pallet fenceing

vinylfloorguy · #1 09/30/09, 06:49 AM

I have 2 feeder pigs coming in a couple of weeks and I am running a little short on cash to buy hog panels to finish off my pen. I have access to a lot of pallets and so I thought I would stand them on end and hook them together to finish the pen. Is this a viable alternitive or will the pigs just look at this once and go right through?

Roddy · #2 09/30/09, 07:09 AM

What size are the pallets?

When I was younger my family had a small hog operation and alot of our pens were made out of the bigger/longer pallets...say six feet long by five tall ( I don't remember the exact measurements).

And then we would use the smaller pallets (probably the size that most everyone thinks about when you say pallets...4X3 maybe) as gates.

It worked great for the most part. The only problem was that since the main fence pallets were of the larger size the slat boards were spaced further apart....just far enough apart for a feeder sized hog to get their head into but not wide enough to get it back out. Maybe once a month we had a rescue a squealing hog from the head trap...No injuries were ever had.

But other than that it worked great....no escapes and the pallets we used were pretty resistant. Other than a boar trying to get to a sow in heat we never really had any issues with hogs trying to escape.

Not sure what luck you would have if you strung up alot of the smaller pallets...I would assume it would work but the weak spots would be at the pallet joints so just plan accordingly.

Roddy

paulaswolfpack · #3 09/30/09, 07:12 AM

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/sawyer69.html

http://summerville-novascotia.com/PalletFence/

http://www.ehow.com/way_5318251_idea...d-pallets.html

http://lifehackery.com/2008/06/04/12...ooden-pallets/

http://www.tinypallethouse.com/2008/...-pallet-floor/

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009...=TH_sbr_design

http://www.diylife.com/2007/07/16/pr...osing-pallets/

I do not know if the pigs will go right through the fence,but here are a few sites that might help you build it stronger.

nomad7inwi · #4 09/30/09, 07:14 AM

We've had pallet fencing for our hogs about 2 years. It has the same problems as panels. rooting around it, loosening t-posts, etc. I'd use it again. Ours is fencing 5 sows ans a mellow boar.

wwubben · #5 09/30/09, 07:18 AM

An electric fence around the inside of the fence would help.

snoozy · #6 09/30/09, 08:23 AM

IT really depends on the pigs. I used pallet fencing for two batches of pigs, and the first batch broke out once when they had not gotten fed (a misunderstanding about who was going to do it that morning and then I was gone all day). They came right back when I saw them in the road and called them. In other words, they only broke out because they were hungry.

The second batch wandered out when a back panel of their hut rotted away. The pallets had gotten old. Not the pigs' fault, and they wouldn't have gotten out if I had known the back panel was so deteriorated and had taken care of the problem.

So it has lasted 4-5 years, even in our soggy NW climate. Most of the fence is still fine, but I will do all new pallets again next time I keep pigs.

As long as they're well fed, they are too lazy to bother getting out. That said, maybe I have just been lucky. I know there are escape artist pigs out there, I have just been fortunate so far. But escape artist pigs can give any kind of fence a run for its money. Nice thing about pallets is they don't cost anything!

wy_white_wolf · #7 09/30/09, 08:40 AM

As Snozzy pointed out, pallets will keep the pigs in as long as they wish to stay in the pen. Size of the pen will matter a lot on this. Too small and they will not want to stay there. You will also need to supply an area for them to rut as they get bigger. Hopefully it will be somwhere away from the pallets (or any fencing) so they don't dig themselves out.

homesteadmama · #8 09/30/09, 09:38 AM

I have used pallets successfully for all types of animal fencing. Years ago I read an article about laying the same size pallets on the ground side by side--attaching a 2X4 along the top and bottom then use as fencing panels..it has worked perfectly for me. When I made a corral I secured the panels to cemented in the ground 4X4's that were a foot taller than the actual panel, then secured two by 4's along the top to make it higher. That worked great for our dairy cows for 4 years until we moved. I am all for pallets in any way you can use them!!

AJ Williams · #9 09/30/09, 09:47 AM

Worked out fine for us! The pallets were still in good shape with a little weathering. I will use them again. The pork tastes awesome.

vinylfloorguy · #10 10/01/09, 06:43 AM

Thanks for the comments, I went ahead and stared the fence by putting the slats vertical so that it reduces the places a pig can get its nose under.

farmerbrian · #11 10/01/09, 11:45 AM

I've built compost bins and some basement shelving with Pallets. It works well enough but nailing/screwing into some pallet wood is like driving into solid iron!

So my big question for pallet fencing is how to secure the pallets to eachother and the poles. Is pre-drilling with screws the only way?

vinylfloorguy · #12 10/02/09, 06:42 AM

around here they are cutting down our cottenwood groves to make pallets.very soft wood. so far have only a few hardwood ones but I had no problems using screws on them.

homesteadmama · #13 10/02/09, 10:19 AM

I have always had enough to choose from that if I could not get the screw or the nail to go in, I would just use another one. The ones I could not use for nails I would use hooked together with bailing wire or twine for compost bins, or as a last resort would take the chainsaw and make firewood!