How to Tell If a Sow Is Pregnant? A Few Practical Tips
AbstractUrine test method: 5-10 days after mating, collect 10 ml of morning urine, add 1 ml of vinegar or iodine tincture, heat to boiling point; if the urine turns red, the sow is pregnant. Estrus cycle method: after mating, if the sow does not come back into estrus at 19-23 days, she can be preliminarily confirmed pregnant. Behavior and external feature method: gradually increasing abdominal girth, dry vulva, drooping tail, and drowsiness with increased appetite indicate pregnancy. Udder method: gently squeeze the second-to-last pair of teats; if a firmer milk duct can be felt, the sow is pregnant.
I. Tips for judging whether a sow is pregnant
1. Urine test method
About 5-10 days after mating, collect about 10 ml of morning urine from the sow, add about 1 ml of vinegar or about 1 ml of 5% iodine tincture, and after heating it to boiling point, if the urine is red, the sow is already pregnant; if the urine is brownish-green or pale yellow, and the color gradually fades as the urine cools, the sow is not pregnant.
2. Method based on the estrus cycle
Under normal conditions, after a sow comes into estrus and is mated, she will not come back into estrus after about 19-23 days, so the sow can be preliminarily confirmed pregnant. This method is suitable for sows with a relatively normal estrus cycle.
3. Method based on the sow's behavior and external features
If a sow is pregnant after mating, her abdominal girth will gradually increase, her tail will droop, her vulva will be relatively dry and contract into a line, or the vulva will be noticeably turned upward, and the lower commissure will gradually contract and close tightly; she will be relatively docile, with a glossy coat that lies close to the body, drowsy and eating more, and her body condition will recover fairly quickly.
4. Udder method
(1) About 3-4 days after mating, you can gently squeeze the sow's second-to-last pair of teats with your hand; if you can feel a relatively firm milk duct, it means the sow is already pregnant.
(2) About one month after mating, pay attention to the color of the sow's teats; if the teats are elongated and the attachment area shows a dark purple halo, it means the sow is pregnant. You can also observe the arrangement of the teats on the sow's two hind legs; if the base of the teats is swollen and raised, and the front ends of the teats open outward, it means she is pregnant.
5. Method of observing the sow's behavior
An empty sow is relatively active, while a pregnant sow prefers quiet and does not want to move much, and has a relatively good appetite; at feeding time, a pregnant sow usually eats faster than a sow that is not pregnant.
6. Watching for fetal movement
Generally, fetal movement can be felt at about 70 days of pregnancy in a sow; after 80 days, the sow's abdominal girth increases noticeably, and fetal movement in the sow's abdomen can be seen when she lies on her side.
II. Without doing an ultrasound, how to predict a sow's litter size
If fetal movement appears at the position of the second or third teat from the front in a pregnant sow, it can basically be determined that the litter size will be more than 12 piglets; if the fetal movement appears at the position of the third or fourth teat, the litter size will be around 10 piglets; if fetal movement appears after the fourth teat, the litter size will be relatively small, at fewer than 8 piglets.