How to determine: a pregnant pig or not

Determining the pregnancy of a pig at home is not an easy task, however, knowing some techniques and tricks in this area, you can cope with it without resorting to laboratory methods, as well as an ultrasound examination.

Signs of pregnancy in a sow 

It is possible to determine that a pig is in a state of pregnancy already a few days after conception has occurred: experienced farmers cope with this task quite quickly.

The main signs of pregnancy in a sow are:

• rapid weight gain in animals;
• apathetic behavior: the animal mostly lies or sleeps, it has signs of so-called toxicosis, interest in food decreases, or, conversely, appetite increases sharply and poor sleep is observed;
• from the genitals of the pig, secretion of the curd consistency occurs;
• in a pig, a sharp increase in size and swelling of the nipples can be observed: thus, her body prepares it for feeding future offspring;
• in the prescribed period of time (after about 3 – 3,5 weeks), the period of estrus does not return.

How soon the pig’s pregnancy is established depends on how soon the animal will be transferred to special conditions of detention, the basic principles of its nutrition will be changed and vitamins and minerals will be added to the diet. All these actions will directly affect both the prenatal state of the cubs and the determination of the sow’s milk production.

How to know if a pregnant pig or not

There are several basic ways in which you can find out if a pig is pregnant or not at home. All these methods can be conditionally divided into 2 large subgroups.

Methods for home determination of pregnancy (those that do not require special knowledge and skills and are carried out without specialized equipment):

• palpation method;
• rectal method;
• reflexological method (a method for checking the presence or absence of estrus in a pig).

Specialized methods (usually carried out in the laboratory using special tools):

• Burkina method (according to sow urine);
• laboratory research method (vaginal biopsy or blood test for the content of the pregnancy hormone – progesterone);
• Ultrasound.

How to determine the pregnancy of a pig at an early stage 

Already on the 5th day after conception, it is possible, by certain signs, to find out at home that the pig is pregnant.

If you carefully observe the pig, you can identify the main signs at an early stage. To find out if a pig is pregnant or not, the following features will help:

• a sharp change in the pig’s behavior and the onset of a period of “indifference” to everything around;
• poor sleep – typical for early pregnancy;
• lack of interest in the proposed food, or, conversely, increased interest in food;
• cottage cheese discharge from the genital organs of the animal.

The ability to determine the pregnancy of a pig at an early stage will allow the farmer to correctly respond to the “special situation” of the animal and place it in special conditions (for example, change the diet for subsequent high milk production in the sow). This is necessary due to the fact that the very first days of pregnancy of a pig are most dangerous with the threat of miscarriage and loss of offspring.

How to determine the pregnancy of pigs by the stomach 

The palpation method is quite reliable, but its big drawback is that it can only be applied from the 3rd month of the animal’s gestation. By this time, breeders usually already know what condition the pig is in and have determined it in other ways. However, this method has a place to be, and its essence is to carry out the following actions:

• The animal is placed on its left side.
• The pig is soothed (by scratching and stroking her tummy).
• Feeling (palpation) is carried out in the area of ​​the last two nipples in the lower abdomen.

How to understand that a pig is pregnant by the rectal method

 Rectal examination can only be applied 30 days after mating. Only a veterinarian or other person with special knowledge and skills should carry out this procedure and determine the gestation of a pig in this way. The research methodology is as follows:

1. The sow must be securely fixed.
2. The veterinarian inserts a gloved hand lubricated with petroleum jelly or oil into the rectum of the individual and probes 3 arteries: subair; uterine; urogenital.

At the same time, if the middle uterine artery vibrates and is enlarged in size, we can safely state the presence of pregnancy in a pig.

An experienced veterinarian, conducting a rectal examination, can not only determine that the pig is pregnant, but also determine the period. In this case, an important rule should be observed: if the veterinarian failed to fix the vibration of the middle uterine artery, then a second study can be carried out no earlier than after 3 weeks.

How to determine if a pig is covered or not by the presence or absence of hunting 

Using this method to determine the pregnancy of a pig, one cannot be 100% sure of the veracity of its results. But its big plus, nevertheless, is that it can be used to try to find out about the pregnancy of an individual already 3 weeks after the mating.

The essence of this technique lies in the fact that a male is brought to the sow, which was supposedly inseminated about 20 days ago, every couple of hours.

Depending on the reaction of the pig to the boar, a conclusion is made about its position:

• if the female shows interest in the inseminator, perks up at his appearance and is ready to mate, she is not pregnant;
• if the female does not pay attention to the male or is quite hostile to him, with a 95% probability we can talk about the conception that has occurred.

How to know if a pig is pregnant using the Burkina test 

The method is quite complicated in its implementation in practice, but it guarantees the accuracy of the result obtained with a probability of 98%. The sequence of actions in this case should be as follows:

1. Sow urine is collected.
2. After filtering the collected liquid.
3. A couple of drops of hydrochloric acid, an aqueous solution of phenylhydrazyl hydrochloride, 3% hydrogen peroxide are added to the urine.
4. All ingredients are boiled and then cooled.

If the pig is pregnant, then its urine will turn brown-red, and if the individual is not pregnant, then the urine will remain yellow and will not change its color.

How to know if a pig is pregnant by laboratory tests

With a 100% probability, it is not possible to determine the pregnancy of a pig at home, no matter how realistic all the methods in the photo and video look. Of course, there are various laboratory tests that can be resorted to to establish the fact of fertilization, but their use is not always possible due to:

• their inaccessibility (far from all settlements of our country there is such an opportunity);
• high price category (this type of service is provided on a paid basis and is very expensive);
• large time costs.

The main laboratory methods for determining the gestation of animals are:

• Serological method. It implies that blood is taken from the sow and the concentration of the pregnancy hormone, progesterone, is determined in its composition. It is worth conducting the test after 22 days after the alleged fertilization. In this case, the analysis guarantees the veracity of the result obtained with 100% probability;
• Vaginal biopsy. This method is based on the fact that a sample of secretions and tissues is taken from the genitals of a pig. In the laboratory, these biomaterials are examined under a microscope and a conclusion is made about the presence or absence of an “interesting position” in an individual.

Ultrasound examination 

To find out if a pig is pregnant or not, an ultrasound will help. This method of determining pregnancy is most often found in large pig breeding complexes. It is recommended to carry out it no earlier than 20 days after mating. At the same time, if you follow all the rules for conducting such a study with a gestational age of more than 30 days, then ultrasound guarantees the reliability of the result with a probability of 95%.

Depending on the equipment used, ultrasound determines the gestation of an individual:

• by fetal heartbeat;
• by the presence of fluid in the uterus.

During the study, the animal can stand or lie: the main thing is that its posture is motionless.

Pig false pregnancy

In pigs, like in some other animals, such a physiological phenomenon as a false pregnancy can be observed. It can occur due to a number of factors, ranging from hormonal failure in the body of a female individual to improper conditions of detention. At the same time, the signs of false pregnancy in pigs almost completely coincide with the signs of real pregnancy:

• cessation of estrus;
• weight gain;
• decreased appetite.

The easiest way to understand whether an animal has a false pregnancy or not is to bring a boar to the sow and observe her behavior: a pregnant female will not let the inseminator near her.

How long does pregnancy last in pigs 

Every experienced pig breeder and farmer will tell you that the pregnancy in a pig most often lasts 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days (i.e., on average, it is about 114 – 116 days). However, in practice this is not always the case, and the duration of pregnancy depends on a number of related factors:

• Season of the year. If farrowing falls in the winter season, then, as a rule, it will occur a little earlier than the due date, and if in the summer period of time, then the pregnant sow is likely to pass the due date;
• Age persons. In young individuals, the gestation period lasts a little less than in adults;
• The number of babies in a litter. The fewer piglets a sow bears, the longer she will walk with them;
• Animal breed. For example, a Vietnamese breed pig will give birth faster than all other species. Her gestation period lasts 110 days.

Conclusion 

Determining the pregnancy of a pig at home is not an easy task, but not only the course of the pregnancy itself, but also the health of the animal as a whole depends on how well and timely it is performed. It is possible to establish the gestation of an individual by a number of signs, using several different methods. At the same time, it will be important to follow all the recommendations for their use so as not to harm the sow and the unborn offspring.