[Hamdy]

Hi there,

I am new to site and I want to get two pigs. Below are my questions:

1 - Are there any laws/regulations regarding keeping pigs in a garden? Are my neighbours likely to get upset?

2 - How big does their pen need to be?

3 - How old are my pigs likely to be when they go to slaughter?

4 - What type of fencing is best to keep them safely in their enclosure?

I think thats it so far and thank you all in advance for your responses.

[Tweedle]

Hello and welcome! This site is defiantly the best place to get info on almost everything.  Keeping pigs is awesome we have been for a couple years and this year had our first go at breeding them. I’m sure you will get a bunch of great info but here is my take on your questions.

1) Laws vary greatly from country to country and area to area so that’s hard to tell. Here in the state's you can check with a local extension office and they will be more than helpful with that info (not sure where you are, but somebody on here would know more about you area).  As far as keeping them in a garden..... If it is a garden you are going to use in the future that is a great idea they will till the whole thing up and fertilize it for you! Just don't expect to be able to use it that year for a garden. If they have enough room, and are well taken after, they don't smell bad so your neighbors shouldn’t be upset about that. It is a good idea not to put them on your property line though...  setting them back from your neighbors a hundred yards or so is a good idea IMHO. (Just remember out of sight out of mind)

2) We give our girls an outside area that is about 100 sq ft each and an inside area of about 25 sqft each. They really only need a 3 1/2 sided hut to keep them out of the elements but we built them into the backside of the barn.  Just make sure they have plenty of hay or straw or shavings to sleep with. I'm not sure the "minimum" size is but the more room they have the happier they will be.

3) There age at slaughter is a tough call, it has a lot to do with the breed of pig you decide to raise. We raise mixed breeds so they are around 7-8 months old when we send them to butcher. What breed do you want to raise?

4) Fencing is very important, and I'm sure everyone here uses something different. We use welded wire fence 48 inches tall buried 8 inches in the ground with heavy duty steel t-posts every 5 ft.  And on the back side a barn...

Anything else you want to know post it in here there are a lot of very helpful people on here !

[garden cottage]

Rural Payments Agency - (RPA) Whether you choose to keep a single animal as a pet or operate a commercial enterprise you must register both your own and your land details to obtain an Agricultural Holding or CPH number.

The issue of a CPH number as it is known confers no rights onto its holder and is purely for administration purposes, making tracing of livestock owners easier in event of disease outbreak. Your holding number is your passport through a number of departments, by passing your CPH number they will have immediate access to your details, hopefully making things easier.

To obtain a holding number contact the RPA on the helpline 0845 6037777 and ask to be issued with an agricultural holding number. They will take a few details and within a couple of days you should be issued with your new holding number.

Trading Standards - (TS) Trading Standards are responsible for the administration of Animal Movement Licenses, in conjunction with the SVS. They will issue you with a general license to allow transportation of your livestock, and blank movement licenses for completion on the day of travel. These should be used whenever livestock are moved between holdings, to market or

[garden cottage]

check old postings on pig questions think most of them are covered there.............neil