPING.I DONT KNOW IF SHE HAS ANY MORE INSIDE OR NOT OR IF A FALL CAUSED HER TO LOSE THE PIGLET.PREVIOUSLY SHE HAS HAD LITTERS OF 8-11 .SHE LOOKS STILL VERY LARGE AND IS FEEDING O.K.
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:21 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
I am afraid I cannot be very constructive on this one by email, it really needs a hands on approach from a vet if you want to do anything with her. I would strongly advise getting your vet out to look, and get his/her advice. There may or may not be piglets left in there, and you would be better to know.
Sadly I think the only alternative is to cull her before any left inside go wrong, and just accept that she is a non breeder for whatever reason.
I very rarely see a pig, don't think there are any on the island of Bute at the moment, so my ideas on pig practice are not too up to date, so any other opinion welcome.
Duncan
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:38 pm
by Rob R
I'm with Duncan as far as the advice & getting your vet out.
However, one experience I do have with a GOS (not sure if this is relevant, but I'll post it anyway) is one of our sows who started eating her piglets in her second litter as they popped out. Her first litter she produced with no problems, but with the second we found her chomping on half a piglet & she put a nasty bite in the head of the next. We had to stay up with her & remove the piglets as soon as they crawled forward. Having put them in an insulated box with plenty of straw, we were reluctant to reintroduce them, however when she finished farrowing she calmed right down & settled down to suckle them when they were returned (very warily) to the pen.
She had a further litter at Christmas & was looking aggressive again, but we were ready for her this time so that when the first one came out he was straight into the box, and again when it was all over she calmed down & reared them sucessfully.
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:53 pm
by Kirk- Cascade Herd US
5 years is quite old for a producing sow. It's not unusual at all to start to have problems by this age. Pig operations would have culled her before this. They only get 4-7 litters from each sow before turning them into sausage. I would save the vet bill, give her some favorite treats, pat her on the head and say your thanks, and then simply cull her (she'll make good sausage). Then I would replace her with a new young gilt who will be happy to take her place.
Hope this helps.
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:19 pm
by tim z
thanks for your comments,i think if i can pursuade my wife we will let her go when i take my two young boars which will be going to the abatoir in august.we have a year old gilt who will hopefully be more productive ,but it's hard to see old "friends" go.tim z 
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:11 pm
by Rob R
We had two Tamworths who both produced a poor litters last time (one gilt, the other 3 years old) but they sucessfully reared all nine (between them!) to maturity, but unlike a larger unit, we decided to give them a chance & this time they have weaned 21 piglets between them. 
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:35 pm
by Inger
The older breeds are supposed to be longer lived than the new comercial breeds. Devon Blacks can continue breeding for 15 years. I've heard of one sow that farrowed until she was 18 years old.
I would call a vet in though. If there is a large piglet stuck in the birth canal holding things up, it can mean all the rest die as well, unless the piglet is removed quickly. You'll probably find that she's still carrying dead piglets and will need a vet's help.
I would dread this situation where we are, as none of our local vets know anything much about pigs (there aren't any big pig farms in our end of NZ), so I'd be on my own I'm afraid and disasters usually happen during the weekend when there isn't a vet available.