Pot belly mating

Question
I have two rescue pigs -- a female who is 2 1/2 and a male who is 5.  They mate all the time and I don't know if she is pregnant or not.  He will normally mate her several times a week.  She will release her urine and he will smell it like he's trying to figure something out and then mate her.   Can pigs mate while pregnant?  Is it possible that my female is infertile?  I know the male had several litters with his previous owner so I don't think he's the problem.  I don't necessarily want piglets but I just want to be prepared in the case that we do!

Answer
Gestation for pot-bellied pigs is three months, three weeks, and three days. Females can, and do, mate while pregnant and shortly after giving birth. Sometimes a female will develop a milk line a few days before delivery. Most females go into a nest building frenzy during the first stages of labor. Sometimes pigs hide their pregnancies so well the only clue is piglets!

Several times a week sounds like a really low number. Most intact boars are mating anything and everything all the time. I've seen boys play with a plastic bucket for hours on end.

I've never heard of a naturally infertile but otherwise healthy female pig. You mention she is a rescue, rescues often come with incomplete or inaccurate histories. She may have been spayed at a very young age, some vets will neuter females as young as 16 weeks.

If you don't want piglets, you'll need to get the boy neutered. He will be fertile for up to 30 days after the procedure. Be sure your vet uses anesthesia and will provide post-op pain meds. There's a list of vets that see pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org