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Sows will begin to come into heat when just a few weeks old and will continue to come into heat every three weeks. When on heat, they will seek out a male. Mating is a prolonged affair, compared with other farm animals, and sows can be on heat from 48 -120 hours. While a boar can be hired in some localities, artificial insemination is often easier. Pigs will breed all year round but if kept outside, their fertility will decline in the darker winter months.
The gestation period is generally very precise - 115 days (or 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days). Sows generally farrow (give birth) without trouble, but you should be on hand to lend support and call for assistance if necessary. The size of litters varies, but averages 8 – 14 piglets (the largest litter ever farrowed was reportedly 37!). It is possible for sows to have two litters per year.
Once piglets are born, it is important that they suckle because, as with most newborns, they need the essential antibodies in the colostrum, or first milk, which the sow provides. The antibodies will help the young pigs to build immunity to diseases and if the sow does not have sufficient milk, a milk replacement powder should be prepared for them. They will also need an injection of iron, as sow’s milk is very low in iron and without it piglets will become anaemic. In the wild they will tend to get iron from the soil, but you will need to speak to your vet about providing a supplementary dose of iron within the first three days of life.
It will be around 3 – 4 weeks before the piglets can be weaned. By around 5 weeks, the sow’s milk production begins to fall rapidly but, because piglets will need additional feed once weaned, it is essential to get them used to dry food in advance – the use of sugar or flavourings can help. Such feeds are known as creep feeds and will help the piglet’s digestive system to become used to solid food. They can usually be introduced from two weeks of age. If managed well, the piglets will be accustomed to dry feed and better able to cope with stress by the time they are weaned, which is often a traumatic experience for piglets that can affect them socially and psychologically. As they continue to grow, the pigs can be fed a starter or grower feed, generally as much as they can eat.
The sow will need plenty of feed before, during and after pregnancy. This is especially true if she is her young (or a gilt), as she will still be growing and will need sufficient food to fuel her own growth and that of the unborn piglets. Specific breeder feeds should be used, to ensure she has all the right nutrients.
Once weaned, pigs will traditionally spend 20 – 24 weeks growing and finishing, reaching an ideal slaughter weight of 60 – 100kg. Finisher feeds can be fed from 14 – 16 weeks until slaughter. For more information about feeding your pigs, see Feeding.
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