# Heat cycles after giving birth



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I was told that a sow will not breed again until her piglets are weaned.

Bonnie had piglets 4 weeks ago and everyone is doing great.

The boars have been driving her crazy from about 2 weeks. (I have three boars from her first litter that are scheduled to go to the butcher next month.) I have to keep her locked up when I let them out.

So, what is the story. Will she come back into heat that fast?


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

It's not impossible, but unusual. The boars would not be bothering her non-stop for two weeks though, as standing heat only lasts a couple days. Much more likely, the boars are just being boars and need not for her to be in estrus to entice them. 

That said, generally speaking, the sow will come into estrus the first time post-farrowing 3-7 days after weaning... _unless_ you don't wean until after 4 weeks. In which case the chances of her coming into estrus while still suckling the current litter increases substantially and continues to do so the longer you leave the litter on.


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

OK, glad they are just being annoying--she has bitten them a few times.

We plan to leave the piglets on her for 8 weeks. (the little monsters will be 4 weeks tomorrow)

I pretty much have them all sold already though they all want girls and I don't have enough to go around--who knew. (and I am keeping one boar).


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

If you're leaving the pigs on you will want to remove her from any boar contact. Litters conceived while the sow is still suckling can be small and small litters beget more small litters. No sense ruining your sow. 

Personally, I would recommend you just pull them now and be done with it. It's much easier on the sow and at 4 weeks there's no reason the pigs won't thrive.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

Karen in Alabam said:


> OK, glad they are just being annoying--she has bitten them a few times.
> 
> We plan to leave the piglets on her for 8 weeks. (the little monsters will be 4 weeks tomorrow)
> 
> I pretty much have them all sold already though they all want girls and I don't have enough to go around--who knew. (and I am keeping one boar).


Watch her close and feed her all she can eat if you let the piglets stay on her for 8 weeks. The piglets can pull a sow down fast after 4 weeks. I pull them off at 6 weeks so the sow can recover quickly.

Best,
Gerold.


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

Yea 8 Weeks is rough on a pig we wean at 4 Weeks 6 at the latest our one sow kicks hers off at 6 weeks 

when there really small we like to go 6-7 but it ddon't always work because of the sows


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Wean her now, then breed her in 5 days.


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## thestartupman (Jul 25, 2010)

Walter do you have any thoughts on this? I know it is a older post, but would like to hear your thoughts on the whole issue.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Our Blackie line (original Large Black line here) has a lot of sows in it that a will reheat and re-mate within a week to ten days of farrowing - they will jump fences to get to the boars if need be. Bunch of nymphomaniacs. This sow line typically has three large litters a year if I allow it. Not allowing requires seriously good fencing.

Our Yorkshire based line of sows almost always waits to reheat until about 7 days post weaning. Our newer second Large Black line and our Tamworth line both follow the more leisurely pace of the Yorkshire based line. These sow lines have about 2.3 litters per year.

Maintaining and regaining condition are important. Sows that don't get fed up and taken to butcher. Genetics are very strong on this.

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

I think like everyone else (I Guess??) I started out by reading up on all the different breeds and forming some preconceived notions of which ones had the attributes to work in the environment I plan to raise them in. I still think that is a good place to start, but? From what I understand of Walters post and many others is, genetic lines within the breeds may be just as important, if not more important!! When it comes to how a particular breed is actually going to perform, don't overlook different genetic lines inside the breed. 
I know this is why my plan of a 2 gilt sampling from different breeds is not going to be a complete test of the breed, but unfortunately, we all have (at least I do) time, space and monetary boundaries we must stay within!
Someone please correct me if I reading something into your post that is not there when it comes to the importance of genetic lines!!


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## gwis (Nov 1, 2013)

As of yesterday both my first time gilts are rebred and the pigs are only 5 weeks old. At least the girls are in good shape still and the pigs will be weaned at 6 weeks instead of 7.


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