Tahiti gave birth to her piglets last night and has turned out to be the worst kind of mother. She had killed three by the time I even got to the barn. It was terrible. I managed to calm her so the babies could drink and we sat like that for a while but the moment I left the pen she reared up and killed two more. In all she killed five.
Molly was roaring from the other side and all her babies were screaming too.
In the end I gave up trying and shuffled the others into their creep and lifted them out to safety.
Now I have seven newborn piglets sleeping in the CloakRoom. In the absence of anything else I am feeding them tiny amounts of cows colostrum with an eye dropper. This morning I will find some sow replacer. They will be fed every two hours for the first few days and then every three to four hours after that. If all goes well and usually it does not.
You need to remember that hand rearing piglets is very hard, they do not do well as a rule. Some of them probably will not make it. Especially as they are starting on cows milk which is hard to digest but at least it is raw milk. And some may have internal injuries from their mothers attack, I don’t know. But they certainly would not have lived long with their mother hunting them down and killing them. It was awful.
Enough of that. We are focusing on raising this little brood now.
Let’s have a look at a good mother pig – while I get busy with the feeding. (I hope I can find some sow replacer close by so at least I know they are getting the right food).
Molly has recovered well and is being a good Mum though I hope there were no injuries in there from last nights disaster. I have not looked yet as it is still dark and they need peace now.
Naturally Tahiti will not be bred again and will leave the farm.
I can hear those piglets banging around in their emergency cardboard box. I hope they sleep soon – poor wee things. Next feed in 30 minutes! I need to get organised and set alarms on my phone.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
116 responses to “A disaster for Tahiti”
Oh dear! Poor Tahiti and poor piglets. At least both sets of piglets didn’t arrive on the same day.
Yes – though if they had I could have popped a couple of these ones over the gate to Molly but her babies are too big and too many! I will do my best to raise them.. c
That crossed my mind too, but she’s probably got more than enough already. Hopefully they will take to cow milk and Nanny Boo 🙂
Yes, Nanny Boo already has his head mooshed up against the door!
Bless him!
I wish you could send me a couple.
Hi Miss C.. Ok, this is just me.. and I want you to know, I have full faith that you are going to the very best for those piglets, but if it was me.. I would move everyone carefully around so that Molly’s babies can go into a creep, and leave out her two smallest and then take your biggest strongest of the other brood and let them have a drink.. and then set a second creep feed and when they go in, the other come out.. Now I know that its a lot of work and it has to be done calmly..
Molly can not be asked to feed that many babies on her own.. BUT, Molly’s babies are big enough that I will bet money, they will drink fresh raw cows milk in a pan to help keep their tummies full, Molly as a good mom, will 99 percent take the new wee ones, and even if they only nurse on her two to three times during the day and you do the other feedings.. the odds of them living is going to go up a lot.
I like you know what the odds are that newborn piglets are going to make it are not good.. but only you know your set ups, only you know molly.. and if she would be comfortable with you coming into the side pen and feeding the other piglets without it upsetting her..
But if you could run the litters side to side, you would have a real chance at getting both litters to make it.. Only you know the value on this.. if the new ones are worth risking how steady the older litter is..
I have done every two hour feedings.. cat nap when you can and I will pray for you and them!
Val -Farmgal
I love this idea and was what I was thinking!
Hi Val, a good idea but Molly is a gilt and feeding 11 already, I just could not bring myself to disrupt her at this point with her piglets being so little yet. But thank you for the idea. You have so much exerperience .. c
i understand and I respect you knowing your critters and I was so pleased to read about the self-feeder for the other litter.. and you are right.. the rest of the farm is all there too.. hugs Miss C
I can’t Like this post, it’s too sad. I know these things happen, that it’s a part of farm life, but a mother who turns on her own babies is always going to be a tragedy. I think you’re extremely brave to take on a large pig in a fury, even if she’s known you since birth. Something is not right in her head, and I’m glad she’s going. I hope you have some success with your weans, and that you don’t totally exhaust yourself in the process. I wish I could be there to help and take on some of the feeds. Too far…
Yes, she will have to leave – we cannot have a repeat of this.. c
oh, so sad –
Yes – such a shame.. c
Oh, that is so awful to picture. I’m sorry.
What a shame. I’m not sure why I clicked “like” but wanted to you to know I’m reading your description and hoping for the best.
Maybe they should change the LIKE to READ. That seems more appropriate sometimes. c
Yes so you know we stopped by and read your writing.
I agree. After I clicked like, I wondered why. I am so sorry, C.
I click “like” to mean “read” — I’m glad you are making the translation. This is definitely not a like post. We lost a baby chick to a rat yesterday — I thought of you and the bastard mink while I was fuming.
I had rat trouble once too – I understand the fuming.. c
You did not need that! The farmy did not need that! I hug you from afar and wish you strength of body and mind . . . tomorrow is another day: one step at a time . . . love Eha
It does happen, but I hoped it would not happen to my pigs.. c
Celi – for whatever it’s worth: take some strength from the closeness of your Fellowship . . . so many coming back to hope and encourage . . . everyone of us would like to be there, piglet in lap, to comfort and feed . . .
I’m so so sorry.
I know poor wee things.. c
Oh, NO. How horrible for you, those babies, and I guess Tahiti, too. Such a disappointment. Are there such things as sow surrogate mothers?
Wishing you stamina. ❤
Yes, I could have grafted them onto Molly but she already has way too many and they are a week old and strong. But that would have been the better option. c
I am glad you are safe. You can never tell until they have piglets what kind of mom they will be. I hope all is well with Molly and her brood. Hope you can save Tahiti’s piglets. Wish I could come and help.
Yes – I wish you could come and help too.. c
Oh crap, what a nightmare!! I hope they (and you) get some rest! Poor wee poppets, having their mother turn on them like that. I know you say it happens, but it seems such a strange glitch of nature for some sows to be like that! xxx
Yes – not nice.. c
Oh how sad!
Certainly a shock but so far the remaining piglets are doing ok – slow to get going but ok.. c
So sad. And scary. I hope your day improves. And you are successful with the little piggies.
We will know within a few days whether I will be successful but I will give it a good try.. c
That is so sad and horrible. It must have been awful to find. I hope you are doing well and are able to have a good outcome for the rest. Take care❤️
Seeing carnage like that is a nightmare – I know worse things happen when people kill each other but in my little world it was horrible. How you are well !!? And daughter missed this post. c
I know it must have been hard to see. I did not tell my daughter about that post. I am sitting with my grandmother, she is passing. The most difficult part it that it is from a medical error. She had surgery 20 years ago and they left a surgical needle inside. She got really sick on the weekend and a scan showed a needle that perforated her bowel. She cannot have surgery so just making her comfortable until she passes. It is very surreal.
I am so sorry. I know we do not know one another but my heart goes out to you.
I know you a little..
Oh no – and how wonderful too that you can be sitting with her – so sad.. c
Oh dear! What a horrible thing to have happen. I guess not everyone has a maternal instinct.
Some sows ensure that their line does not progress – nasty.. c
Very!
What an awful night for you and piglets. And what a big thing to face for the next weeks. I hope they survive. And that you have help soon. That’s a huge extra burden.
Those poor newborn piglets, and you, too. Such a horrible sight to witness and no time to do anything but get the newborns to safety. I know that this happens in nature/life, but, so sad when it does. Rest your body and heart when you can and here is to a brighter day tomorrow (well, even brighter today as it rolls on).