[saint]

Having spent months researching and then deciding on using 4 strands of galvanised electric wire to keep my weaners in their alloted space  (in rotation in our vegetable field) - the first weaner I put out into their new field wriggled through the electric fence and dissapeared down the field into the potato field! A good deal of chasing later I had retrieved him and put him back in the trailer where he remains with his friend (plus food and water) until I can learn how to deal with the issue. Please help!

The pigs have been reared elsewhere in a small pen with a sheep hurdle type fence around - non electrified. My pig pen is 20m x 40m surrounded by 4 strands of galvanised electric wire which is giving over 7,000 volts from a mains unit. The piglet happily trotted about in his new paddock and then just wriggled through the wire, getting a belt from it in the process, and carried on going.

I am reluctant to let the piglets out in the field until I have had some advice from someone who knows.
What can I do to train my piglets not to go through the electric fence??

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

[gavo]

Hello,

Make sure the wire is tight so it doesn't give as the piglet tries to wriggle under and try lowering the fence (although be careful not to short it out). You could also try making sure (for the training period) that the ground underneath the fence line is damp so the little one is well and truly earthed if he touches the fence.

[Hilarysmum]

For what its worth as they grow they dont seem to take the belt from the fence so well. 

Is it possible to make a smaller pen inside the large one.  On the outside of the fence have a barrier they cant see through, we use corrugated tin, but straw bales or wood or anything that comes to had.  Let them out in this for a few days.  Once they get a few belts from the fence, and can only run backwards they will quickly adapt to the fence.  In my experience at least.

[Sudanpan]

Our 4 weaners came from a smallholding that had non-electric stock fencing - when they came to us we had arranged the pig paddock with 2 strands of electric tape (1.75 inch) one at about 9 inches off the ground and the next one at about 15 inches. Outside the electric fence we created another temporary fence using sheep netting - not electrified. The idea being that the weaners get the belt from the tape and because of the additional fence on the other side of the fence their choice of 'forward or back' becomes only a choice to go back.

It seems to have worked -I only witnessed one of the weaners getting a shock but after 2 days all 4 of them have a healthy respect for the tape and won't go within 6 inches of it. We took the temporary fencing away after 10 days.

As they have grown we have dispensed with the 1st strand and only have the strand at 15 inches.
Good luck!     

[saint]

Thanks for the help on this. Will put into practice your advice tomorrow.