# Woven wire field fencing okay for pigs?



## EllieMay (Sep 24, 2012)

I want to buy one pig to raise on pasture with my sheep and butcher it for meat.

We have the high-tensile woven wire field fencing with no electric wire.
Is this good enough to contain a pig? 

I'm also looking for a breed of pig that does not root.
Would Duroc, LB, or Berkshire be good choices for raising on pasture within the woven wire fencing?


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## Cornish Heritage (Sep 27, 2012)

> We have the high-tensile woven wire field fencing with no electric wire.
> Is this good enough to contain a pig?


Absolutely as long as the fence is live! Pigs are intelligent & they do respect electric fence if trained to it. Some of ours are just behind 2 wires of Polywire. 

Pigs are herd animals though - I would highly recommend you getting two. One pig can get lonely & will be more likely to get into mischief. They will much more content as a pair plsu they will cuddle up to each other to keep warm at night etc. 

The only time you cannot have pigs in with sheep is when the sheep are lambing. That newborn lamb is way too tempting a meal. Once the lamb is up & running/dried off the pigs will not touch it but before then it is a tasty meal for them! (Ask us how we know!!)

Large Blacks are the absolute best IMO! They graze like cows. We do alot of farm tours here & folks are constantly amazed at our pastures in the fact that they are not all tour up. LB's graze like a cow does. Now you will get a bare patch where you feed & water them PLUS pigs MUST have a wallow as they cannot sweat but other that that very little rooting goes on. Piglets root more than older ones but it is nothing like some of the other breeds.

Liz


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## Bossroo (Sep 28, 2012)

Regarding pigs on pasture ...  Any fence without a hot electric current will become pasture art in short order !


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## Cornish Heritage (Sep 29, 2012)

> Any fence without a hot electric current will become pasture art in short order !


LOL! I have never seen ours "play" with electric wire that is off but they will push up woven wire if there is no electric on there to stop them!

Liz


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## Nathan Sampson (Oct 1, 2012)

So I installed a 4 wire electric fence today and it will hold in a pig correct. If so nice.


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## Cornish Heritage (Oct 2, 2012)

> So I installed a 4 wire electric fence today and it will hold in a pig correct. If so nice.


LOL! There are never any guarantees! PLUS it depends on the size of the pig & if they have been trained to electric fence. If you are bringing home a newly weaned piglet/piglets it is important to put them somewhere where they cannot get out. They will be scared to death - new noises, strange surroundings etc. Give them 2-3 days to settle down & get used to you then introduce them to the fence, once again preferably in a place where they cannot get out so they learn not to run right through it. Once they are used to the fence then let them out in a bigger area. Do this of a morning when you are going to be around all day to watch them. 

Once trained you should have no problems!

Liz


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