05/28/2026
Never in 6 years of breeding pigs have we ever ran into the situation we did!!
We have been patiently waiting for Vixin to have her piglets. The day finally came, May 24th around 4pm she started getting ready. Time & time went on with nothing.
May 25th at 12am I felt something wasn't right so I decided to do a vaginal check. There I was up past my elbow & finally feel a stuck piglet. So after about 20 min of me pulling & her pushing we got him out. But this poor piglet was deformed - strong, eating but would never walk.
An hour goes by .... nothing.
So again I check, same thing. Pulled the next 6 piglets out that were stuck behind her p***c bone.
Its now 4am, we are tired , my arm is shaking, my hand is twice its size from the contractions & bone on bone (like your hand is being squeezed in a vise).
Still another stuck piglet... that we worked in for an hour & couldn't get it.
5am we made the decision to let her be with her piglets until she couldn't anymore.
May 25th around 7pm still nothing, gave her some antibiotics & loved up on her. Shes ups moving around, drinking & nursing.
May 26th - no change and we both had to go to work.
After messaging many ppl and many conversation, having a Vet on standby, we had 2 Farm Friends (Family) have the medication we need to "hopefully help".
Around 8pm Vixin was given Oxytocin, 20 min later we pulled a stuck piglet out. 10pm gave her another injection, nothing. So we did a flush with an AI rod & 11pm we went in. Still up moving around drinking & loving on her piglets.
At this point we are exhausted & feeling defeated.
May 27th, 7am there's a piglet on the ground she passed another on her own.
We then decided to give her another injection & off to work.
Come home to check around 12pm - nothing, so we leave her be with her babies.
We got off work its 6pm , we decided to try 1 more injection. 10 pm I feel inside to another stuck piglet, after working & pulling we finally get it out along with placneta!!!
Another flush & another round of antibiotics & 11pm off to bed.
May 28th , 7am out to the barn - shes still going strong. We are walking in calling her name & she gets up to come to the gate for some loving with her piglets right behind her.
She seemed to be feeling back to her sassy self especially when we had to give another round of antibiotics & she DID NOT like that poke.
Vixin has most definitely beaten her odds of survival. We still aren't out of the woods just yet but she is happy with her babies.
This has been the most stressful, defeating, heartbreaking situation we have had to deal with on our farm.
But WE NEVER once gave up or stopped trying! We did everything we could & still continue too, to give Vixin & her piglets the best outcome.
They are together & that is all that matters!!!
Listening to my son's laugh as he's watching the piglets is what matters! This is why we do what we do!
Out of a stuck litter of 10 piglets - we came out with 6 healthy, strong, thriving babies!
- Elizabeth Lowes & Mike Lowes
