[Gpdd] HEALTH: Maggie's babies are kicking!

[Penny Charlesworth]

Joanie,

Such excitement!

There is nothing so grand as watching little baby piggies come into the
world. I have been fortunate enough to see this happen quite a few times
when piggies, who turned out to be pregnant, have been brought to
Piggyfriends but no event was more memorable than having three sows give
birth on the same day.

Cloud delivered her five babes early in the morning and by the time that she
had dried and sorted them out, her friend Chloe went into labour. As her own
babes were safe, Cloud went to help her friend deliver four more. They
shared the cleaning up duties and, when Jasmine started into labour later in
the day, the two of them went to help her with the arrival of four more
little ones.

Needless to say, no work was done by me that day - the advantages of being
one's own boss - and there were 13 perfect babes and three contented mums by
the afternoon.

Had I not been privileged to see them being born, I would never have known
which babe belonged to which mum as all three fed whichever babe came up to
them for attention.

I have posted about these piggies before and I am sure that I said how
wonderful it was to see 16 happy pigs running around in my huge pen. It was
a sad moment when I had to remove the 8 boars and pair them up. This was
some years ago but it is something that I will never forget.

The mums were all very young piggies who had been mistakenly put with a
young boar ( Jasmine's litter brother ) by their previous owner and they had
no trouble delivering comparatively large litters and I do hope that Maggie
has a similarly easy time. It would be nice if she had a litter of sows and
then they could all live together with Puff.

I always hope for either all baby sows or two boars in the litter that I can
pair up but they are all very welcome.

My wonderful Rodentologists will look after pregnant sows for their clients
and help with the delivery if necessary. They are world class experts at
this and have saved many a little life. The mother piggy will engage her
front teeth with those of the babe and ease them out into the world that way
and I have seen my Rodentologist do exactly the same thing by using the nail
of a little finger when mum pig needs some help. Piggies in their "maternity
ward" have instant access to any drugs or help needed and it must put
slave's minds at rest to know that their little mothers to be are in such
capable hands.

We will all be waiting with paws crossed for a safe delivery in due course.
Be ready to call your vet if Maggie has any problems as things can go wrong.
Like Sandy, we all hope that Maggie has had babes before and knows the
ropes.

Go Maggie!

Penny and the Piggyfriends.