Caring for piglets takes a higher degree of care and knowledge than caring for other baby animals, at least in my experience. Chicks, goat kids, calves\u00a0and others seem to be far more resilient when separated from their mothers. Personally, I believe this is due to the fact that piglets are born in large litters and rely on one another for warmth and friendship.<\/p>\n
Provide Warmth
\nWhen piglets are born, they need a warm, dry place to live. Newborn piglets need temperatures of about 90 to 95 degrees F for the first few days and sustained warm temperatures for at least a few weeks. Each week after birth, the ambient temperature can be decreased by 3 degrees.<\/p>\n
We put a heat lamp 1 to 2 feet away from the pigs\u2019 pen, making sure the pen is isolated from flammable objects. Eliminating drafts in the pen and keeping the piglets away from cold locations, such as a tile floor or outdoors on a cool night, is critical to their survival. The piglets we\u2019ve lost have largely been due to chills. After a week or two, you\u2019ll notice that the piglets are much stronger.<\/p>\n
Pile Up Bedding
\nFor bedding, straw or hay\u00a0works well, with wood chips underneath for absorption. Piglets enjoy chewing and rooting through the hay and burrowing down in the nests they create. Deep bedding will also help maintain warmth.<\/p>\n
Feed Properly
\nIt\u2019s best if piglets can get at least some colostrum from the sow. Colostrum helps protect against disease susceptibility and improve growth rates. While we\u2019ve successfully raised piglets that didn\u2019t receive colostrum, it does play a major role in the lifetime health of a pig. It\u2019s possible to milk the sow to obtain colostrum: Simply use your fingertips to squirt into a small dish. It\u2019s a tedious process, but well worth it for your piglets\u2019 health.<\/p>\n
If you cannot access sow\u2019s milk, you may be able to contact a local goat dairy for goat colostrum. Goat’s milk\u00a0is known by farmers to be a good milk replacer. We\u2019ve used it in the past with our pigs, and it has worked well. Sow or calf milk replacer can work, but they are less effective than raw goat\u2019s milk. Make sure milk is warmed up to slightly above human body temperature. You can gradually work the piglet onto cold milk, but it\u2019s important to start out warm to mimic the mother\u2019s milk and so the piglets don\u2019t get too cold.<\/p>\n
The first few attempts at bottle-feeding might require you to force the piglet\u2019s mouth open. Piglets will squeal, but once you get them to latch, they learn quickly. You may need to wrap the piglet in a towel\u2014we call it making a \u201cpiglet burrito,\u201d and it\u2019s a huge help in controlling the little pig. Piglets have very sharp teeth from day one, so watch out.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a bottle, it is possible to teach piglets to eat out of a dish, but be warned that pigs love to root, and they will root up the dish and spill milk everywhere at least a few times. It will take a handful of attempts for them to learn how to drink instead of sucking a teat, which is the natural response for hungry piglets.<\/p>\n
Feed frequently when very young and spread out the feedings after a week or two. We\u2019ve found that feeding often during the day will limit the number of times you need to wake at night. At a young age, we generally only wake up every 4 to 6 hours to feed piglets, whereas during the day we may feed every 30 minutes to an hour.<\/p>\n
As piglets grow older, they will be more interested in solid food. Generally, after a month or two, they\u2019re ready for weaning if you choose. Piglets will nurse until the sow doesn\u2019t let them anymore, so if you are pursuing a more natural approach, you could also choose to continue feeding milk until the piglet stops drinking it.<\/p>\n
If you notice a piglet has diarrhea, it can be a sign of dehydration or bad stomach bacteria and could require attention from a vet and potentially the use of antibiotics. Piglet stool should be yellow, orange or clear for the first few days, after the initial black stool is passed upon birth. Check the piglet\u2019s anus on a regular basis to make sure it isn\u2019t constipated.<\/p>\n
Address Rooting Behavior
\nWe tend to raise animals according to their natural behaviors, so we let piglets root. This is their way of exploring their environment and searching for food. However, some farmers use nose rings after 1 month of age to dissuade rooting. Young pigs get temporary rings and older pigs have permanent ones. Your ring provider should have exact details on administration and various sizes for different ages. Keep in mind, if you are attempting to achieve Animal Welfare Approved certification, nose rings are prohibited, with exceptions for breeding sows if its proven that rooting could damage soil structure, pollute the environment or harm piglet health.<\/p>\n
Control Parasites
\nOur pigs live outdoors and are moved to new land on a regular basis, so parasites aren\u2019t typically a problem for us. However, if your pig will be in one spot for long periods of time, you should consider administering a dewormer.\u00a0Consult a vet for advice.<\/p>\n
Prevent Anemia
\nSome vets recommend iron shots to prevent anemia in piglets, but these can result in diarrhea and other side effects. Some farmers choose to forgo the shot, instead putting some dirt in the piglets pen to allow them to root around and obtain iron from the dirt. Goat\u2019s milk has the most highly available iron uptake of animal milks; however, it\u2019s still not adequate, so we use the dirt method on our farm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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