Momma is Pregnant

This is Olivia and her 2 babies (Toppy & Binoo), 3 of the 5 rescued pigs from August. When we found her, she was still nursing 2 (from 6) of her 3 month old babies and she was very thin. We weaned the babies and took them in and had them neutered, as they can begin breeding as early as 6 weeks and will breed back to mom.

Olivia has been putting on weight, we were hoping just because she was now eating properly, but because she was being housed with a male (15 year old Todd from other posts...and the father of her first litter) when we found her, we always suspected another pregnancy. We took her in yesterday to be spayed, but had the vet do an ultrasound first to be sure. It confirmed that she is, indeed, pregnant.

Her previous owners didn't want any of these pigs. They weren't being cared for, they had no shelter and were not being fed the right food, or enough food. They were on Kijiji "to give away"...for anyone to take, yet they thought it was their right to breed not only one litter of piglets, but two and give these babies away, unfixed. Pigs can have up to 12 piglets in a litter. Do the math attached to this logic.

There are a few misconceptions about breeding that I would like to clear up. First, OLD PIGS CAN BREED!! That was the excuse this woman gave for the first litter...she thought Todd (dad) was too old to breed at 15 years. What's the excuse for the second litter I wonder? Second, NURSING MOTHERS CAN GET PREGNANT!! Olivia was still nursing when she became pregnant. I have even been told by a vet that this isn't possible. IT IS!!! Third, as I've already said, BABIES AS YOUNG AS 6 WEEKS CAN BREED and will breed back to their mom.

Seeing those babies on the ultrasound yesterday deeply touched something in my heart. Their little heartbeats blinking on the screen...a result of total irresponsibility. There is no real place in this world for these babies. They are sweet, they are precious...and they are unwanted. Don't get me wrong, I am keeping them and cannot wait to meet their tiny little selves and they will be loved to death and cared for throughout their entire lives (God willing I will still be here to do that), but did even I want more pigs being brought into this world? No. I don't have the money to take more pigs. Spaying and neutering that many pigs alone costs close to $4000, not to mention food, shelter, electricity for heating shelters all winter, worming medication and various vet costs. My family will have to sacrifice to care for possibly 12 more pigs (possible total of 22)...all the result of other people's extreme irresponsibility.

PLEASE help fight against this. Do not support breeders of ANY kind...from the people with their expensive, fancy sounding pigs (all the same breed, but they don't want you to know that), to the backyard breeder asking $50 for a muddy old pig from their pen out back. If you are serious about owning a pig...do your research. If you can honestly say it's still for you (for up to 30 years), then adopt from a rescue. Bringing unwanted pigs into the world to be neglected and killed or passed off as another's responsibility is not someones right. Please let them know this.