[graham-j]

Hi,I have been approached buy a neibour,he has just bout the wood the other side of him.The wood has been badly neglected,is in a state of decay,with really thick undergrowth a lot of which is Ivy.He has asked me if I would like to put some pigs in there with a view to clearing the undergrowth.Any thought or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Graham.

[shygirl]

iv kept pigs in woods before but we didnt have ivy. you would have to see what poisonous plants are there before you turn them loose.

[Tamsaddle]

We've put pigs in woods thick with ivy and they gobbled it all up, didn't seem to do them any harm at all.   The only plant that really worried me was yew and its pretty red berries, but they seemed to avoid eating that completely.    I reckon pigs have an inbuilt knowledge of what to eat and what to avoid.   They are definitely not like horses who munch away at poisonous ragwort given the chance.

[Berkshire Boy]

Go for it.
 It is the most natural place for pigs and as Tamsaddle says they have an inbuilt knowledge of what they can and can't eat. Mine go into neighbours woods to clear and have never had any problems, they will love it.

[graham-j]

The wood is about 2.5 aceres and fenced on 3 sides.I was thinking of erecting a electric fence to keep them in one area at a time any thoughts on this or fencing please.
Will it be OK to put them in there right from weeners.

Thanks Graham.

[MAK]

yes - go for it.  A chap on our local market shows customers photos of his pigs kept in the woods and always has a queue of people buying pork, ham and his charcuterie.
We would love to let our pigs roam the woods. There are 2 nice sized woods ( mainly sweet chestnut) on our door step but they are unfenced and the hunt has free access.Another concern is the wild boar that roam the area ( the hunt got 3 of them last month).

I guess a water may be an issue.

[Berkshire Boy]

Yes just section it off with electric fence and move it when they have finished. They will be fine as weaners and will have a great time in there. You will still need to feed them as usual because they won't get a balanced diet from clearing weeds etc.

[graham-j]

Hi thanks was looking to feed them as normal.Have you any advice on electric fencing wire heights etc.What sort of size area should I look to fence off.I was going to put 3 or 4 in there.

Thanks Graham.

[Marches Farmer]

Unlimited green and woody material can impact in the gut of weaners - slow and painful death.  Strip grazing and clearing out the worst of the woody material would help avoid this.

[graham-j]

I don't think this is going to be a goer,its in the opposite diretion to my fields from my house,this will add a lot more mileage twice a day + the cost of yet more electric fencing.The risk of too much greenery on top.