Piggies have landed!

Finally.  

Although it was only technically 24 hours later than her due date.  It seems like I was waiting forever and dragging all of you along for the ride...

First photo:  How I left her last night, after watching in wonder as she made her nest.  Very determined, ignoring me, nosing and pawing all the loose straw and hay into a pile and distributing it just so....  And then falling into a very sound sleep.  

Her back end looked....baggy/saggy/jiggly....hard to describe without being crude.  In other words, the part where the piglets would emerge was enlarged and ready for their birth...  

With her nest ready, her milk makers filling, a deep sleep setting in for the expectant pig, I tried for some sleep on my own and was unsuccessful.  This was about 2 am.  

At 3 or so, I got up and checked on her again.  No piglets yet.  

As usual, I second-guessed my evidence from before.  What if it wasn't time, what if I got the dates completely wrong, what if she was still a week away from delivery....   Silly, because all the evidence pointed to a birth in the next few hours.

Crawling back into my own bed, I woke Jeff up for the 3rd time as I tried to settle in.  No luck with sleep, which turned out to be a good thing.

Back out to the barn not too much later, and picture #2 is what I found.  

One baby had found the milk station and was suckling away.  One was burrowing into the bedding, farther and farther away from his mother.  One was up by her back, not able to figure out how to get to where he needed to be.  One was born as I watched from the outside, and was following its sibling into the dry bedding and away from the lifesource.

It's easy to see how piglets can have high mortality rates at birth.

Grabbing a towel and a hay bale to sit on, I went into the pen with her and rescued the little ones that needed some guidance.  Soon a 5th was born, all slick and scrappy with energy.  

#6 was a little thing, but I loved her/him right away.  Vigorous, tiny, it rooted directly to where it needed to be.  When it was pushed off by larger siblings, it was the first to discover the treasure mine below (the lower row of teats!) and was unmoved from that spot while the others scrambled and fought for position over the top of him.

Piglet # 7 had me worried.  It seemed disoriented and suckled at skin, bristles, everything except the right spots.  He took a bit of help before he latched on and got the right idea.  There was time for that extra guidance, though, and I thought he might have been the last one of the litter.

Nope, one more.  

#8 was a big thing, born late, back-feet-first, not struggling much.  But once its nose was clear, it also found where it needed to be and latched on.

Photo #3:  Success.  Mama Rose was done with delivery, the piglets were all happily slurping and fighting for position and slurping some more, complete with contented rumblings from Mama.  I found myself feeling drowsy even as I watched for a possible piglet #9.  When it was obvious that she was done, I trudged back to the house.

I crawled into bed, mumbled to Jeff that the piglets were finally here, and was able to sleep, just for a couple of hours before it was feeding time for the barnyard, and time to stumble through the chores.  

Mama and babies are doing great.  Looks like 3 boys and 5 girls.  

I am so thankful for a good delivery, and an end to the waiting!

 

Laura