February 7, 2010 - Raising piglets to weaning time

Many livestock books would suggest separating mom from babies with distance.  The resulting upset can be heard by everyone, as the mom and the babies call to each other.  In our case we separate the babies from the mother with minimum fuss and as little stress as possible.

In the case of our sows, we allow them to farrow in a small box stall, that has one corner of the pen blocked off with a bar gate.  The presence of a heat lamp helps to encourage the piglets to rest under its warm glow. Venturing out for a turn at the dairy bar. The piglets have to learn rather quickly to get out of mom's way.  To be fair to the sow, it is pretty hard to see little tiny creatures that are one to two pounds in size when Momma weighs closer to 500 pounds.  Mother Nature certainly did not give pigs much in the way of flexibility, so turning your head to look beside or behind you is difficult to say the least.  We admit that first week or two is always stressful for us, the care-takers.  Hoping that all piglets made it through another day or night as the case might be. As times go on, piglets learn the specific "oinK/grunt" that their momma makes just before she slowly lays down and stretches out on her side.  Feeding times are frequent but short. 

We do not rush to separate the pigs.  We generally allow the babies to stay with the mom till they are about five weeks of age.  By that time we have opened up the box pen into a double pen, so everyone has more space.  Then comes the day when you notice Momma has no patience for the "kids".  They show up expecting the dairy bar to present and she roots them aside.  If they try to investigate her grain tub, they may even get rudely tossed out of her way.  If she lies down, it is not on her side, but on her tummy, firmly ignoring all the little noses rooting along her sides.   A few more days, while piglets sneak the odd drink of milk as she stands to eat her grain or hay and then we put a gate between the two pens.  Now Momma is on one side, while babies stand and look at her through the bars.  She may come and sniff noses with them, even lay down close to the gate, but frankly we picture a bit of a relieved expression on her face.  Oh the peace of having no babies, demanding food at all times of the day and night.  The babies run to the gate to call to her, but then notice a new pile of hay to nibble on or perhaps the ball to push around the pen.  Well really what is to worry about, Mom is just over there and this rough and tumble game of tag is pretty fun...