show me your pig pens/houses/set ups!

[dwbonfire]

I am looking into getting some pigs to raise for meat. Ideally what I'd like to do is get two females to raise up to keep for breeding. Id like to also get a cut male to raise for meat while raising the females. I'd like to sell most of the piglets and keep a few to raise for meat for the family. I have been reading about Berkshires and I havent read much negative about the breed. I have read they are somewhat smaller than other breeds, which is good for me I dont think I want anything totally huge. Also the meat quality sounds like it is excellent, along with the pigs being fairly docile. It seems as tho most people "pasture raise" thier pigs. Unfortunetly I wont be able to provide pasture to my pigs, so Im wondering if the Berkshires are tolerant with confinement. I plan to build a shelter with a pen attached for them, but I need to know how much room they need to live comfortably. Obviously the more room the better, but what can I get away with because the size of the pen is a concern, as in the smaller the better for me!
I'd love to see pics of your pig pens/houses, and hear about how you feed and manage them. Also if anyone has suggestions for another breed that might better fit my description of plans I'd love to hear!

Thanks!

 

[elevan]

Mine is just a standard shed.

 

[Royd Wood]

The bulk of ours live in the woods with 2 old horse trailers as housing
Sows with piglets are up at the farm. We had way too many to handle around the farm and always wanted to get them down the woods and finally did it this year.

 

[Truscifi]

We only had one pig last year and are getting two piglets after the new year, but we just used a lean-to with enclosed sides. We put plenty of hay in it and our girl seemed fine. She burrowed into the hay at night during the winter. We also had a half acre of woods fenced for her to free range on. I should also mention we live in FL, so our winter temps are mild. Making sure she had plenty of access to water, both drinking and wallowing, was more important for us than the shelter.

 

[dwbonfire]

The bulk of ours live in the woods with 2 old horse trailers as housing
Sows with piglets are up at the farm. We had way too many to handle around the farm and always wanted to get them down the woods and finally did it this year.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/1463_pigs_in_wood_024.jpg

what do you have for fencing? i cant quite see it in the pic. is it field fence with electric or something like that? im trying to figure out the cheapest way to fence in the area, and i will be able to put electric around it too. how solid does the actual fence have to be if i have electric on the inside at nose height? and how high is "nose height"? say 8 inches off the ground?

also, im still not sure how much room 2-3 pigs NEED, i dont have unlimited space so i need to know how big the pen should measure for say 3 pigs to live in?

thanks a bunch for the replies!!

 

[77Herford]

This is my perimeter fencing, just some old Cow fence. Not really sure what they call it but it has been doing great for over twenty years. I have it tight between poles and a electric line on top and a inside line near the bottom to shock those pigs or goats wanting to go under. Its turned up high enough to make their nose go numb for a day, lol. Aggie my most stubborn goat tested that line three times in one morning and for the rest of the day had her tongue slacking out, lol. She doesn't test it anymore.

 

[sixofus09]

I'm in the same boat as you. I have my pallet fence about the same size (not as good looking as yours). I have my pigs with my chickens in a 20 x 30 run with a 10x12 shed. They are 14 weeks or so. Its time for them to get out. I just spent 250 on electric fence goodies. I think I need to return somethings that I over bought. I have to make an ally to get them down there. I'm going to try to do this as organic as possible. I'm switching to organic feed. I'm thinking of keeping the pallet area for at night or when I'm not around, but make a large electric fence area to let them root everywhere so I can have a nice garden area. I'm a rookie so I guess trial and error will work for me. Good luck. Ill try to keep posting of my progress. Everywhere I seem to go I never get a straight answer or don't think the person is really knowing what they are talking about. I've had enough. I'm just going to wing it. If they get loose Ill just have to round them up Good luck to you and me both, we're going to need it.

 

[fair weather chicken]

one major piece of advice, teach them that the bucket means food. when, not if they get out the bucket will make it sooooo much easier to get them back in. it has worked for us with everything from feeders to boars and sows.

 

[77Herford]

I liked your Pig pen, I was just wondering how it was working out. Oh and how is that little Heifer?

 

[dwbonfire]

we havent got the pigs yet. a little glitch in the plans thanks to the neighbor roping us in. long story.

either way i am planning to get a couple berkshire/tamworth cross piglets in march sometime when weaned. i just need to see if i can get an unrelated pair. if not ill just get two gilts and then work on getting a boar at some point. i'd like to continue raising them. ill keep my other thread updated for how the pen is working out once i FINALLY get some pigs! lol

and my little cowgirl is good, i just love her i updated the thread i had for her too with some recent pics of her and her sheep friend.

thanks for asking