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Sow with piglets

 

The wild boar is in the Guiness record book as the largest mammal in the world who builds a nest for giving birth. The sow carries withered grass, dry brackens, reed stalks, twigs … in her jaws. From this material she creates a hollow stack – something like a hut.

 

In our conditions boars give birth mainly from March to May, but there are exceptions. Newly born piglets have been seen in February as well as September. In practice boars can mate throughout the year. Hunters say that the sow’s gestation lasts 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days (actually 108 to 120 days).

 

If the strongest boar (five years old or more) of the neighbourhood visits a boar herd all sows come into heat at the same time. In 24 hours the boar lays the foundations of nest year’s generation of piglets. This of course presuming that there is a suitable sex and age group, and that the animals will not be disturbed during the mating. Thus the sows of a herd give birth (farrow) at the same time. Young boars live and roam about on their own during this time.

 

The farrowing nests are spread at distances of several hundred meters from each other. The piglets stay in the nest for about 8 weeks. The weather this year is ideal for farrowing.

 

Boar nest