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”
I’m so sorry to hear about your piglets. I put I liked the post but I just wanted you to know I read it. I’m glad you’re getting that old girl off the farm… did I hear pork chops?
Oh my gosh. Even though I read you every morning I rarely ever comment–I Just wanted you to know that I’m so sorry about this, and I’ll be thinking about you and hoping for the best. You are a brave and amazing woman.
xoxo
Even in the animal world not all of them make good parents… It is very sad that this should happen especially so close to Molly and her brood of happy piglets. But some you win and some you lose. I will pray for the remaning piglets and you will do the best you can..?the result.. We shall just have to wait to see. I am so sorry
Yes you are..a very brave and amazing woman
Nature can be so cruel. It is a good thing she had them when you could get things under control. If it had been the middle of the night who knows what you would have walked into. So sorry this happened.
Before you write off Tahiti, we had a sow who was turning around and killing each piglet as it was born. We managed to scoop a few of them away as she expelled them and rushed to the vet for a sedative that we injected. As she dozed, we let the piglets suckle and then removed them again. Bill then went off for a calming pint of beer at the pub and brought back some for the sow (wouldn’t you have loved to be a fly on the wall as he ordered “a pint for me and half a gallon to take away for my pig”). When she awoke we gave her some beer and having built a cage around her so she couldn’t turn on us or the piglets, we let them suckle again. By then, whether because the pain had stopped or she was still whoosy from the sedative or beer, she was fine. It was a very frightening experience and we debated whether we should breed from her again but as she reared the litter, we had another go but this time with the sedative on hand, just in case. She was absolutely fine and we kept Ermintrude for years. In the end she successfully reared over a hundred piglets. I realise that it may be too late now to put the litter back on Tahiti, but thought you might be interested that everything turned out OK in our case, even though we feared she’d kill the whole litter and my husband, who had to leap to safety twice as she farrowed.
Hope that your litter is surviving and that everything has calmed down. A x
Thank you, Anne, for your story of Ermintrude to help us understand such a situation. I am happy for you all & for her that she was saved & redeemed. After I read the sweet story of Molly’s birthing, I remembered James Joyce’s allusion to the Irish Catholic Church as the old mother sow who eats her farrow, & never having known any pigs, I wondered what he was thinking about. I’m glad that didn’t happen in Tahiti’s case. I think she may have missed her chance to be a good mother. I am so sorry about this horrible experience, Celi, & I will go back & click “like” which I hadn’t been able to do, as the others have pointed out we could do so you’ll know we read today’s sad post.
This is an amazing story…It would be great if it were not too late to give Tahiti a second chance. I’m also interested in what you say because you supply a reason WHY it happens…if I’ve understood correctly…you think that the mother associates the babies with her pain? In which case, yeah, maybe if you can get them past that unnerving critical moment, they can calm themselves and resume in a different state. So interesting.
Anne, we had this same story play out at our farm many years ago! Nervous new mothers not knowing what to expect, not laying down to nurse, laying on babies, even eating the babies. The retired neighbor vet told my dad to go to the liquor store and get a bottle of cheap brandy and put it in the water for the mom. It helped settle her down and the babies were able to nurse, it all turned out for us. Good luck with the little ones Cecilia….your their mama now!
Dear Anne, your story gives me shivers all over. What a drama – and what an “easy” way to stop it compared to the shock one gets experiencing that. I could never imagine that further litters could even succeed in a case like that. – We once had a cat and, being a kid, me and my siblings watched frightened her eating up each little one she gave birth to. It was so un-understandable. And still is….
Thank you for sharing Ermintrude’s story. So, so interesting.
Hugs and kisses to nanny Boo as I know he will be busy right there with you through this. And a few extra hugs for you too. Poor Molly – probably having a fright due to her sister’s antics. I agree that you can’t have a repeat of this. Poppy and Molly are good mum’s so hopefully Mrs Hop-n-Pop will have a successful breed this go around.
Oh My Gosh, it’s hard to even fathom the mama turning on her piglets! How awful! Charlotte turned into a mean sow, but that was after she raised her babies, wasn’t it? So sorry to read this! Hopefully they’ll grow quickly and be drinking milk from a pan soon.
Not much to add that hasn’t already been said but I do want you to know that I am thinking of you and hoping for the best for the remaining piglets. Perhaps a few {{{hugs}}} as well.
Poor things but more importantly–poor you. You have so much love for all of your creatures and to see and have to deal with the aftermath of this sad event would be heartbreaking. Sending good thoughts and prayers for the piglets who made it and for strength for you to do what you need to do .
What a nightmare, I know it is all part of life, but never easy to cope with. Thankfully Molly’s successful birthing came first and you have so far saved seven tiny piglets. A total of twelve babies seems a very high number for first time birthing, it must really be a shock to the system. You and Boo nanny will see them through. Hugs of gratitude for all you do.
Totally hoping that you can pull an “ermintrude” here (Anne Wheaton’s comment above.) It’s very sad to me, so I am, as usual, hoping beyond hope for some sort of happy ending.
I know it’s part of the process of life but it’s difficult none the less. I’m sorry you had to deal with that in the wee hours.
Nature can be very harsh.
What an awful thing all round to happen. You and Molly’s piglets are enveloped in a wave of positve and caring thoughts… evenmif we’re not there with you.