Teeth clipping is only allowed in order to prevent the piglets injuring the mothers teats, so it isn’t routine surgery. Teath must stay intact, opening the pulpa can cause bacterial infections. X15 and his siblings are spared with these surgeries.

Only vets are allowed to dock tails and they are supposed to use anaesthetics and painkilling drugs.

After castration they receive an injection behind the ear to supply them with iron. They need iron for the composition of hemoglobin (red blood pigment), myoglobin (red pigment of the muscles) and ferreous enzymes. The increased requirements for iron are due to blood and muscle building in the first few weeks of life.

Now the piglet-service for X15 and his siblings is finished.

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The usable floor space that each pig should have in group housing is set out clearly in the animal welfare act. For groups of up to 5 pigs, young sows must have 1.85 m² and older sows must have 2.5 m². For bigger groups of over 40 pigs there is a gradual reduction of these measurements by up to 20%.

When keeping the expectant mothers separate, the minimum space allowed is 1 m².

One week before the due date, the mother of X15 is removed to give birth. There she stays during the suckling-period until weaning.
Weaning means to take the piglets from their mother.
The farrowing crates must be designed for unhindered nursing of the piglets. In most of these boxes the mother is caged in a farrowing crate.
Behind the farrowing crate must be enough floorage to support an independent or assisted birthing.
Furthermore it has to be designed to prevent the piglets from injury while suckling or approaching the mother.
The minimum floor space for farrowing crates is 4 – 5 m² per sow depending on her body weight.

The number of piglets averages to 10 per birth. The first indications for the forthcoming birth are changes in the vulva-area of the dam
which show up approximately one week before giving birth.
The area around the vulva shows a doughy (= edematous) swelling. Approximately 6 hours before giving birth to the first piglet the mother begins to lactate.
24 hours before the birthing the mother starts to be unsettled.
She changes her position frequently and starts with nest-building-behaviour. About one hour before birthing the mother lies down.

The birth of X15 begins on 26th June 2009 at 7:15 a.m. X15 is the third-born. His body-weight is 1.530 gram. He starts his first attempt at walking directly after birth.
First of all he has to get rid of the unbilical cord,
which divulses near to the placenta. Afterwards he begins to explore the surroundings.

The mother of X15 tries to keep the piglets within eyeshot – as far as the circumstances allow her to. While the sow is giving birth,
the carer should be present to be able to give assistance incase of complications or rather to inform the vet. It is important that every piglet is provided with colostrum as fast as possible. Colostrum is a secretion which is produced by the mammary glands directly after giving birth, which contents high protein, vitamin, mineral nutrients and leukocytes. The absortion of immunoglobolines from the colostrum is of utmost importance for a passive immunization of the piglets. Also important is the occurence of antibodies against barn-specific infectious agents.

For X15 and his siblings the serious side of life begins already tomorrow.

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Then they are artificially inseminated with boars’ sperm.

To maximize fertilization taking place, sows are often arificially inseminated twice within a 12 hour period. A breeding sow can become pregnant approximately twice a year, so X15 will be born after a pregnancy of around 114 days into a completely sterile environment. He or she will be separated from the mother after three weeks, a time where naturally piglets still suckle.

X15 will live in this unit until he or she reaches the rearing weight of 110 kg.

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