Birth is a beautiful and natural part of life.

But despite being natural and instinctive, it’s also a complicated process. Many things can go wrong if not handled correctly. When it comes to swine, the process of birth is called farrowing. For hog breeders, the farrowing process is key in ensuring the future health of your livestock.

In my book “Doc Sanders Goes Whole Hog”, I discuss farrowing in great detail. In fact, the chapter on farrowing is the longest and most extensive chapter of the book.

Below is a brief summary of some of the guidance and insight I provide on this subject.

Before Farrowing: Handling a Pregnant Sow

The pregnancy of a sow is relatively short compared to humans, lasting around 114 days. The easiest way to remember that is to know that’s 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. For most of this time, you can let the sow roam and live as she normally would.

However, as she gets closer to term, she’ll begin to exhibit nesting behavior. She’ll be more protective and brooding as she looks for a place to have her future piglets. Of course, you should already have a place in mind for the farrowing.

It’s best to introduce the sow to the farrow house ahead of time so that she can get familiar with it. That way, she will be more relaxed during the birth. Comfortability is very important during farrowing, as it will allow for a smoother, quicker delivery.

Knowing When It’s Time to Farrow

While you can’t predict the exact time the birthing will start, you can know when it’s getting close. The most obvious way to tell is by inspecting the vulva. Once they’re about 24 hours away from farrowing, the sow’s vulva should become fairly swollen.

However, the most consistent way to check is by trying to get milk from one of the mammary glands. If milk comes out, the sow is very close to birthing.

It’s time to prepare the room.

During Farrowing

Most of the birthing should happen automatically. Do your best to make the sow comfortable. She should be kept cool. If she gets too hot, the delivery could be slowed down, and she could get tired. It’s best to have a drip system set up so that you can cool her by dripping water on her face and a fan moving air above her.

Once contractions start, it will take about an hour for the first to come out. After that point, another should be delivered every 20-30 minutes. The average number of piglets birthed is 10 per litter.

As you near the end, the mother might begin to tire out. At this point, a small dose of oxytocin can help her in continuing with the delivery. This should not be done without the supervision of a vet, however.

Additionally, if you believe there’s a piglet or two left to go, you may have to take a more hands on approach.

Put on nitrile or latex gloves, properly lubricate the area, and reach in for additional piglets. There is further instruction on this technique in my book.

Once the piglets are out, you’ll want to keep them warm. However, continue to keep the mother cool.

Congratulations. You just had a successful farrowing.

Do I Need to Be Present for the Farrowing?

While the involvement of a person is fairly limited during farrowing, it’s best to be present for the process. If you have restricted availability, it’s actually possible to induce farrowing after the 110 days point.

This way, you can assure that you are there for the process.

For more instruction on how to induce farrowing, as well as greater detail on swine breeding and more, buy my book Doc Sander’s Goes Whole Hog, available now.