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weight change in nursing sow

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lindsecm

lindsecm

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I have been monitoring Molly's weight and here is how it has gone:

She gave birth to 3 babies on May 27th.

  • May 29th - 1130g/39.8oz
  • June 1st - 1159g/40.8oz
  • June 2nd - 1125g/39.6
  • June 6th - 1137g/40.1oz
  • June 7th - 1130g/39.8oz
  • June 8th - 1124g/39.5oz
  • June 10th - 1110g/39.1oz
  • June 11th - 1068g/37.7oz

Last night I separated her from the two girls (the boy had already been removed) and let her get some rest because they were driving her nuts. I am a little concerned because it seemed she's gradually losing weight since the 6th to today particularly (yes, I weigh at the same time on days I do weigh) and she looks visibly thinner in the past few days. I've been giving her extra veggies since she is nursing to keep her weight up but it doesn't seem to be working and she eats Cavy Performance (for Young, Pregnant, and Nursing Sows) and a mix of Alfalfa, Timothy and Orchard hay.

I didn't have her before she was pregnant, so I am not sure what she was before.

Is there something else I can do to build her back up? :{ I'm fully aware that I might be over-reacting a little, but I'd rather check and put my mind at ease.
 
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Nursing the babies, especially as they get older and drink more is a huge stress on mum - especially your three little "monsters"!

Don't worry, Mollys still a very good weight and will pick up quickly after she stops nursing. All the food will finally go towards her own body.

This is the reason why back-to-back breeding can wear out sows so badly, if they don't get that vital recuperation time in between!
 
Thanks a lot! Poor girl. I just wasn't sure if we were entering any "red flag zone" as far as her weight was concerned and I wanted to double check it! :)
 
You will see it quickly climb up over the next month or so!

All the best to exhausted mummy - she's been such a good mother!
 
I set up the run for her to spend the night in, in the same room with the girls, because the only other option was to set her up in the kitchen, in smelling distance of a very keen Shotzie (who would have been squealing all night wanting to pay her a visit rolleyes). Gave her lots of hay, parsley, lettuce, and a baby carrot.

This morning (around 4AM) we had a really bad sever thunderstorm and the warning siren rang and the babies were crying when it went off. When I went in this morning to put her back with the babies she had pulled one of the corners of the hexagonal run inward like she was trying to get back to them.

When she was reunited with them she rumbled at them when they tried to nurse. They were all cuddled up later though. :))
 
She is weaning them off (the rumble means "DON'T DO THAT!",) but feels still responsible for them when there is danger. So sorry about the thunderstorm. Molly really IS a good mother!
 
Should I remove her again tonight or let her be? Just watching her on the cam and she still looks exhausted.
 
As she does not want to wean them anymore, I would take her out, but have her either out of the room or as close to the girls as possible.
 
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