Well, I took down my pig pen of 2 years yesterday. I have decided to build a bigger and better pen. Besides, it was too close to the house. The old pen was 16x16 using 4 ft hog panels. It worked good the first year. Those 2 pigs were pretty docile. But this year, I had a "Jumper". That sucker would work itself into a frenzy and jump up and over that 4 ft fence like it was nothing. Well, I called my neighbor up and he brought over some 6 foot cattle panels. They did the trick. So next year, I'm going to GEBO'S and I'm gonne get some 5 ft hog panels. If the next 2 pigs jump over that, I'm not gonna be happy. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the challenge. Also thinking about fencing off a larger area and feeding out a cow. I'd love to cut my own steaks out of a 1000 lb beast, and you wouldn't have to worry about Mad cow disease.
My 450 pound sows jump framed 3ft, hog panels. I nailed 2 x 4's one foot above the frames and have kept them in successfully. The pen they're in is 24' x 54'. It was costly to make and find ut they could get out but such is life. They only jumped when they went into heat though- I have a boar on the other side of the property, but he is a razorback and I keep them separated from the domestics. Don't know if you're just feeding out or will breed, but a problem with hog panels is that the little ones squeeze right through- they jump up to the larger holes and out they go. Nailing 1 x6 on the lower third keeps them in. Best wishes. I don't thik we can do a steer. A market hog was the biggest for us and it took a loooong time.
Aren't they fun sometimes! Luckily I haven't had any escape artists in the last few years. One year I had a litter that kept climbing out and they'd head straight for the dog's dish. They would grab a bite of dog food and run was fast as they could back to the pen. We got such a kick out of watching them. Tango, you're right, they can squeeze through those holes in a hog panel. :haha: Snuffy, if you start cutting your own beef steaks, I want invited to the cookout! :haha:
Well,I wasn't expecting to worry about jumping pigs,lol!! And my husband had just mentioned hog panels,so I'm glad I saw this thread. We have finally escape proofed the goat lots (they don't like my new heavy duty fence charger)..now I get to ponder jumping pigs. This is going to be fun This is going to be a typical dumb newbie question..but have pigs ever been contained using electric fencing? The one site I went to showed wires in the background..no paneled fencing. I couldn't tell if they were using that as the pigs fence,or if that was simply a fence in the background and the pigs were free range.
Yep, some people use electric fencing around the inside bottom of the pen to keep the hogs from rooting the fence up. They like to get their noses under the fence and push up to get out. The electric wire works well to stop this. I don't use them, but there are other forum member that do. From what I hear, they work fine! Pasture hog farmers use them around their fields too.
When I built my first hog pen, I dug a trench about 6 inches deep for the bottom of my hog panels to set in. This way they were buried on the bottom, and much harder for the pig to dig under, and believe me, they tried.
Little pigs are a blast- they sure have kept me on my toes but I've loved working with them and am looking forward to three litters in April.
My domestic sows never tried to dig out but my wild ones do. I think I've mentioned on this board before that one of my razorback sows digs a hole beneath the fence that sides with the boar. When she is in heat she lets herself into his pen, takes care of business, and let's herself back out to her pen. Afterward she covers the hole so he won't get into her pen. He is a pain with the girls.
