Hungry piglets suck at sow

10 baby pigs at a sow while she lies on her side. An 11th pokes around in a basin of mushy creep feed. The pigs are in an open display, mounted by the Pennsylvania Pork Board at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg Pennsylvania . A Board representative explains that display is meant to educate the public on the life cycle of a market pig. About 2-3 pounds at birth, a market pig goes through the stages of farrowing (birth to weaning), nursery, growing and finishing when it reaches and approximate weight of 280 pounds about four months later. Farm show goers like your correspondent, gather around the pen to marvel at the piglets jostling at their mother’s tests and clambering over each other in a little piglet pile. This 3 year old sow from Fulton County, Pa is a three year-old a York Landrace breed who was bred with a Duroc boar. She was a “gilt”before she had her first litter likely at about 1 year of age. These piglets are 16 days old and will weaned in five more days. Then they transition to dry feed at a new facility. Mom will be bred again as soon as she comes into heat, which may happen as soon as seven days after these piglets are weaned. She’ll finish at 6 years of age.