Pigs are capable of producing two offspring per year. In order for farming to bring a good income, you need to be savvy in many issues related to animal physiology. Pregnancy in pigs is a complex process that the farmer needs to know everything about: how long the gestation period of piglets lasts, how to determine that the mating was successful, how farrowing occurs. The success of farming depends on knowledge and skills in these matters.
pregnant pig
Signs of pregnancy in pigs
The farmer can assume that the mating of pigs was successful if he observes the behavior of the female. At the initial stage of pregnancy, the pregnancy of a pig can be determined by the signs:
- The animal becomes apathetic, lethargic, rests more, moves smoothly.
- A curdled secret is secreted from the vagina.
- Nipples swell a little.
- At the right time (after about 3 weeks), estrus does not occur.
- Change in appetite. Some guinea pigs lose interest in food, while others increase their appetite.
- Increase in body weight.
Attention! In pigs, there is also a false pregnancy, its signs are similar to those listed above. However, with false pregnancy, after 2-3 weeks, the animal’s condition returns to normal when the time comes for the next estrus.
Methods for determining pregnancy
To confirm or deny the presence of pregnancy in a pig, farmers resort to various diagnostic methods. These include:
- rectal method;
- reflexological method;
- palpation of the abdomen;
- vaginal biopsy;
- blood test for progesterone;
- ultrasound procedure.
Ultrasound examination
Rectal examination
The rectal method of research is allowed to be used 4 or more weeks after the mating of animals. By this time, the uterine arteries of the pig are dilated and begin to vibrate, which makes it possible to ascertain gestation. Before the inspection procedure, the pig is securely fixed so that it remains motionless. The veterinarian puts gloves on his hands, lubricates them with petroleum jelly or another slippery substance. Curling his fingers into a cone, he gently inserts his hand into the animal’s rectum. You can start diagnosing after relaxing the muscles of the anus, otherwise the intestine may rupture.
The task of the specialist is to probe 3 arteries:
- external iliac;
- middle uterine;
- urogenital.
By the 30th day of gestation, the middle uterine artery begins to vibrate, and its diameter increases. By the end of 2 months of pregnancy in pigs, the diameter of this artery usually increases by 50 percent or more, and the vibration is felt even stronger. A month later, the urogenital artery also begins to vibrate, and the diameter of the middle uterine artery is equal to or exceeds the diameter of the external iliac. By these signs, the veterinarian can not only find out whether the pig is pregnant or not, but also approximately determine the period of gestation of piglets.
Attention! If the specialist failed to fix the vibrations of the uterine artery, it is recommended to re-examine after 21 days.
Reflexological method
This method does not give a 3% guarantee of the accuracy of the result, but its advantage is that it can be used as early as 15 weeks after mating. It is widely used in private farms. The essence of the method is that a boar is brought to pigs that were inseminated 30-2 days ago every XNUMX hours. According to the reaction of animals, the presence of sexual hunting in females is determined. Those pigs in which its signs are found are not pregnant.
Pig mating
Palpation of the abdomen
By resorting to the method of palpation of the abdomen, it is possible to determine the pregnancy of a pig only 3 months after its insemination. By this time, farmers usually already know that the pig is pregnant. This is the shortcoming of this technique.
To feel the piglets in the womb through the abdominal wall, the animal is laid on its left side. You need to calm the sow by scratching her belly. You need to palpate the fruits in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe last two nipples, which are located closer to the lower abdomen.
Attention! Before the palpation procedure, the pig is not fed for 12 hours. It is best to conduct this study in the morning on an empty stomach.
Vaginal biopsy
This method involves taking samples of tissue and secretions from the pig’s vagina. The biomaterial is sent to a laboratory where it is examined under a microscope. This procedure allows you to accurately diagnose pregnancy in the early stages, but it is rarely used due to the high cost.
Blood test for progesterone
The blood test for pregnancy testing allows to determine the gestation of pigs with an accuracy of 98% from 20 days after coating. Biomaterial is taken from the parotid vein. In the blood of a pregnant pig, the level of progesterone gradually increases, which allows us to draw a conclusion regarding the onset of pregnancy. If by the twentieth day after mating the level of this hormone has reached 9 ng / ml, pregnancy is confirmed.
Blood test for pregnancy testing
Ultrasound
This type of study is absolutely safe and can be used to diagnose pregnancy as early as 20 days after mating. With the help of a special sensor on the monitor screen, it is possible to fix the heartbeat of the embryos, and later to consider their outlines. According to statistics, the most accurate data can be obtained starting from the 30th day after the mating. During the ultrasound examination, the animal should lie motionless on its side. The skin in the belly area is lubricated with a special gel, then a sensor is applied.
Duration of pregnancy in pigs
All pig breeders know that pregnancy in pigs lasts 3 months 3 weeks and 3 more days, that is, it is 114-116 days. This is an average value, since some pigs farrow after 110 days after insemination, others after 125. According to statistics, a fourth of the animals give birth to piglets on the 114th day after mating or earlier, the rest – later.
The duration of pregnancy is influenced by such factors:
- Belonging to a particular breed. In Vietnamese pigs, farrowing occurs after 110 days.
- Season. Farmers note that winter farrowing always comes a little earlier than expected, and summer farrowing comes later.
- The age of the animal. Young sows give birth a little earlier.
- The number of born piglets. The fewer babies there are in the womb of the sow, the more likely it is that she will farrow later.
- Conditions of detention.
- The health status of the pig.
Farrowed pig with offspring
Signs of pig pregnancy should be known to every farmer if he wants to be successful in his business. Experienced pig breeders can determine gestation at its initial stage without resorting to expensive diagnostic methods. It is important to fix the date of mating and record your observations in the gestation calendar.
