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Author Topic: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn  (Read 3530 times)

David!

  • Joined Jul 2014
Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« on: September 21, 2015, 02:37:44 pm »
Hi, we are looking to breed a couple of our sows (probably artificially) and it is our first time doing so. That in itself leads to loads of questions but that's for elsewhere. We have a nice big concrete barn and i'd like to create a safe inside space for them during this period and post piglet. I'd like this ideally to be temporary in nature so we can remove it again later.

This must be very common but I'm at a loss to find anything obvious on google...so I must be searching for the wrong thing!

I'd be very grateful if people could point me in the right direction.

Thanks :pig:

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2015, 06:17:19 pm »
Whatever you end up using it will need to be robust and strong. A large sow with an itch can move or destroy pretty much anything. Plus they can sometimes get a bit irritable prior to farrowing and wilfully take things apart.

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2015, 06:41:07 pm »
a temporary fence would need to be very strong if not electrified as pigs have amazing strength.

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2015, 10:17:52 pm »
You can buy steel gate posts which bolt into concrete floors (google Coventry for fencing and you should find them on there)
I'd pick a corner of your shed and use the walls for sides and hanging gates with a post on the other corner. Make sure one of the hinges can be reversed or drilled to save the sow lifting the gate out the way. It's also worth having a solid sided gate, or mesh to stop her getting leverage and also to keep the piglets contained when they do arrive.
Have your pigs had litters before? If not, I'd definitely say use a boar first time round - they're way better at it than you are  ;) It doesn't matter if it's not the 'right' breed first time round, you can AI for that in future  :thumbsup: (just my personal expensive experience)  :innocent:
HTH

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2015, 08:25:10 am »
That sounds like a plan to me. If you've got a couple of gates about the place you could use all the better.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2015, 07:47:59 pm »
I agree the stronger the better.  You'll also need a creep area for the piglets, with power for a heat lamp, and a constant water supply - lactating sows drink a huge amount of water.  Also remember that newborn piglets are very small and quite capable of getting under or through a 15cm gap without really trying. 

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2015, 08:13:02 pm »
Have to disagree about the creep area and heatlamp. All of our sows farrow outside in their arks and have never had a heatlamp. Pigs are hardy outdoor animals that know how to keep their litter warm. I don't think it's natural to encourage the litter away from the sow when they need to be bonding.

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2015, 12:15:13 am »
Have to disagree about the creep area and heatlamp. All of our sows farrow outside in their arks and have never had a heatlamp. Pigs are hardy outdoor animals that know how to keep their litter warm. I don't think it's natural to encourage the litter away from the sow when they need to be bonding.
I'm afraid I have to disagree  :innocent:
The first 48 hours are the riskiest for the piglets in terms of getting squashed in my experience. Having the lamp and creep encourages them to it, rather than mum, when they're not feeding. I honestly don't think it affects bonding in the long term and I couldn't even contemplate a farrowing in Scotland in January without one. Coming out of a nice warm (40c) sows womb into sub zero temperatures is just way too much of a shock to their systems (especially for kk piglets which maybe only weigh a pound at birth) But I think it's great that yours manage so well Hughesy, each to their own. I just don't want to try it myself  ;)

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2015, 09:03:37 am »
We used those bolt into the floor post holders to make a cow byre in a building but we secured the posts from floor to roof joists which made them strong enough to resist Dexters with itchy bottoms. We railed the posts and used sliding rails for access rather than hanging the weight of a gate. You could net the rails to make them pig proof or boarding would be better as HH says. It will keep out the cold winds.


Have a look in the screwfix catalog for the screw bolts etc. They sell lots of pig / livestock gear and offer next day delivery.  I have also used the strong, heavy type of 4ft galvanised hurdles for gates but hung so they cant be lifted off. Much of this really depends on just how big and bolchi your pig is but better to be safe than sorry.


Another idea is, depending which building you are putting her in and what else is stored there you might be able to use things like farm machinery or Heston bales etc to add strength to your pen and prevent her breaking through.


You do realise that you will go to all sorts of lengths to create fort knox and she will behave like a pussy cat just to spite you.... :eyelashes:  But thats us girls for you  :innocent: [size=78%] [/size]
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shotblastuk

  • Joined May 2013
  • Proper Gloucestershire !!
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2015, 08:05:24 pm »
Had a similar scenario. Ended up building a couple of pens out of scaffolding tubes and clips. Worked a treat even with alot of rubbing and scratching. You may be able to hire some tubes and clips off of a local scaffolding firm they usually have bits and bobs hanging about.

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2015, 07:41:33 am »
My friend bought scaffolding posts for her livestock pens and has some huge Herefords in them. They work really well Shotblast as you say.

Azzdodd

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Pig fencing for farrowing inside a barn
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2015, 08:49:37 pm »
Mine get a 14 X 14 ark 2 bails of straw an there natural instinct's so far 8 litters 1 weaner lost (born with deformity) they know how to look after piglets better then us

 

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