# is she bred?



## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

Well we are finally coming down to the wire. I have not seen any signs of returning cycling after we had the neighbors boar here. I know they mated then.. MANY times in a 3-4 day period. I am estimating her due date to be April 7th....

Does she look bred? will it be a small litter? or will the next few weeks tell me more? I have hated bringing a pig through the winter so she better give me piglets 

THIS IS FEBRUARY 2nd!! So 5 weeks ago. I did so for comparison in body shapes. She is a SLENDER lean pig to start with...










And this picture is from yesterday.....


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

It is hard to tell with two diffrent shots like that. I could not tell till about a week before abby furrowed. Abby played alot climbed fencing and such she stopped doing that and was more tired. That gave me clues and she did get a little fatter. But nothing for sure till about a week to furrow. Can you get another shot head on like the top.


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

yep, i'll get it tomorrow


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

please try and get a pict from the side,fairly close but showing all and I will give you my thoughts if she is piggy...Wally


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

we have one due a week before her and it is obvious she is bred. But, that being said, every one is different. We have had sows not look bred and pop out the last two weeks, and sows/gilts look bred from the first month.


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

These are her this morning


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

She is lookin plumped out and you said you have seen no signs of heat i would conclude she is going to have bacon bits.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

bacon bits!! LOL

I'd say yes also


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

* huge sigh of relief*

I hope to have bacon bit pics in a month then lol


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Like what was said before some sows start to show early and others only show late ...I would also suggest you get ready to assume the grandmother roll...Good luck Wally


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Look at her vulva. At the bottom is her clitoris hood sticking outward. Is it pointing up (pregnant) or down (open)?

It was pointed out to me by an old timer who had been raising pigs for thirty years when we get started. He said, "_When her pointy thing points up she's in a piggy way._" Out of hundreds of sows and far more pregnancies we've had this had been true. 

Why you ask? The enlarging uterus drags downward on the vagina which pulls on the external genitalia when she is pregnant pointing the indicator dial (her hood) upward to indicate pregnancy.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

It is up.... Whoooooohooooooo--Thanks for that idea. I hope its right


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

highlands said:


> Look at her vulva. At the bottom is her clitoris hood sticking outward. Is it pointing up (pregnant) or down (open)?
> 
> It was pointed out to me by an old timer who had been raising pigs for thirty years when we get started. He said, "_When her pointy thing points up she's in a piggy way._" Out of hundreds of sows and far more pregnancies we've had this had been true.
> 
> ...


Walter, how soon do you find this to be true? Does it depend on the pig?
I am going to start paying attention to that now.


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## HiddenHollows (Feb 26, 2008)

Anyone have any pictures of this "up" vs "down" I have two gilts that were with a boar and several other ladies all through winter. Around the end of Jan through into Feb the boar started to breed. Now I'm not sure if he got to all of them or not, nor am I sure that these specific two that I now own are in pig or not. 

Soooo any pic's of this up/down method would be helpful. I was out this am having a look and I just could not tell.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Misty said:


> Walter, how soon do you find this to be true? Does it depend on the pig? I am going to start paying attention to that now.


I see it in about the first month, long before I see other signs.

Here is a post with a photo of the down, non-pregnant, position of the clitoral hood in the pig on the left.

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2006/07/essential-differences-pig-spotting.html

Down in the comments of that post is some more discussion of pregnancy spotting.

I'll try to get to taking a photo of one of our pregnant sows today and post that to show the up position of the hood.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Here is a hood that is pointing up on a sow in her second trimester:


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Compare that with the other image referenced above. Notice how the vulva is drawn inward pulling the hood upward so that the point points upward instead of downward.

There are a lot of other signs of pregnancy, that's just the first one I notice.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## HiddenHollows (Feb 26, 2008)

Thanks for the pic's. I'll have to go out and check again today. I fear they are not quite like that  

As this is our first time w/breeding pigs, what else are typical signs of pregnancy.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

HiddenHollows, check out this post:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2006/07/essential-differences-pig-spotting.html

Which has some discussion of signs.

Cheers,

-Walter


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

Will their nipples get more defined in pregnancy or is that common with age and weight too?


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Walter you are a welth of old timer info and I'm forever greatful. Thank you.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

LittleRed, yes, later in pregnancy the nipples will become larger, then they will start to bag (breasts become engorged) in the last month. In the last days you may be able to get let down of a few drops of milk. Just before farrowing a sow (not a gilt) may drip from many teats, especially if there are other nursing piglets around making feeding noises. See this:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2007/12/flos-winter-piglets.html

MyHeaven, glad to help. I pickup lots of things from other people and observing. I've only been selling pigs commercially for five years. So much still to learn... 

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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