Farms.com Home › Videos › Rural Lifestyle Videos

Watch live piglet births up close in hog farmer Paul's farrowing barn

Dec 14, 2018

Video: Watch live piglet births up close in hog farmer Paul's farrowing barn!

Hog farmer Paul, from the RM of Cartier, sent us this video of one of his sows giving birth. The process of birthing a litter of pigs is called farrowing. Sows are moved to the farrowing barn a few days before their expected due date. There, they are housed in individual farrowing pens which provide them with comfort and privacy for their arriving litter. Depending on their age, sows will usually farrow 8-16 piglets, weighing about 1 kg (2.2 lb) each. Hog farmers continually monitor sows and piglets during and after farrowing, doing whatever they can to keep sows comfortable and piglets safe and healthy. To help newborns thrive, farmers closely monitor the farrowing process and assist sows that are having difficulties. Newborn piglets are immediately dried and fluid is cleared from their mouths and nostrils. When necessary, farmers foster piglets from larger litters onto sows with smaller litters and also temporarily prevent larger piglets from suckling to give smaller piglets a chance.