Preperation for bonding family

[Toadflaxbex]

So I got two pigs at the beginning of July and was told they were both females. Sunday we woke up to two babies! Vet visit today to make sure all was OK and we definitely have a male although he did really have to feel for his testis. He is being neutered tomorrow (yes they are separated atm and will be after for the 6 weeks) Vet suggested trying to separate them so they could see and smell each other so we can try reintroduce him to the family after. Atm they are in a double hutch, Mum and babies upstairs and pops down. so we are going to devise some sort of barrier so they can still see/smell each other.
My main question is this.... vet thinks one baby is a boy we have to go back next week for another check and then if he is we have to remove him after 3 weeks. So can we put him in with dad do you think? dad will be neutered and son obviously small so will there be any fighting tendencies there if they've been kept close by and recognise smells etc? I really want to keep the family together rather than rehoming and i'd love to bond them so they can stay together. I know males may fight so would like to hear experiences.

Any suggestions would be great!

 

[Suzygpr]

Hi there

All that neutering does is stop them making babies - it will not change their personality at all, so if they are a naturally dominant or aggresive pig, they still will be. If you are planning on keeping the babies and want to introduce the baby boy to dad then there is no need to neuter now - though if they fall out at a later date, which can happen when the baby hits puberty he could be introduced to the girls if he were done. Not an easy decision to make.

Most males accept babies easily (whether they know them or not) and the younger they are the better so he could move in with dad as soon as he is removed from mum.

HTH

Suzy

 

[Toadflaxbex]

Pops has now been neutered, so is in our house atm. He was cuddled up lovely to the family when they were first born, seemed a shame to separate them but these things have to be done. I've never seen any dominance towards Peppa (the mum) since we have had them. They are brother and sister so have never been apart. (Bit of interbreeding going on there!)

Anyway we have made a divide for the hutch with wire in so that babies, mum and dad can still smell, see and touch noses. I've also been switching the hay around so he gets their hay. I'm going to move boy baby down permanently to Pops' part in a couple weeks (if he is definitely a boy!) and keep the divide up, and then move it when I am around to check they OK and keep an eye on proceedings.

My plan is to keep pops and baby boy together and check things are OK and not aggressive, and keep the divide up so the girls can still see them, then once baby boy is neutered and is over the fertile stage, re introduce them all. Does that sound OK do you think?

 

[Suzygpr]

Hope all is well with your man after his op - the plans you have for introducing the baby and the divide sound good. I would have the whole family indoors through the winter if at all possible, piggies are vunerable to the cold and damp and babies even more so.

Unfortunately you can't have two males - neutered or not - living with females, they will just fight as they behave as if they've not been done. Your best solution would be 2 pairs of male/female.

Please be aware that as dad was in with mum when she gave birth that she will quite likely be pregnant again already, so you will have this all to come again in 9-10 weeks time. Mum will need lots of good nourishment to get her through the feeding of the babies and the next litter - High vit C veg and alfalfa hay for the calcium.

Once dad has been done you need to wait 4-6 weeks before he will be 'safe'.

HTH

Suzy

 

[Wiebke]

I am sorry for your mess!

a) you cannot have two males with females, not even neutered ones. Neutering only removes the ability to procreate, but not the instincts, i.e. bloody fights. You can keep as many sows together as you want to, but only ever with one neutered boar. I have a group of eight sows with one neutered boar, for example.

b) Sows come into season within hours of giving birth. With a boar present, you have to brace yourself for another batch of babies in about 9-10 wweks after the first birth.

I would wait for any permanent decisions until you know for sure. Ideally, you want to keep two boars together, as trios or quartets are potentially more likely to break up and needing separation. You may want to put another boar baby with your existing baby and put daddy with the girls, for example.

You can always ask for help from this forum if you need to find good homes for any babies, especially if you are having more. Your mummy will need extra care after the nursing period is over, as back-to-back pregnancies are very hard on her. A second litter is likely to be bigger.

Please give mummy double the amount of vitamin C, preferably in form of veg like pepper or broccoli. She will also need additional calcium, ideally as alfalfa hay added to the normal timothy hay. Please do not feed her more than normal - you do want babies of an ideal size of 70-100g so that birth is as problemfree for mum as you can make it.

Here is more info on pregnancy: http://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html, also see links labor and faq.