IS MY PIG PREGNANT?
By AKKPS Member Paula Toney of Liberty Farms
Remember pigs are unique, like people, and pregnancy is no different. Sows will have different shapes and symptoms at different times. What a pregnancy looks like on one pig, may not be the same for another sow. With proper record keeping and careful monitoring, you can know – “Is my pig pregnant?”
HEAT CYCLES
HEAT CYCLE
A KuneKune sow comes into heat, on average, every 21 days. The heat cycle, called estrus, lasts about 72 hours during which she will be receptive to a boar and may become pregnant. Ovulation usually occurs 23–48 hours after the start of estrus.
SIGNS OF ESTRUS
A female pig in estrus may exhibit a swollen, red vulva, mucus from the vulva, and increased vocalization and activity.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PREGNANCY TESTS
PREGNANCY TESTS
There are swine pregnancy tests sold on the internet, but these tests have not been proven to be accurate.
SONOGRAMS
Veterinary sonogram devices are available that can safely and effectively confirm pregnancy using high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of the body.
PREG-TONES
There is also a Preg-Tone that uses high frequency sound waves to detect amniotic fluid present during pregnancy. Unlike ultrasound, the Preg-Tone does not produce an image, only an audible tone. However, these devices are costly and do require training to operate effectively.
SIGNS OF EARLY PREGNANCY
LACK OF HEAT CYCLE
The first sign that your sow is “in pig” is the absence of heat cycles. If your pig does not come back into heat after being exposed to a boar, assume that she is bred. However, some pigs have very mild signs that they are in heat, called silent heat and it is easy to miss their cycle. Continue to track her cycles, or lack of, to confirm the pregnancy.
PHYSICAL CHANGES
Physical changes in early swine pregnancy can be subtle. If you are looking at a pig every day, they are easy to miss. It is recommended to take pictures a week or so apart and compare over time. That way you can see physical differences easily. Later in the pregnancy, you will start to see development in the teat line and fullness in the abdominal area of your sow.
SIGNS OF MID TO LATE PREGNANCY
PHYSICAL - TEATS
3 WEEKS FROM FARROWING
The solid ginger gilt pictured was approximately 3 weeks from delivery when the photo was taken. There is not yet any development in the teats.
2-3 DAYS FROM FARROWING
The black/ginger sow pictured was 2-3 days away from delivery in this picture. You can easily see the teat development, highlighted in white. Sows may have more teat development than gilts and it usually starts being obvious a couple of weeks before delivery.
Changes in the abdominal area creating a curve, highlighted in green, can be an indication that a sow is expecting. Pigs have a two horned uterus so they will have abdominal growth on both sides of the body. As the uterine horns grow, it gives them this distinctive curve to their belly. However, this can be confused for overall weight gain in the pig so abdominal size alone can’t confirm pregnancy.
24 HOURS FROM FARROWING
About 24 hours before farrowing, milk can be expressed from the sow’s teats. Use caution, however, expressing milk from the sow. The teats naturally seal with a waxlike substance that prevents infection prior to delivery. Expressing milk opens the milk ducts and can increase the risk for infection.
PHYSICAL - VULVA
1 - 2 WEEKS UP TO FARROWING
One to two weeks before delivery, you can start to see external changes to the sow’s vulva as she prepares for delivery. The vulva will become loose and engorged.
FETAL MOVEMENT
Between 4-6 weeks prior to delivery, you can feel fetal movement in the area highlighted in yellow. Have your pig lay down by giving her belly rubs and lay your hand on her belly. If she is restless, try scratching her head or ears to keep her laying down while you try to feel the babies. This takes practice and patience to learn where to feel and what you are feeling for. Early on, the fetal movement will feel like a light flutter or digestive movement. Closer to delivery, you can feel distinctive kicks and rolls from the piglets.
AKKPS MEMBER PHOTOS OF PREGNANT KUNEKUNES
THANK YOU AKKPS MEMBERS - Lilli Sides, Cathryn Bailey Gordon, Jennifer Shelton, Lisa Montoya, Casey Lehr ,Sophia Ziffra , Jaime Prevolsek, Feather In The Wind Dairy Goats & Kunekune Pigs, Jessica Shane, Kimberly Kline, Morgan Sanderson
