The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Ann and Rob on January 13, 2013, 05:49:29 pm
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Advice Needed .....
Need to separate our weaners and 1 year old gilt so want to put up some electric fencing. What wire is the most effective? Plain or polywire and what is the best energizer to get for a 12 volt battery? Also do pigs respect electric fencing?
Ann and Rob
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The white (easier seen by the pigs than green) nylon tape with 2 or 3 strands of metal running through it (not 1 strand) is best.
We use energiser like this one:
http://www.farmcareuk.com/index.php?section=shop&action=prod&c=0&p=326 (http://www.farmcareuk.com/index.php?section=shop&action=prod&c=0&p=326)
It works very well. There are lots of topics on this forum already about the height of the strands etc to help you.
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We use poly-rope with 6 strands of stainless woven into it.
Pigs certainly do respect electric fencing - once they know about it - you have to train them, some people apply peanut butter to the strands to get them accostomed to the fence.
Choose a good quality energiser - not a cheap import, that way it will last for years.
I know an online store which has a good discount on all its energisers at the moment ;D
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Be aware that if they're not used to it pigs might charge through it the first time they get a shock. They are strong animals and can destroy your set up in seconds if this happens. It's best to train them using an electric fence within a physical barrier like stock fencing. Once trained to it it is a very effective means of keeping pigs where you want them. Go for a quality recognised make of energiser and it'll last you for years. Our Rutland has been in constant use for three years now without any problems.
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I always put up some meters of fencing tape and a couple of the blue posts inside their pen in the shed after weaning. They start chewing on the wire while I am still connecting it...or just run through.
Two days of noisy learning, then they are usually trained enough to go out in the field.
And there is only the electric fence, maybe a dyke or stockfence miles away.
And yes, Tape does get seen a lot easier by the piggies, specially when the bottom one of the two lines I put up for them, is tape. Also I find it easier to see from a distance if the fence is buried in turned over soil, than if it was just wire.
Plus, Tape seems a bit more elastic than wire or poly, when the wind or pigs get hold of it....
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On top of the 4 strands of polywire we used that sort of fencing you see on snow slopes (sorry don't know what you call it) that is either green or orange. We put it behind the electric and it worked a treat. We had a new set of weaners once, they hadn't been outdoors and completely freaked out in the paddock. They ran through the electric but then stopped at this net fencing stuff, stood still for bit, then ran through the fencing again back into the paddock.
Having said this, if you are separating a sow from her litter (is this the case?) I don't think this would be enough. I would be concerned whether the sound of the little ones squealing onto electric or otherwise might just be enough to send Mum charging over.
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Very much the same as Mrs S - put the tape up in a smaller, contained area for a couple of days, they should then be ok with just a couple of strands. We use horse-tape too - much easier for them & us to see.
:love: :pig: :love: