Plant abortives for pigs?

So I have a liter coming on 6 months old [American Guinea Hogs, I never slaughter prior to 9 months minimum] and made the mistake of allowing family to handle the sales [aka nothing happened and here we are with 9 juvenile pigs coming into puberty and getting frisky] and I neither desire nor am in a legal position to have them farrowing on my land. [One breeding pair is a pet loophole, but I'm not allowed a 'pig farm' due to covenant restrictions.]

Thus, I need to find an abortive plant of some form that I can mix into feed while I get them separated. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe you need to separate the boys from the girls?  Or sell the boys or barter them for something you need.

Working on the second enclosure now, but that won't prevent any litters concieved before I complete the separation.

The problem I see is that feeding poisonous plants could result in the loss of the sow not just abortion of the fetus.  While it is easy to find a list of plants ... it is just too risky.

I know that I have read about keeping your sheep out of the red clover, as it can be an abortifacent, but I also know that pigs are hardier than sheep. I would also be concerned with forcing them to eat something they wouldn't otherwise, or feeding them only a medicinal with the intention of causing the litters to abort.

I would also be concerned with unintentionally harming the sows. The abortion itself might harm the sows, unless it's extremely early on. Even so, it's usually some sort of toxicity that makes an abortifacent do what it does, leaving open the possibility of accidentally poisoning them. Also, depending on (if) when they are to be butchered, it might affect the taste, or even the safety, of the meat.

I am also curious as to why the males haven't been fixed. Isn't boar taint a concern in your case? I have read that it varies from species to species, but I have also heard from several sources that it can render meat completely inpalatable.

I haven't come across any specific herbal treatment, but I have read that keeping them in warmer temperatures than optimal can trigger abortion, as can other variations from optimal breeding conditions. Environmental causes are responsible for approximately 70% of pig abortions, according to the Merk Veterinary Guide.

It also indicates that wild variations in diet and schedule, including switching out handlers, can induce abortion.

There are also a variety of human herbal abortifacients, whose efficacy in humans I cannot corroborate, that might do the same for pigs, but they might not, or they might be deadly in the quantities that would result in abortion.

Finally, there is a pregnancy drug, prostglandin, I think, that can induce abortions if administered too early along in the pregnancy.

I suggest you talk to a vet that specialises in pigs. They will be able to tell you better than most what the options and risks are.

Keep us posted, and good luck.

-CK

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) is used by some individuals as an anti-implantation substance. They usually use 1-2 teaspoons of dried seeds the day after sexual intercourse and each following day for a minimum of 5 days.  There is  research on this with mice showing it acts as an implantation agent.  

A decoction of Zoapatle has been used by mexican woman as an abortifacient. Quite a bit of research on it. Appears to stimulate uterine activity.

Cotton root also appears to stimulate uterine activity. It is used fresh only.

Please be aware that these are strong herbs and as mentioned by others, that anything that causes an abortion, can be otherwise harmful. I would suggest educating yourself in detail about abortifacients.

Regarding the Red Clover: Phytoestrogens were first observed in 1926, but it was not known if they had an effect on animals or humans. In the 1940s and early 1950s, it was noticed that some pastures of subterranean clover and red clover caused infertility in sheep grazing on pastures rich in these clovers. This became known as “ Sweet Clover or Clover Disease. This lead to a closer examination of plants and the constituents in plants researchers and herbalists now call phytoestrogens.

Researchers examined “Sweet Clover Disease” by experimenting with the isoflavones in sweet clover called formononetin and genistein that bind to estrogen receptors. Used in large amounts, they were found to cause prolapsed uterus and embryonic death in sheep.

There is now a tremendous amount known about phytoestrogens. I shared an extensive abount of data on phytoestrogens in my new book, "Herbal ABC's - The Foundation of Herbal Medicine"

Kyrt Ryder wrote:

Thus, I need to find an abortive plant of some form that I can mix into feed while I get them separated. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

All the things I've heard, said Penny Royal or Black Cohosh will do the trick. And Penny Royal used to be used like oregano in food.


Good luck,

Also the Romans used a variety of Fennel, but they used it so much it went extinct.

I would warn you that pennyroyal tincture and essential oil can be hazardous to use. Woman have killed themselves using it in the essential oil form. Generally, the tea is safer as they vomit it up before overdosing. Much easier to overdose quickly with essential oil or tincture. This is why most herb companies don't sell the essential oil or tincture any more. Their insurance companies won't allow it. I would tell you to be cautious using it. Take a real deep whiff of it. My nose always tells me when things are strong and therefore need to be used cautiously. It is definitely a strong smell and for me a bit nauseating.

I was called into a ranch years ago to help a rancher figure out what was causing some of their cattle to seizure and die. It was easy to figure out, the animals did not have enough grass to browse and were eating the pennyroyal in the ditches. Generally, they will not eat it, but there was nothing left to eat. The rancher saw grass but did not realize it was too short for them. (Grass was eaten down to the nubs.) So, they were getting abortions, seizures and had two animals die while seizuring. I have found one report of a woman seizuring from it at an emergency room too.