Pig fencing

[mamaconverse]

Hi!
We are relatively new to 'farm life'

Currently we have 3 sheep on a acre of pasture. The fencing we chose was woven wire&post. It's worked flawlessly.

We were thinking in the winter (after our lambs are grown and slaughtered) we would put two pigs on the pasture. Obviously we would need to beef up the fencing.

We were thinking we would add a string of electric fencing. Is this effective? Would the woven wire and electric wire together render the the electric fence useless? My brother in law seemed to think they would interfere with one another.

What are your thoughts? We are small scale. Mostly just raising animals to feed out family. We want cost effective and useful. It's more of a hobby and fun to do with our little children.

Will this size pasture be big enough for pigs? Will they destroy it and make it not useable for sheep the next year? We don't have TONS of space so really want to use it wisely.

 

[M.L. McKnight]

You can put rings in their noses if they root too much. An acre is more than enough for a few pigs and the woven wire fencing will actually keep them in. You can string a strand or two of electric wire near the base of your posts using long post insulators if you want.
I have held grown hogs in using a few strands of electric wire and I have even used electric netting. As long as they have good feed they aren't likely to attempt getting out.

 

[SheepGirl]

The pigs will probably destroy the pasture over the winter and you likely won't have grass for your sheep until May or later.

 

[Dino]

Yes! Put a strand of electric fence about 8 to 10 inches high, making sure it does not touch the woven wire fence or anything else it can ground to. If you do not use electric fence in addition to your woven wire be prepared for escapes and damaged woven wire fence. Using the two fences together is perfect. Once the pigs learn the electric is there they will respect the boundary.

Also, the pigs will root but depending on your pasture they may not too. Ours root only the first year, usually in spring, for select roots. Once those roots are gone we plant alfalfa, clover, perennial rye, rape, etc and the pigs graze rather than root.

We have a small very shallow pond that our pigs also hunt frogs and graze water plants off the bottom.