The piglets have arrived! Suzie came into her milk last night (Saturday), so we knew she would be having within the next 24 hours. Willie checked on her at 2:30 am and there were still no piglets, but she was clearly in active labor. When he went back up around 8 am, there were 3 piglets already there!
I'm a "newbie" to this pig thing, but a pig's birthing experience is by far the craziest. I can't believe how fast the piglets are up and eating from the time of arrival! I guess they have to be because the brothers and sisters are not far behind.
Until it was all said and done, Miss Suzie had a total of SEVENTEEN piglets. You go Suize!
Now, two did not make it. One was dead when it was born and the other one got laid on. From my experience with pigs, the moms are not going to get up if their little ones are under them when they decide to lay down again. I know there are certain set-ups that people use and can purchase to help avoid this, but we just don't have the numbers to justify such a purchase at this time. We have tried to create our own birthing gates and such and they don't seem to have much success, either.
Since it is so cold, we did put up plywood walls and installed heat lamps to give the piglets that extra heat that they need in the back of the pen. This will give the piglets an outlet away from mom to keep from getting laid on, too. We will just keep monitoring, bedding, and hoping most of them get past these next few days.
New birth is a refreshing experience on the farm. It brings a new excitement to the barn. I love watching Corbin interact and light up when he sees any new babies. I wouldn't trade this way of life for my family for any other. It is what works for us. We are (hopefully) raising our family to appreciate the land, care for others that will depend on them, and build a sense of responsibility. In today's world, I don't think those are bad qualities to focus on. We are by no means the "perfect" family, but as I always say, "We are perfectly us."
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