Piglets!

Congratulations are in order for Millet, our heritage breed American Guinea Hog, who delivered 9 piglets this afternoon!  There are 6 girls (gilts) and 3 boys (boars) and they are cute as can be!

We had practically given up on Millie ever having her babies.  Based on the last witnessed mating of Millet and Barley, Millie's due date was thought to be March 24.  On March 24, we all checked in on Millie, anxious for piglets, but nothing.  The "any day now" excitement lasted for about 3 days, until another farmer who raises the same breed of pigs determined Millie was about 2 weeks away from delivery.  Two weeks seemed like forever, and we settled back into our routines, abandoning "Operation Piglet Watch 2012." 


All the while, Millie kept getting fatter, and her teats more swollen every day.  The short walk from the pens to the pasture became a laborious journey for her, and she would arrive short of breath.  Finally, this afternoon, she decided that she had had about enough of being pregnant, and unbeknownst to any of us, went into labor under an olive tree in the pasture.  All of the piglets were scattered on the ground in the pasture when Jared, our farm manager arrived.  "Piglets!" he shouted, and I ran over from the greenhouse to find him rounding up the piglets and placing them next to their mom to suckle.

Millet with her nine piglets

Piglets attempting to find a teat and stay warm

This is Millie's first litter, and her motherly instincts seem to be lacking.  Apparently, most mother pigs clean off their young and chew off the umbilical cords, but Millie just lay there in the dirt looking exhausted and unconcerned.  Since each piglet was dragging a several inches long umbilical cord around in the dirt, we decided that human intervention was necessary.  Using some thread, I tied off each cord and another apprentice snipped the cord while Jared held the pig still.  Then we returned each pig to its mother to nurse.


Millie has ten teats, so each of the nine piglets has a place at the table, which is good news.  Three of the piglets are on the small side and appear weak.  I'm thinking happy thoughts for them and hoping they pull through.  Nursing on Millie is no simple task, considering that she seems prone to rolling over on top of her piglets, nearly smashing them.  Let's hope that once the fatigue of delivering nine babies wears off, Millie has more energy to tend to her piglets.