Yesterday I mentioned that I was concerned that the piglets were not showing the usual amount of vigor. These ones were spending way too much time sleeping. They were way too quiet.
valbjerke said to me had I given the piglets iron. I sat back in my chair. No. I hadn’t. The only time I gave piglets iron was when I had all that trouble with Tahitis piglets. I don’t inject iron as a matter of course. But I never have had piglets this lethargic either.
I sat and watched the blinking curser beside the message and remembered that Molly was eating everything before she gave birth- her behaviour was not normal – she devoured everything – she must have been short of iron and her body was sending her looking. Her diet of deep greens, eggs and alfalfa and grains should have met this. It was the best I could do. She had a yard of soil. I was positive I had covered all the dietary bases – I am so careful of that. But there you are. Maybe the babies were born anaemic. 
I pushed the chair back from the table and went to work.
I got out the bottle of iron from my farm cupboard of all things and got out the needles, collected Alex, went to the barn, the piglets were sleeping as usual, I locked Molly out in the field and we loaded all the piglets into a tote and gave each one a shot before returning them to bed. They screamed and squawked and bit but they are so small they are really easy to manage.
After the procedure was over, I settled them all back in their sleeping creep and let their entirely unconcerned mother back in.
The change was dramatic. By lunchtime they were up and running around the pen. (check the insty below) Literally bouncing about. Drinking voraciously. All over the place. Noisy. These piglets had been anaemic. Poor wee things. Let’s hope this was enough to get them going. Lets hope they can catch up and start putting on some weight.
This is quite possibly why the one died on his first night – he was too tired to move.
Once again – The Fellowship to the rescue. And valbjerke: thank you for the reminder about iron. I am grateful. I will do that with them all from now on. Just in case.
And thank you to the Fellowship of the Farmy for being such clever and open hearted, that people who know stuff feel safe and comfortable in sharing it.
And we all get to learn. Lesson learned.
Now fingers crossed.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
59 responses to “The learning Curve”
There’s a book by James Redbank, Herwick Shepherd. In it he talks about how a good deal of a farmer’s life is just observing, noting what it different and trying to decide what is wrong and what needs to be done. Success depends on those attributes, coupled with long experience. He noted how his father was so good at it because he’s been doing it longer. But these days, we also have the hive mind to help us with what is observed.
Well said! Being a farmer with animals is very much like being a mother to the animals known as humans – you have to be observant and listen to those who give advice with an open heart!!
Good comments here. We all benefit from these exchanges.
OMP! Slaps hoof to my forehead…or close by since I have short arms. I didn’t even think about that and I had to take iron every day when I was little for a while. I was a runt. Unbelievable what that does for you. Piglets are so cute running everywhere. XOXO – Bacon
How did you get your iron – as a supplement?
As a supplemental. Mom would put an eye dropper full in my Cheerios every morning. XOXO – Bacon
Oh wow. Never would have thought of that! They look so cute running around. How is Mr. Flowers?
Mr Flowers is very good – his feathers are long and glossy and healthy – looking great. c
Animals and humans underline the idea that we are what we eat!
and we are what we eat – Eats. .. c
Good heavens, what a difference. I had to laugh a Molly; all her babies are desperate to get to her underside and she just gives them the total ignore… funny. It’s amazing how one small thing like an iron deficiency makes such a drastic difference. And valbjerke is the hero for this week. Have a great day! ~ Mame 🙂
This post made me think of how so many infants and toddlers used to die ‘in the old days’…. And often, I bet, those little ones might’ve just needed something as simple as a bit of iron. It’s so joyful to see those little one ‘up and about’.
Hooray!
Thank goodness for such a simple fix- gosh.
Glad to hear they’re all up and about! 😊
I’m so happy that things are looking up for the piglets. Blogging opens us up to the greater mind consciousness where if we try to handle everything alone, life could be so much harder. Another reason to do it. And you are always so willing to take in ideas. Have a wonderfilled Wednesday.
I wonder if our moist and mild late winter/spring has caused the nutrients to leach out of the soil this year. The grass didn’t really have that long of a dormant period to recharge. Do pigs consume free choice minerals like cows, pretty much only when they need them? Or do pigs just consume the minerals put out just because they are there and available for consumption? Maybe some free choice minerals would be good for all who won’t over consume. I wondered when you said Molly was eating every thing in sight if she had a vitamin deficiency, in cows that is usually a sign that there is a deficiency in their diet somewhere. My swine knowledge is limited but is expanding by visiting here. Happy to see the little piglets perk up.
Pigs would eat the lot I suspect.They have their minerals sprinkled on their food. Even the cows are eating more of their free choice minerals this spring. All the rain will certainly affect the goodness of the pasture. c
I hope mama got some iron too. If you suspect that she was eating a lot to up her iron levels, she might need a supplement for a little bit postpartum. Just to make sure she’s up to snuff with all those lil piggies running around. A vitamin/mineral supplement is hard to overdo. I think that’s why so many people give them as a matter of course for every pregnancy, on the farm or off.
Yes, she has an iron supplement in her food – and is very upbeat.. c
Maybe the iron deficiency is why Molly has those bald patches too, which is why I thought maybe the Red Cell would help…it has lots of iron! I would give her a dose of the iron too..although the Red Cell is much easier…you just mix it with her food. It’s in liquid form and has all kinds of other good stuff in it too! Soo glad your little piggies have perked up!
Yes – I have the red cell on order – looking forward to it.. c
We are all invested with the farmy! Some of us right from the beginning, others of us later, but still all invested.
That comes under the heading, “It’s always something!”.