Hogs as Neighbors--Should I Be Worried?

Joshie · #21 09/14/14, 03:40 PM

'Tis all a part of property ownership. In town, you might get dirty, stinky, loud and obnoxious neighbors. You can end up with the same neighbors out in the boonies. I have always found it a bit humorous when I hear people say they want quiet country living. The country isn't quiet. The sounds are just different from those you hear in town.

Stinky poop is just part of country living and it doesn't take long before you can differentiate between horse, cattle and hog manure.

We used to live on 3-1/2 acres in the 'burbs. A little further out from town lies a small town that has, unfortunately, been developed into a bedroom community. All sorts of large homes on less than 1/2 acre were built on the outskirts of town for the city folk who yearned for quiet country living.

One of the developments butted up against a small farm. The city people didn't care much for the adjoining farm and the farm owner didn't care too much for them. The farm owner purchased two or three hogs for her grandchildrens' 4H projects. The city folk complained so much that the township annexed the farm. Since the farm became part of the town and the township refused to grandfather them in, the farm owner had to get rid of all her animals.

Livestock are a fact of life out in the boonies. If you have younger children and they don't maybe they'd let you use their hogs as 4H projects.

**highlands** · #22 09/14/14, 05:26 PM

The town could have, should have, would have lost in court. Right to farm laws are pretty prevalent and over rule the town.

unregistered353870 · #23 09/14/14, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highlands

The town could have, should have, would have lost in court. Right to farm laws are pretty prevalent and over rule the town.

True, but expensive to enforce especially if farming is just a hobby and not how you make your living.

arabian knight · #24 09/14/14, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highlands

The town could have, should have, would have lost in court. Right to farm laws are pretty prevalent and over rule the town.

Yes for sure There was a petition going around my area to stop this huge hog farm that is about to start. Only ONE person signed it. LOL
This is a very rural area.
The guy passing it around stopped here. I let him do his thing, and after he was done, I said "No Way Would I Sign it". The family that is managing the place are my landlords. LOL
The guy THOUGHT I owned this place nope, I have been renting from these people for the past 18 years~!
Just as he was going for his car I said I believe in Capitalism, if they own the land (which they do) and want to built this hog place so be it, this is farm country.
These folks also have a small daily operation 80 cows. And has been in the family for many years, in fact back in the 70's when I was working as a auto mechanic in our small town I used to work on my landlords dad's tractors.
SO I have know this family for years, as well as they have known my family as well. LOL

Skamp · #25 09/14/14, 06:19 PM

If you are worried enough to ask if you should be worried, membership in an HOA should quell your fears. They'll take care of everything.

ChristieAcres · #26 09/15/14, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddy

The house next door just sold to a family that has a handful of animals--including two hogs. I've never been around pigs or hogs and so I wasn't at all concerned until reading some articles tonight about pig farms and odors. . . Our properties are situated pretty close to one another, so now I'm a little worried. Should I be concerned?

What size is your neighbor's property? Pigs will do their business in one area, even if they are in a field. That area will be very smelly! How much of an area will the pigs be in? Is that area bordering your property? How big is your property? Is your property downwind of the area with the pigs?

badlander · #27 09/15/14, 07:33 AM

I would be more worried about the possibility of an increase in the number of flies than the 'perfume' that you would smell if the wind is blowing in the right direction. If you have livestock yourself that might not be a problem, but I remember several years ago going to a rural bicycle time trial and meeting at a fellow rider's farm. The rider raised pigs. It wasn't a huge production, but they were his major livestock and while I didn't notice the smell so much the flies were over the top. And it was a 'clean' farm. You couldn't sit in a lawn chair under a tree without being swarmed by the nasty things. Where there is poo there is going to be flies and where you have pigs you are going to have poo the same as with any livestock.

OP is rightfully concerned. His living space faces the potential of being invaded by some potentially unpleasant smells and infestations IF the new neighbor chooses not to be considerate of folks around him.

I would definitely make it a point to 'drop in' with a cake in hand as a welcome to the neighborhood present and get to know them and have an opportunity to check out the situation. Hopefully it's much to do about nothing but not knowing what you are facing is worse sometimes than knowing.

Good luck. Hopefully you will be able to get some fresh pork from them at least during butchering season!

**highlands** · #28 09/15/14, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristieAcres

Pigs will do their business in one area, even if they are in a field.

Not true. We pasture about 400 pigs and they spread their manure and urine fairly evenly over the pastures fertilizing the fields evenly. We've been doing it for over a decade. If you pen the pigs then they often do choose one spot but not out on rotational grazing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by badlander

I would be more worried about the possibility of an increase in the number of flies

The solution to flies is rotational grazing so the dung is not all in one area and chickens - flies are chicken food. Chickens in turn produce eggs without any need for grain or other commercial feed. We have 300 to 500 chickens for their organic pest control ability - we live uphill of a marsh and the chickens keep the fly population to a minimum. They dramatically suppress the flies within about a 1,000' radius. As a side benefit the hens produce tens of thousands of eggs. I don't raise them for the meat or the eggs but those eggs are a great benny for piglets where the nutritional leverages is the greatest. (Cook the eggs to double the available protein and solve the biotin antagonist issue.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by badlander

OP is rightfully concerned. His living space faces the potential of being invaded by some potentially unpleasant smells and infestations IF the new neighbor chooses not to be considerate of folks around him.

Over a couple of pigs? No. Non-issue. This is country, not urban.

Quote:

Originally Posted by badlander

I would definitely make it a point to 'drop in' with a cake in hand as a welcome to the neighborhood present and get to know them and have an opportunity to check out the situation. Hopefully it's much to do about nothing but not knowing what you are facing is worse sometimes than knowing.

Great idea, just go in non-judgmentally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by badlander

Hopefully you will be able to get some fresh pork from them at least during butchering season!

Just don't expect it as due.

ChristieAcres · #29 09/15/14, 05:26 PM

highlands, saw several pig farmers and all their fields had one area with manure. I expect it has to do with the size of the field, as these were not large fields, but just a few acres. Since pigs are smart, I figure they limit the area based on the size of the field. We raised 3 pigs and they never defecated in more than one area (one corner). Granted, it wasn't a very big area, but the OP said the property was close to theirs... I never saw a post saying what size of property, either, for either of the poster or the new neighbor.

We are on 5.1 acres, now, and I guarantee any one... Unless I was at the top of our property, the stench would bother me, if there were pigs next door (has to do with topography and wind direction...).

Jennifer L. · #30 09/15/14, 05:36 PM

If I had neighbors like that I'd ask them to raise a pig for me.

**highlands** · #31 09/16/14, 02:11 PM

Christie, if it stinks then something's being done wrong. If they're manuring all in one spot that means they're not getting rotationally grazed. What you describe instead are dry lotted or penned. Even free ranging in a big area is not as good.

FarmboyBill · #32 09/16/14, 06:17 PM

U say you got hogs for neighbors, Is this some of Boss Hoggs family lol.

maddy · #33 09/17/14, 11:21 AM

It's definitely not my intent to bring "city" expectations into the country. On the other hand, I don't equate country living with sloppy living--and there's plenty of that around here. On a small (5 acre) parcel, it's not really possible for neighbors to do whatever they please without having an impact on the guy next door. Hopefully the new people will be sensitive to that. I grow strawberries and am developing a U-pick operation. I don't think my venture would last long if the property smells like a bad arm pit.

TripleD · #34 09/17/14, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddy

It's definitely not my intent to bring "city" expectations into the country. On the other hand, I don't equate country living with sloppy living--and there's plenty of that around here. On a small (5 acre) parcel, it's not really possible for neighbors to do whatever they please without having an impact on the guy next door. Hopefully the new people will be sensitive to that. I grow strawberries and am developing a U-pick operation. I don't think my venture would last long if the property smells like a bad arm pit.

Maddy you dont say what type of soil you have or the distance to the 2 hogs. I have 4 sows ,a boar and a barrow not counting two litters of pigs.

My pen is less than a 100 yds from my back door but it is about 2 acres. In almost 4yrs I've caught a scent of it 3 times mostly after a hard rain. The only bad time I get that smell is if I have to go in the pen and get in my truck. I think you should be fine unless his pigs are on concrete.....