Farrowing/Birthing Barn

Trouble viewing the cam?

The Farrowing Barn is where all the baby pigs are born.  We have two ladies that are specially trained to monitor all the deliveries.  They make sure everything goes well during delivery, and then they give the baby pigs a check-up and their first vaccinations. 

  • Sows give birth or farrow 114-116 days after breeding and conception.
  • They usually have 12-16 baby pigs born alive, although our record is 21!
  • The baby pig’s average weight is about 3-4 lb at birth.
  • The workers make sure the sow delivers all the babies.  Older sows have a uterus up to 4-5 ft long-that is a long way to push!  Sometimes they need help delivering.
  • The stall is used to keep the sow from rolling-on or laying-on infant pigs that move too slow.
  • The sow has cool steel slotted flooring to lie on.  This helps keep her comfortable and clean.
  • The baby pigs have a hot water plate off to the side to lie on and keep warm.
  • The baby pigs are dried off and then receive colostrum from their mom right away.  They will also receive their first vaccinations within the first 3-5 days.
  • Because there are so many pigs born (650/wk), we use “rescue decks” with milk cups to save timid and “starve-out” pigs.  They are healthy, just not aggressive.
  • Sows recognize their baby pigs by smell.  We can and do swap pigs around to equalize the size and number of pigs on a sow.  As long as the numbers are the same, she gets used to the new babies within a couple of hours.
  • This barn is also air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter.  We like 72 degrees in here.  Lower temps are nice for the sow, but drafty for the babies.
  • The rooms are washed, disinfected and dried before refilled with expectant sows.  Sanitation is paramount with birthing and lactation.  We treat this area as if it is an animal hospital.
  • A lactating sow will eat 20-24 lb feed per day and drink 6-8 gallons of water.
  • A good sow produces as much milk per day per lb of bodyweight as a Holstein cow.
  • Our sows will wean an average over 11 pigs per litter.  They weigh about 14 lb each and will go to the nursery at about 21 days of age.  They are already on some solid food when they are weaned.