Do you keep livestock? Having any problems? Want to talk about it, whether it be sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, bees or llamas, here is your place to discuss.
Doris, one of our Berkshire sows, farrowed yesterday afternoon and early evening, delivering 15 piglets. Two were still born (foetal anoxia), one died a couple of hours later (it had been revived as it wasn't breathing on delivery but obviously wasn't meant to survive).
The farrowing was more difficult than usual, but if you're not squeamish I've put the details on the blog.
We've just lost another piglet. I went and checked before heading off to buy some feed, all 12 were fine and suckling like mad.
I came back 20 minutes later, poked my head around the door and initially it looked exactly the same as before. But I noticed something looked odd and when I checked, found a second of the revived piglets was dead.
It was in between the others, still had milk around its mouth and was still very warm. From the position of the sow, I don't think it had been rolled on.
It very much looked like it died while suckling.
I suspect that, as with the other revived one that died, it had suffered too much damage from lack of oxygen and so it died.
Half Pint is still doing well, as is the largest of the four revived piglets. Fingers crossed.
Hi stonehead, I am new here but would like to say that you have a beautiful sow. 15 is a very large litter. Sorry to hear about the losses, I always find that part hard as well but I think you still have a good sized litter and maybe enough for her to bring on. Well done.
We keep Berkshires and Berkshire/Duroc crosses here in Australia - At the moment we have 3 purebred sows and 3 partbred gilts, a pure Duroc boar and a new little fellow (Berkshire cross) piglet for future. We recently had to put our very very old pure Berkshire boar down and havn't been able to find another pure boy unrelated to our sows yet. Will do when we can but until then we are using a very nice Duroc fellow and bringing on a partbred Berkshire piglet from a friends place for next year.
Like the look of your housing as well - looks nice and warm.
well brambles first litter by ginger 
