# Pigs and electric fence??



## ohiofarmgirl (Jul 3, 2009)

i'm gettin' my pigs on monday! 2 tamworth/hereford crosses

we've always used field fence and hog panels to make a pen, but i'm wondering - while they are in the 50 - 75 lbs range - can i use electric fence?

i'd like to put them in the bottom of my hen yard to hog down the weeds - but i dont want them messing with the hens. can i let them roam around inside the 3 strand electric fence while they are still little? this would only be for a couple weeks i think then they will be better secured away from the hens

thanks thanks thanks


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 3, 2009)

I've seen the way my feeder pigs go after food and fight with each other, even when there's food left. I'm not sure putting them in with the hens is a good idea. If you could fence the hens out of that section first it would be better.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jul 3, 2009)

thanks Farm Kitty!

the hens wont cross the electric fence...and they have never had access to this areas. also i feed the ladies WAY at the top of the hill. 

the pigs would be at the bottom of the hill (out of the water run off tho)... so technically they would be "next to" each other. previously we had the pigs on the other side of the property now they would be closer. 

i know that the pigs will eventually figure out that they can eat the hens so we'd do this only for a short time - but long enough to kind of get the weeds down.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 3, 2009)

You would have to watch to make sure the pigs mind the fence then and if they do you should be okay. But, why haven't you let the hens in there, if it's part of their area?


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jul 3, 2009)

well mostly b/c the hens are too lazy to walk down there!
;-)

just kidding - we fenced them out on purpose

the weeds are really tall - with some poison ivy - and it butts up against the neighbors brambles and our woods. i know there are foxes around down there so i keep the hens up closer to where the dogs mark the fenceline. so far so good with the hens! and we figure it would take a passel of foxes to take down a 50 lbs pig!

we're hoping the pigs will hog down the taller stuff, take out the poison ivy, and then we can start mowing down there and clear it out to extend the hen yard. 

we've only had this property for about a year - and they didnt tell us the entire place is infested with poison ivy...grrr... so pigs did a great job last year of taking it out where they were  - with no reaction - so we're hoping they will do the same in this area. 

we'll watch them tho to make sure they dont get out. we've done our share of pig chasin' and the dogs actually round them up pretty well.


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