DierenPark Amersfoort welcomes seven Bonte Bentheimer piglets. Mother Liv has given birth to her first litter. “It is always exciting how the delivery goes and how Liv reacts to her new offspring,” says animal caretaker Marc Belt. “Everything seems to be going well. The youngsters are drinking well and carefully taking their first steps.”
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The gestation period of the “Variegated Bentheimer pig” is usually exactly three months, three weeks and three days. Because it is her first pregnancy, Liv will be closely monitored in the coming period to see if she is producing enough milk and if her maternal instincts are doing their job well. “For now, there is no reason for concern. It looks like a born mother”, Marc notes. To give Liv and her boy enough rest, they are temporarily set aside, separated from the other pig.
The piglets will drink from their mother for the next three weeks, after which they will partly switch to solid food: piglet pellets. “These gentle giants are not picky about what they eat. They like almost everything”, Marc knows. “But as caretakers we pay close attention to what they ingest, so that the piglets grow up healthy and strong.” They are adults after a year. Marc: “Next week the black-spotted piglets will most likely be outside for a while, but they will stay indoors for the next few days.” The indoor accommodation on the Boerenerf in ‘DierenPark Amersfoort’ is open to those who want to admire the piglets.
