The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: kate7590 on November 05, 2015, 10:03:01 pm
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Can pigs be kept behind stock fencing without using electric fencing? I don't like the idea of electric because of our little boy so want to stay away from it.
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They can. Need posts well driven in and netting tight. Many people run barbed wire along the bottom to stop the pigs from rooting up. Are you getting some weaners?
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you could also source some scaffold poles to secure along the bottom of your fencing. Got mine for nothing plus a couple of bucketsful of fixings!
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Hi. Yes we're thinking of getting 3 or 4 wearers next spring, but want to get things sorted in plenty of time.
I was thinking on doing stock fence and half rounds across the bottom so they can't push the wire up, and possibly a strip of barb (would rather stay away from it if we can however).
Also can we use just normal galv gates or can there be a risk of them lifting it up?
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Half rounds at the bottom or scaffold poles should work. I've got a single electric wire 10cm up around three sides of the pen and a single line of barbed wire on the forth, that was to avoid the 'won't cross the electric wire' syndrome and it is where the water is. Both work well. The electric is no big deal, they learn to respect it in minutes. Prior to putting up the electric wire/ barbed wire they were having a good old dig under so something is needed. For the gate, just ensure the two hinges are pointing in different directions so they can't push it up.
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For the gate, just ensure the two hinges are pointing in different directions so they can't push it up.
THIS! Still chuckle thinking about our first bossy sow who chased my OH and he escaped through the gate (hinges not in different directions!) thinking he was safe - one wrinkle of her snout and she was in pursuit again :roflanim:
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Gate hinges in opposite directions are a pain if you want to take the gate off the hinges for any reason. You can drill though the top one and put something through to stop it being lifted or my friend uses a jubilee clip and he keeps full grown sows and boars in with no bother. Make sure the bottom half of your gate is meshed or the gaps small enough so they can't squeeze though plus it is harder for them to get their noses in and lift.
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In my experience stock netting on it's own, while being fine for keeping pigs in, will be slowly destroyed by them over a period of time. They chew the posts and struts. They climb on the netting and loosen it. They dig under it. A line of electric around the inside will save you a lot of repair work in the long term. As for the gates a simple knotting on the top hinge with some bale twine will stop them flipping the gate off and can easily be removed if you need to take the gate off.