Couple of More Questions

[JHuff8181]

Since I am going to be using an electric fence for my pin do I have to use hog panels or can I use rolled, welded wire fencing?

Thanks Again

[HeritagePigs]

Tight field fence and t-posts are fine. Field fence is better than welded wire since it can be made taut. Hogs can bend welded wire and squeeze under it. If you must use welded wire tie some heavy poles (old metal water well pipe is what I use) to weigh down the bottom of the wire.

Another trick I am going to use along one welded wire fence is to pile lots of rocks along the bottom. Seems I have lots of rocks...

[Lionrose]

Maybe I’m just lucky, but all I have mine behind is two strands of electric wire. One about 8-10 inches off the ground and the other about a foot or so above the first one. I made the pen in a corner of the pasture so it has field fencing on two sides with the hot wire in front of it, but just the two strains of hot wire on the other two sides. Its all they have ever been behind. Is what I put them in when I first brought home the first two little gilts. I keep a full grown boar behind the same for nearly a year till I was finished with his services. His pen was next to the other pen with field fencing on only one side with the hot wire ran in front of it, with just the two strands of hot wire on the other three sides.

Even when the hot wire is off they don’t test it. When I take the hot wire down between the two pens it takes them a while to go past the point where it was. They get so close to it too, I swear there touching it (and have to wonder if its working at all), but there not, they know exactly where it is.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky, don’t know, but I can’t justify the cost of hog panels or fencing when the two strands of hot wire hold them just fine. Just my peon opinion, it don’t mean much lol.

D

[Rogo]

=== Maybe I’m just lucky, :shrug: but all I have mine behind is two strands of electric wire. ===


I've been even more lucky since I've yet to see a need for any electric wire.

The pigs, along with other livestock, roam free within the perimeter fence.

[cooper101]

If you spend some time getting them to learn where it is and what it is, you can probably just start them with just the electric. The trick is that they know where it is. They don't see well and if you put them in it and they run scared, they'll blow right through it. I started mine in a small pen with hog panels and electric and then moved them out once they were comfortable here and I could walk them around the perimeter of the big pen that's only electric. They will go right up to it to where I brace myself for the squeal, but they rarely touch it. If you use welded wire and put the electric a few inches inside and a few inches high, they won't be able to get to the bottom of the fence to dig it up. Works great. The welded wire makes a good physical barrier for that first day before they learn what the electric is. I had 2 piglets that couldn't quite figure it out and were running back and forth between the electric and the hog panel and were getting shocked the whole time. I'd pluck them out and they'd go right back in. Then they learned.