Fencing Pigs

TOOYOUNGTODIE

Hi

I recently bought (early 2010) 5 acres in Meath with a view to building a house on the lands, but we have put that off now for at least 6 months. Have planning just waiting on money etc.

I am from a farming family and live near the lands so I have decided I'd love to keep a few pigs as I'm not leasing the lands this year. last year it was sown with maize and there is a load of maize on the ground. perfect for pigs.

My idea is to get two tamworths about 10 weeks old. I have no running water or elec on site so I would be carting water in daily, I have no problem with this.
I was proposing to get builders 3.5m X 2m fencing panels and do a run 10.5meters wide by 24.5meters long. I was going to sink fencing posts at each join in the fencing to make it strong and I plan to move the fencing every 3 weeks or so. I have a calf hutch that will be housing.

My dad thinks i'm mad using the fencing panels and that I should just use fencing posts and sheepwire. I think it will be very difficult moving the fencing every few weeks and I'd like the pigs to turn a lot of the soil before I reseed in spring.

any ideas for secure fencing I have not thought of. My main worry with battery powered fencing is if it breaks I'm in **** as the field is on a main road. or do you see any flaws in my idea. applying for pig number today

Do i need insurance also.

all advice appreciated.

CJhaughey

I don't think the fencing will hold them, they will dig under it and lift it.
Don't underestimate the power pigs have.
I would get pigs that are socialized and are trained to an electric fence.
Use a good battery fencer with 3 lines of polysteel on the white plastic standards and you will find it easy to move when you want to shift them.

LK_Dave

Why don't you just sheep fence the entire five acres and give them the run of the whole lot? I can't see them staying in the way you are suggesting

TOOYOUNGTODIE

The whole lot is fenced with sheep wire and barbed wire. I'm just paranoid about them getting out in front of a car.

I have never had more that two or three days working on commercial pigs farms so I am probably underestimating them. If i had to go for the electric fence would I need a secure fence around it or will it be enough. any brands or suppliers I should be going to. I'm close to alfco in trim but they are very expensive.

Mothman

CJhaughey wrote: »

I don't think the fencing will hold them, they will dig under it and lift it.
Don't underestimate the power pigs have.

Indeed, and tamworths are the greatest escapees

LK_Dave wrote: »

Why don't you just sheep fence the entire five acres and give them the run of the whole lot? I can't see them staying in the way you are suggesting

TOOYOUNGTODIE wrote: »

The whole lot is fenced with sheep wire and barbed wire. I'm just paranoid about them getting out in front of a car.

An extra strand of barbed along the bottom deters from digging under. Providing the posts are in good order and its not the weakest of sheep wire, this may be pig proof

Use electric to subdivide. It needs checking daily because the pigs can bury the wire with their shoveling.

As CJ mentioned, the pig needs training for the electric. I put in a small permanent pen for this and to restrain them for loading.
When pigs get shocked by fence they're just as likely to jump forward through the fence, and they're gone

When I was inspected, the inspector was quite particular about them having water. I see no problem with manually bringing the water, but the inspector may need reassurance.

O.A.P

We kept pigs years ago when I was a child and I can remember one of my grandfathers sayings "if they can get their snout in it they will go out in it"
I can remember been afraid of the sow too

eatmedrinkme

I haven't kept pigs, but the reading I've domne suggests, if you are using sheep fencing, place an electric strand at the bottom to avoid them rooting it up. Tamworths, according to the owners society, are farily ferocious rooters, and the books say they will m

eatmedrinkme

Sorry, where was I....Tamworths, apparently, will make short work of sheep fencing if no electric wire is fitted.

I've been looking up mains energisers, and found these two, at a decent price from the UK.

This one for 101 sterling, and this one, more powerful, for a little more.

Curious what people think about the energisers ( they are both good for about 20k of vegetation free fencing, apparently).

Also, apparently, if the pigs are not electric fence trained, setting up an electric fence inside a secure area, for example, a stone walled paddock, until they learn to respect the wire, is a good idea.

Might just spring for two Gloucester Old Spots soon myself.

eatmedrinkme

Anyone know how powerful an energiser needs to be to burn off vegetation?

fodda

www.grow-your-own.ie/electric_fence.html the one in this set up is 7.2 joules giving out over 6000 volts.

The hairier the animal the more power you need to get the shock through. If i were keeping pigs i would only use a mains energiser.

Why dont you make a timber fence out of 9"x2" with 4" gaps and just stick an electric wire near the bottom and on the top. This way the pigs will keep away from the fence completely and it is a physical barrier aswell. Creosote the wood and they wont chew it or try to either.

TOOYOUNGTODIE

Ok so I bit the bullet, thansk for the advice.

I have a neigbour adjoing the land and they are letting me run an energiser from their garage.

I'm going to fence off with sheep wire with two strands of barb wire at 6" off the ground and 18" off the ground, inside that I will have three strands of electric fence. The space will be 25m X 7.5m and I will be able to move the fencing when I need to. Thank feck for the post driver! I got my hands on a calf hutch, I also cut a plastic barrel in two- one for feed, the one for water I have mounted in in a mild steel frame. i have another 55l barrell which I am going to make a frame for and run a pipe on a ball cock to the smaller half barrell. should give plenty of water for two pigs I hope.

How long before i'm inspected I applied yesterday for pig number, I hope to have all fencing done and ready to go by sunday evening. The pig breeder tells me the ones I'm getting are trained to the wire.

is there anything I have not thought of.

Mothman

The feed and water troughs, the pigs will quite happily turn them over for fun and get into them.
If the calf hutch has no floor then consider putting in a wooden floor. This will then be dry and warmer than the ground. My pigs loved straw for bedding. They buried themselves in it

I think I was inspected quite soon (a week or 2) after applying.

lar203

Im keeping pigs for the frist time this year and i love it. i have built them a pig sty and feed them twice a day but i never got a herd number . when i got them 3 months ago the guy i got them off never said anything about it . Its only now a friend of my was down and explained id need one ,does anyone know what im faceing when i ring about it

bbam

lar203 wrote: »

Im keeping pigs for the frist time this year and i love it. i have built them a pig sty and feed them twice a day but i never got a herd number . when i got them 3 months ago the guy i got them off never said anything about it . Its only now a friend of my was down and explained id need one ,does anyone know what im faceing when i ring about it

Ring and get them out.
We had two pigs when we were inspected and had no bother. They were happy we were getting the number.

lar203

Thanks for that im 35yers old and i haven't even got a parking ticket .i hate breaking the rules
what do u feed yourz ,i have mine on spudsand
barley with a bit of pig feed

PhotogTom

Two items here -
I kept lots of pigs, many dozens over the years. All with sheep wire ( to slow them down! ) and one strand of mains electric at "snout" level. Never had an escape. If they have food, water and shelter - why would they go anywhere? Just need to check the wire often and reposition if they've pushed the earth up and shorted it.
Re inspection - as soon as they saw it was small scale they had no issues. Just a warning not to fee restaurant scraps.
Saying that we made a twice weekly run by the local greengrocers and collected any spoiled, waste, etc.

PhotogTom

Sorry also meant to say white posts and tape never worked for me. Maybe I didn't "train" them right. As someone else said they would go forward as easily as backward.