If no obstruction is found, inertia is likely and if piglets cannot be reached (common in big sows), strategic use of oxytocin is appropriate strictly under veterinary direction as further complications can arise if overused.
Small-scale pig keeping: the fundamentals of farrowing
Sows are pregnant for three months, three weeks and three days (115 days; normal range 111 to 120 days) measured from the first day of mating (service). A sow expelling piglets before 109 days should be classed as an abortion, and any piglets born between 109 and 112 days as a premature farrowing. Variation in pregnancy length can be due to age, environmental conditions, specific breed, or time of the year. It’s recognised that gilts and pigs carrying larger litters tend to have a shorter pregnancy length.
During pregnancy, it is ideal to keep the sow in a familiar routine, including her normal feed ration, to minimise stress and increase the implant rate of the fertile eggs. The viable foetuses secrete the pregnancy maintenance hormone progesterone, informing the sow she is pregnant.
Newly-pregnant sows should not be mixed with new pigs without 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 sow 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 sow.
Just before moving to the sole use farrowing quarters (indoor or outdoor) is also a good time to de-worm the sow against parasites and administer any vaccination boosters about two to four weeks before farrowing to ensure the transfer of high protective antibody levels to the milk.
Farrowing trigger
The piglets are responsible for their birth date by secreting corticosteroids – in response to reducing nutrient availability – stimulating the placenta/uterus to produce the hormone prostaglandin. This directly causes the piglets to cease secreting the pregnancy maintenance hormone progesterone, initiating the birthing process. The normal farrowing process has a huge variation of birthing indicators and in the times taken, varying from sow to sow, and even between different litters from the same sow.
The preparation for farrowing gradually begins approximately two weeks prior to the actual date, with teat enlargement and the increase of prominent veins in the udder due to an augmented blood supply to the area. The vulva begins to swell and may redden around four days before farrowing. The mammary glands become taut, triangular and more defined about two days before farrowing. Watery secretions from the teats may be seen two days prior, which become more ‘milky’ within 12-24 hours. If milk is abundant and easily flows when the teats are gently squeezed, then the sow is probably within six hours of farrowing. Restlessness and nest-building are signs that the birth will be in the next eight to 24 hours, with sows weaving straw, grass, twigs and any other available material into the most impressive constructions. Their respiration rate may also increase as they prepare, peaking around nine to 10 hours before farrowing. Finally the cervix dilates, opening up the exit route.
Normal farrowing patterns
About an hour before giving birth, the sow’s activity may calm and she may lie quietly on her side in her nest before the straining begins, although every sow is different. Some sows can be increasingly agitated and restless, as the uterine contractions intensify. If they are very restless then a light sedative can be administered but only after consultation with a licensed veterinarian. Small amounts of red-tinged fluid may pass from the vulva, occasionally with pellets of meconium (faecal matter passed by the piglets before they are born).
An intermittent abdominal muscle straining occurs before the birth of the first piglet, usually accompanied by shivering, with the sow drawing her upper hind leg upwards. After the first-born, the straining usually becomes milder, except just before a piglet expulsion. Don’t be surprised if there is a 45 minute delay between the first and second piglet but from then on 10-20 minutes between live piglets is normal [range: minutes to a couple of hours] and a slightly longer delay between stillborn piglets of 35 minutes plus, but that does fall between documented normal ranges.
The majority of piglets are born head first with the front legs folded back (anterior presentation) but towards the end of farrowing there are more pigs presented backwards with the rear legs first and the front legs extended under the chin (posterior presentation). The twitching of the sow’s tail is a good sign that another piglet is due to arrive in the next 10 seconds. The whole birthing process takes between three and six hours (range: one to 10 hours).
Newborn piglets are still attached to their umbilical cord and it breaks as they struggle and try to walk; if the sow does not object, you can spray the end of the cord with antiseptic or iodine, but due to the length of the cord being a barrier to infection this is not necessary. The umbilical cord is circa. 25 cm/11 inches and trails behind the piglet as it walks; the piglet can get caught up in it, but leave it alone, it shrivels rapidly.
Experienced sows are the least likely to get up and down during the birth; that behaviour is usually confined to first time gilts and, contrary to some books, the sows and gilts can deliver their piglets from both uterine horns without the need to get up or turn over. Sows may remain inactive for up to 95 percent of the first 24-48 hours.
The placenta/afterbirth is typically expelled within four hours after the last piglet (range: minutes to 12 hours). If you are present, within safe reach and know your sow well, check that there isn’t another piglet caught up in the afterbirth as occasionally it will be passed during the farrowing process. The afterbirth is commonly delivered in two halves one from each uterine horn, and sometimes whole at the end. A retained placenta is rare, and the failure to pass the afterbirth is often indicative that there is another piglet or piglets remaining in the birth canal.
Once the afterbirth has been passed, the sow should appear contented. She should be continually talking to her piglets, and the shivering and top hind leg movements will cease. There may be a slight to heavy discharge for up to five days; provided the udder is normal and the sow is eating well then it’s a natural post-farrowing process. If you have had to carry out an internal examination or assist in delivering piglets, give antibiotic cover to guard against infection.
Some sows will eat their afterbirth and any dead piglets and others won’t. Those not eaten must be disposed of in a licensed incinerator or by some other approved method and transported in a sealed and leak-proof container.
How To Draw A Pig
So, let’s learn how to draw a pig. This is a very simple tutorial. I made it made only in pencil. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
It’s very interesting, how virtually any object you chose to draw, can first be composed of circles, ellipses, or squares, etc; and then you give it a final shape.
The very same is with this pig drawing. I understand that for a complete novice it is often a bit difficult to make imaginary circles, ellipses, etc, within the body of the drawing object.
That is the way we need to train ourselves, train our eyes and brain to see objects as an artist do. When you get accustomed to using this technique you will be able to draw even the most complicated objects.
Actually, there are many different kinds of pigs and it was a little hard to decide which one would fit best for this tutorial. Some pigs have a longer snout, some have shorter; some are very fat some are not so fat…well, I chose to draw this piggy.
So if you want to learn how to draw a pig, then please first draw this one. By practicing this simple pig drawing you will get an idea of how it works. It is easier than you’ve ever imagined.
Let’s Learn How To Draw A Pig
The first step is always to observe well the object you are going to draw, observe every detail very carefully.
Fortunately, this piggy is a super simple drawing, I would say it is rather a sketch than a drawing, so you can make it very quickly.
Draw one larger ellipse and one circle approximately in the same or similar position as you see in this picture.
The oval or ellipse is the pig’s body and the circle will be the pig’s head.
Enlarge the picture and see that both the ellipse and the circle are made of many pencil strokes.
Sketch the outline of the upper part of all four legs as you see in the picture.
Do not draw the whole length of the legs or feet yet because you don’t yet know the total balance of the body.
Here, we can join the large ellipse and the circle together and get an approximate shape of the pig’s body.
Draw similar joint lines to connect the large ellipse and the circle – the head. See, this is only the third step and you are already getting the idea of how to draw a pig. In fact, we are only a few pencil strokes away from the completion.
Now, please draw this part in the following order:
- snout
- ears
- lower part of all four legs
- tail
The reason is, that if you first outline the snout then you can get an idea of how big the ears should be.
Then you will better understand how to sketch the lower part of the legs, the feet. Finally, the tail will serve as an accent to complete the total balance of the body.
Outline the shape of all four feet, place the eye in approximately the same place as you see in the picture.
Draw the pig’s open mouth.
It’s time to gradually give this piggy drawing a final shape.
You can start erasing all unnecessary pencil lines. When erasing narrow spaces you can use a pencil-type-eraser as usual.
Draw the final shape of legs, ears, snout, and tail. Keep on erasing all unnecessary pencil lines as you proceed with the drawing.
If you have a softer pencil 4B, 2B or so you can outline the contours of the entire body as you see in the picture. If you don’t have a soft pencil available then a standard HB pencil will be OK too.
Now you have a complete outline of a pig’s body in total good balance. You can go on and color it if you like. Please upload your drawing – click on the banner below, we all would love to see it. I am sure you did an awesome job!
You can teach your friends or family members how to draw a pig. They will be surprised for sure!
