SUCCESS- kind of

So I've had the worst time breeding pigs so far. We have 3 girls and our boar. The first farrowing was 3 piglets. They all died. The sow was pretty sick and it was cold outside, just not ideal. The sow pulled through and we had another farrowing. The problem this time is that I thought she was pregnant but every single person I asked told me I was wrong. People way more experienced than I. So I did put her in seclusion but I really wasn't keeping that close an eye on her because people had convinced me I was wrong. Well she delivered 8 piglets on the coldest night of the year. All were popsicles when I went out in the morning and discovered it. These 2 farrowings are both from my older sow. We bought 2 younger gilts and one of them just had it's first farrowing.

Now it was warm last week. Really nice and warm. Monday it was set to snow storm again and OF COURSE that is when she farrowed. She only had 2. One teeny tiny baby and one 3x larger. The larger one didn't make it but the tiny one...well it's 2 days old and I'm feeling confident that it's going to live as today it's set to warm back up. You wouldn't think I'd be so happy about 1 tiny piglet but it's ALIVE. A MIRACLE!

I did bring the piglet inside to warm up and while I waited to see if Mom had any more. She didn't so I gave the piglet back and yeah. It's all good.

Congratulations Elle! Saving just one is a success!  
Its still very little and anything can happen , so don't let it get you down if things change.
Breeding any animal is a learning curve and living in Wyoming, temperature  extremes are the norm. You will adapt and so will your sows.
Next breeding may find you with 12 piglet's.

We had a great summer farrowing this year. But I'm nervous if the girls end up breeding back and farrow in the winter...  I would expect to have experiences like yours.  Those tiny piglets just aren't made to pop out in freezing temps!  We're going to put a wood burning stove in our new barn and, if we have time, maybe make a thermal mass that spreads to farrowing pens, so we can give them as much of a boost as possible...!

Sorry to hear about the troubles.  That's a bummer  I had a goat give birth out in a torrential downpour this spring.  I found one kid dead and the other one screaming and sopping wet.  Mama didn't want to leave the dead kid behind.  I had to remove her from the pasture and put her in 'goat jail' in an indoor stall   She's normally a fantastic mother, but she was a total dumb dumb this spring.  Her other kid made it just fine!  Crap happens on the farm.  Critters are gonna die one way or another, and sometimes you can't do anything about it.  I stay grateful for the ones that flourish into healthy, hardy adults  Nature can be harsh!