INFORMATION SHEET No. 2.

2-1
Common Farrowing Problems

Learning Objective:
After reading this information, you should be able to:
1. Identify the common causes of difficult birth
2. Identify common farrowing problems and their management.

The following are the common causes of difficult birth:

1. Lack of uterine inertia – this is due to lack of hormones necessary
for parturition. Run your fingers lightly along the whole length of the
mammary area to stimulate the secretion of oxytocin in the sow’s system.
Oxytocin induces the uterus to contract, thereby hastening the birth of
the piglets.
2. Fetal mal-presentation – the normal presentation of piglets is either
the head first or hind legs first.
3. Obstruction in the birth canal – constipation causes the
enlargement of the large intestines which can obstruct the birth canal.
4. Deviation of the uterus – sometimes, the normal shape or
form of the uterus may be changed into an S-shaped bend
causing difficulty in labor.
5. Hysteria – it is observed among young sows due to excitement in pain.
6. Fetal oversize – it is observed when the number of piglets is small.

The individual piglets in the litter tend to be too large. This is also a
result of upgrading specially when a small native sow is mated with a
large boar.
Indications of difficult birth:
1. Gestation goes beyond normal limits.
2. The sow emits a whitish, foul vaginal discharge a few days
before farrowing.
3. There is straining of the sow but piglets are not farrowed. This
may be due to obstruction of the birth canal, malpresentation of
piglets, or deviation of the uterus.
4. The sows stops laboring..
5. Severe tiredness as a result of prolonged laboring.

Other common farrowing problems and how they are managed:

Dystocia- sow/gilt has difficulty in farrowing, administer oxytocin
Agalactiae- Hot water compress on mammary gland
Mastitis- administer antibiotic injection
Metritis- administer antibiotic injection