New Life at RCF: Caring for Our Piglets

Here a Piglet, There a Piglet

This week is a special one here at Ros Cole Farms in beautiful Palawan. We have two of our sows due to give birth, and as I write this—right now—one of them is in the middle of labor. So far, she’s given us four tiny piglets, squirming and squealing as they adjust to life outside the womb. We're hopeful she’ll deliver a total of 10 to 12 healthy piglets, and we're doing everything we can to make sure both mother and babies are safe and cared for.

Moments like these—watching new life enter the world—remind me of the heart and soul behind farming. It’s messy, exhausting, and sometimes unpredictable, but it's also deeply rewarding.

Preparing for Farrowing

Last week was all about getting ready. We moved both sows to their farrowing pens several days before their due dates to help them settle in. Their pens were cleaned thoroughly, disinfected, and lined with fresh straw and coconut fiber for nesting—natural, local materials that work well in our tropical climate. We’ve found that letting the sows root around and build their own nests helps them feel more secure before giving birth.

Each sow’s health was monitored closely—we kept their diet fiber-rich and made sure they were hydrated and calm. We even played soft background sounds during the day to ease stress. Little things like that make a difference.

Piglets Arriving

As the piglets arrive, we're right there with them. We make sure each one is breathing properly, clean off the afterbirth, and gently dry them with towels. It may sound clinical, but honestly, it’s more like a delicate dance between urgency and care. Each squeak from a newborn is a sign of life, and it never gets old.

Palawan’s weather can be unpredictable, so even though it's warm, we still use a heat lamp in the farrowing area to prevent chilling—especially for piglets who are born late at night or in a sudden downpour. The sow has her space, but we also guide the piglets to a safe, warm corner where she can’t accidentally crush them when lying down.

First Hours and Days Matter

We pay special attention to making sure each piglet nurses early and gets colostrum—that first milk that’s packed with immunity. It’s often a bit of a scramble: helping the smaller ones latch, moving the bigger ones to the side, sometimes even doing a bit of split-suckling to give the weaker ones a fighting chance.

Iron shots, umbilical care, and identifying each piglet are all part of the plan over the next few days. And yes, we’ll probably end up naming one or two—we always do.

Looking Ahead

The second sow is due any day now. Once this first litter is stable, we’ll shift our attention to her. Farrowing two sows in the same week is no joke, but it’s also an opportunity. With every litter, we improve—our setup gets more efficient, our instincts sharper, our hearts a little more full.

Farming in Palawan comes with its own challenges—humidity, typhoons, power cuts—but it also brings unmatched rewards. There’s something sacred about raising animals with care and intention, especially when you know the community around you benefits from your hard work.

Thanks for following along on this little window into life at Ros Cole Farms. We’ll post an update once all the piglets have arrived. Fingers crossed for two healthy litters—and maybe a little sleep in between.

🐷💚

— From the pigpen (literally),

Ros Cole Farms, Palawan