At What Age Can a Female Hog Get Pregnant?

A young female hog, called a gilt, can be bred (serviced) as young as 8 to 10 months of age. This is true for all methods of breeding, including hand mating, pen mating, pasture mating, artificial insemination and embryo transplant.

Sexual Maturity

A gilt has reached sexual maturity at 5 or 6 months old. This is the age when gilts are usually selected for breeding.

First Service

A gilt is ready to be served by a boar (male hog) when she is between 265 and 285 pounds (about eight months).

Heat

Gilts and sows (old female hogs) are in heat (estrus) for two or three days each 21-day cycle. Signs that gilts and sows are in heat include an enlarged vulva, mucuslike or bloody vaginal discharge, frequent urination and restlessness.

Health

At the time of servicing, the gilt or sow should be in good health and not overweight.

Culling

A sow should be culled (no longer bred) when she has two consecutive small litters (fewer than eight offspring). This may occur with the fifth or sixth servicing.

References

• Mother Earth News: How to Breed Healthy Pigs
• Republic of South Africa Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Breeding Pigs