baymule
Sustainability Master
And your point is???
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frustratedearthmother
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The best part of being a farmer - plans change!! We roll with the punches and do what we need to do. 
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Apparently, we have changed some other plans also. No meat birds, DH doesn't want to deal with them. Hopefully we'll have some cooperative broodies to get our egg layer numbers up and have some roos to butcher. We only have 6 layers right now, I would like 15-20.
I think DH is losing faith in Charlotte being bred... I'm not giving up yet, sometimes sows are slower to show so I'm hoping for that!
I think DH is losing faith in Charlotte being bred... I'm not giving up yet, sometimes sows are slower to show so I'm hoping for that!
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There's a couple farms in Maine too... were planning a vacation in Maine so going to check them out!
frustratedearthmother
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At this point - if she's pregnant - maybe her teats would be starting to grow a bit even if she doesn't have milk yet. That's usually what I notice a few weeks out from birthing day. Come on Charlotte - get you stuff together!- Thread starter
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She has 3 weeks left. I haven't been down to the pig pen because it's so icy and DH may not be the most reliable teat reporter, lol. I might have to go check on her today.
sumi
Rest in Peace 1980-2020
I'm hopeless at checking for pregnancy or stages of pregnancy in pigs. I bought a pregnant sow once and the previous owner told me he's not 100% sure she is pregnant, never mind how far along she may be! One day I was pulling weeds she liked to eat and got chatting to a passing man. I told her I think she's pregnant and asked if he'll have a look and tell me what he thinks. He checked her and looked at me funny and said she is... And walked off. I didn't think much of it until about 30 minutes later when I checked on her and found she is labouring and already gave birth to her first piglet 
That man must've thought me the stupidest person to ever own a pig lol
That man must've thought me the stupidest person to ever own a pig lol- Thread starter
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Lol! That's too funny!
I'm hoping for a little warm weather so we can dig out some fencing and move the pigs. Need to get Stanley in with Rosie, we've decided that's a good name. DH's friend keeps trying to tell him Stanley is the issue, not Charlotte. Well, I discovered on a Facebook group that the previous owner nearly butchered Charlotte because he thought she was infertile. She eventually farrowed so he assumed she was good to go. Seems she has some issue but I don't know what it is. And Stanley, I've seen pics and paperwork for his kids and grandkids so he's been proving himself a long time! Lol
DH was angry with the guy but for one, we paid less than half the going rate for registered pigs and two, we would have paid what we paid for her for a piglet to raise to butcher . We probably will just let her live with Stanley whenever we don't want Rosie bred and if she farrow eventually, cool, and if she doesn't then he has a friend lol! There are two possible causes that could be remedied. One is that sometimes if a sow and boar live together permanently they start acting like buddies and won't breed. The other is a disease pigs can get that causes pregnancy and farrowing issues. I can get a vaccination for that and try... We'll see what happens in a few weeks and what DH wants to do. They're "his" pigs after all!
I'm hoping for a little warm weather so we can dig out some fencing and move the pigs. Need to get Stanley in with Rosie, we've decided that's a good name. DH's friend keeps trying to tell him Stanley is the issue, not Charlotte. Well, I discovered on a Facebook group that the previous owner nearly butchered Charlotte because he thought she was infertile. She eventually farrowed so he assumed she was good to go. Seems she has some issue but I don't know what it is. And Stanley, I've seen pics and paperwork for his kids and grandkids so he's been proving himself a long time! Lol
DH was angry with the guy but for one, we paid less than half the going rate for registered pigs and two, we would have paid what we paid for her for a piglet to raise to butcher . We probably will just let her live with Stanley whenever we don't want Rosie bred and if she farrow eventually, cool, and if she doesn't then he has a friend lol! There are two possible causes that could be remedied. One is that sometimes if a sow and boar live together permanently they start acting like buddies and won't breed. The other is a disease pigs can get that causes pregnancy and farrowing issues. I can get a vaccination for that and try... We'll see what happens in a few weeks and what DH wants to do. They're "his" pigs after all!
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
@sumi - that is hilarious!
Seems Stanley has his end of the "exercise" covered! Maybe Rosie will come through for you - sure hope so. But, I'm still hopeful for Charlotte....you'd think if she'd done it before she can do it again. Maybe that vaccine would be a good idea. I've really never done anything special for my pigs, but lately I've lost more piglets than I'd like (maybe a blessing in disguise). But I didn't start this to be "ok" with losing babies...
Come on Charlotte!
Seems Stanley has his end of the "exercise" covered! Maybe Rosie will come through for you - sure hope so. But, I'm still hopeful for Charlotte....you'd think if she'd done it before she can do it again. Maybe that vaccine would be a good idea. I've really never done anything special for my pigs, but lately I've lost more piglets than I'd like (maybe a blessing in disguise). But I didn't start this to be "ok" with losing babies...
Come on Charlotte!
