Found this useful chart and thought I'd post it here for reference. It's from Purdue University, and though the photo at the top of their page is just about the opposite of our Natural Farming methods, there is valuable information about farrowing well worth saving and sharing.
(The link is below chart.)
Big Girl is showing many of these signs already... about to the middle of the list. Won't be long now!
|
Approximate time before delivery
|
Sow characteristics/ behavior |
|---|---|
|
0-10 days
|
Mammary glands enlarge and become
firm
|
|
0-10 days
|
Swelling of the vulval lips |
|
2 days
|
Mammary glands become turgid and tense and secrete a clear fluid |
|
12-24 hours
|
Mammary glands begin to secrete milk |
|
12-24 hours
|
Overall restlessness, nesting behavior |
|
6 hours
|
Abundant milk secretion |
|
30 minutes-4 hours
|
Increased respiration |
|
15-60 minutes
|
Sow quiets and lies down on her side |
|
30-90 minutes
|
Straining, passage of blood tinged, oily fluid and meconium ( fetal feces) |
http://www.extension.purdue.edu/pork/health/farr.html
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