Possibly Pregnant: How do we know if she is pregnant?

[user1218]

This is all very new to us and we're doing our best getting educated as quickly as we can. My neighbor's piggies had babies (unexpectedly) and we were able to offer the remaining girl a home. We realized she should have a mate and were planning to do that fairly soon.

However, I got a call from my neighbor asking to bring over the cage (we had gotten the proper size for two in advance) because she had just learned that they reach sexual maturity as early as 4 weeks, and our pig was 5 weeks at the time. She did separate them right away and we took our little girl home the next week. She's 11 weeks now.

How will I know if she is pregnant? When will I know it? Should I be doing anything health wise for her "just in case"?

I really want her to have a friend (we are planning on getting another girl) but I was thinking the responsible thing to do is wait to see in case she does have babies. I could really use advice here!

[VoodooJoint]

Why would she be pregnant? Do the neighbors also have the father and was he still in with the mom and babies? If the father wasn't in the cage, and no other sexually mature males were in the cage then she wouldn't be pregnant.

If there were male babies from her litter still in the cage then it's doubtful that she would be pregnant by then at 5 weeks of age although the mother could be. While the baby boys can reach sexual maturity by 4 weeks it usually takes the girls a little longer.

[user1218]

Thanks! I was thinking because her brothers were in the cage at the same time. Her father was kept in a separate cage as soon as they realized he was, in fact, a he.

[Skeetersmom]

The babies were all together in the same cage until 5 weeks so it is possible that she is pregnant if her brothers were with her. The are able to breed at 21 days. I would just wait out the next 3 weeks or so before getting her a buddy. Good Luck

[akstrohm]

A vet can tell you for sure. Otherwise just weigh her weekly, and handle her carefully. Eventually you will be able to feel the babies moving if she is pregnant.