LANDBOU
you don ’ t want the boar to overwork himself . During the afternoon you repeat the process and monitor them . Then on the third day , she is most probably already pregnant but you just want to make sure . Thereafter you take her away to the single pens to avoid stress .”
Twenty-one days later a pregnancy test is done naturally by putting a boar with the sow .
If she shows interest in him , she is certainly not pregnant . The converse shows that she is indeed impregnated .
“ She stays in the single pen for 56 days . Then she is taken to a group pen to join other pregnant sows . The gestation period is 114 days . Seven days before she is ready to give birth , you send her to the maternity
pen where you change her nutrition by giving her supplements to produce more milk . You deworm her and you kill any parasites inside and outside . She is also washed so that she is clean all over .”
When the sow goes into labour Nontando and her team are on standby to assist should there be any problems . Piglets are born less than 20 minutes apart , but if and when there is a greater time lapse , the farmer has to lend a hand by pulling the piglet out .
“ At the moment I have 22 pregnant sows and they will all give birth at the same time . It ’ ll be a busy time for everyone on the farm .”
Piglets are supplemented with starter feed from seven and up to 40 days . They are usually weaned
2 . Nontando ’ s major challenge is feed as this accounts for five per cent of a piggery ’ s profit . However , she plans to start growing and mixing her own soon .
2 .
43 MARKtoe ! Mei 2023