# Escapees, anyone else have them?



## secuono (Sep 10, 2012)

My two black PBs just love to escape, they did it awhile back and I fixed on a bottom board. Then they found a new spot, had to add another board. And now they found a 3rd spot, added fence piping, ran out of wood, lol. My pink pig doesn't goof off like the sibling pair does, he just calmly waits for their return. 
Does anyone else have pigs that just love to squeeze under a fence and steal rabbit food and just be running free? I have hot wire in that bigger yard, but I haven't trained them to it. They are too small for me to have out of the bird/rabbit yard, the foxes and raccoons would kill them in one night. But two strands are 4in from the ground and 4in from the first line, then 6in spaces until the 6th strand. Would they still run through it if their nose or face touched it?


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 11, 2012)

When we got our pigs I believe they were 8 weeks old.  We put them in our pig area which had one strand of electric about 4 inches up from the ground.  They found it within seconds and never challenged it, never tried to get out and were always very aware of where that wire was.  In the 16 weeks we had them, on occassion, one would get too close and you would hear a squeel, but it was never that they were trying to get out.  


They are really just super smart.  I believe that when you feel comfortable putting them in the area with electric fencing, they will find it and respect it.  You really don't have to "train them".  They will figure it out quickly their noses are super sensitive and wet!


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## secuono (Sep 11, 2012)

It's strange, I always hear/read that pigs bolt through an electric fence when they touch it. But I've never found a video that proves this at all. They always bolt away from it. 
Guess I just have to worry about them eating all the rabbit feed...lol


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## Alice Acres (Sep 11, 2012)

secuono said:
			
		

> It's strange, I always hear/read that pigs bolt through an electric fence when they touch it. But I've never found a video that proves this at all. They always bolt away from it.
> Guess I just have to worry about them eating all the rabbit feed...lol


It depends where on their body they touch the fence. 
Generally:

If it is in front of their eyes, they will jump back. 
If it's behind the eyes a bit, they usually go to the side.
Behind the ears - they go forward.

It's just the way their flight response is hardwired. Some will be more sensitive, some will be more aggressive or challenging, but this holds true most of the time.


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## secuono (Sep 11, 2012)

Well...my fence doesn't work on my female pig....She spent a full 4 seconds flipping the bottom wire and then popped out into the neighbors pasture...Fence never electrocuted her...argh!!!


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## Godsgrl (Sep 11, 2012)

My friend's pot belly opened the fence, then found she couldn't escape, ( too much brush) so she went back in the pen. But she let the goats out instead. My friend found them the next day on someone else's farm.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 12, 2012)

secuno,  why didn't the fence work?  She just played with it while getting shocked the whole time? I would try it again.  Spray down the area with a hose.  Make sure the fence is working correctly, spray her down so she is good and wet and then let her try it.  Sounds barbaric,  but...


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## secuono (Sep 12, 2012)

The fence doesn't speak English, so I don't know why it didn't work. She was trying to flip up the fence so she could go under it, like the fence in her pen. Her nose was touching it most of the time and it just didn't shock her or she magically managed to let go at the right times to miss the pulse. Fence works on all the other animals, so why it didn't work on her, idk. 
I'm not trying to risk loosing her again and hoping the fence works, it's not where they will be anyway. They are 3 and 4mo and still too small to be put out on rotational pasturing, though they eat like hogs, so they live in a section of the critter yard.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 12, 2012)

*The fence doesn't speak English, so I don't know why it didn't work.*

You're funny!  

That is strange.  But I can't blame you for not wanting to risk her escaping if you don't feel comfortable with it.  No one knows your set up and situation better than you.  You will always be the best judge of what to do.  I'm sure you will figure out a way to work with her that makes sense for both of you.


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## secuono (Sep 12, 2012)

Pic of the fence she went through, red is the spot. You can slightly see on the far left, next to the red circle, where a fox or something has been trying to dig in, but was stopped by the fence. There are at least 2-3 areas of digging/scratching. Fence works, just somehow failed to tag the pig...


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## Cornish Heritage (Sep 13, 2012)

Sadly once they learn to escape they will continue to do it! *HOT *Electric wire is the ONLY way to secure them but you have to train them where they cannot get out. If we have a breeder that decides to get out, we retrain them. If we have feeders that learn to escape they are made in to sausage ASAP. Escapee pigs are a total pain in the butt & we do not tolerate them here - they are just not worth the hassle. 

Liz


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