Fencing for Pigs?

[tortoise]

Fencing is the main reason I haven't explored raising pigs.

What would you recommend for space, shelter, and fencing for growing out 1 or 2 AGH feeder pigs?

Are they easier on fence when they have more space?

 

[tortoise]

Most pigs are really sensitive t electric!!! It's insane how much respect for it when they dive right thru mot stuff.

 

[tortoise]

Can pigs coexist with goats and sheep? 2 wethered goats and a big ram. I have a pasture with electric fence and shelter, heated water. I would have to add a hot wire near the bottom for pigs.

 

[tortoise]

Absolutely agree... electric is the way to go! They respect it so much that sometimes it takes some real convincing to get them to come out!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I had stock panels to start with just because that area was formerly a goat pen. A boar can bend a stock panel like it's nothing - so in comes electric. It works.

A lot of times I don't pen them and they free range with the goats/chickens. The only time I've ever had an issue was when the does were kidding. There was one incident where I didn't get a doe moved in time and she was kidding in the barn. Thankfully I got out there just in time to avert a tragedy. They can't resist the smell of blood/birthing fluids.

If they're together you'll need to find a way to feed them separately - they are pigs, lol! If they can free-range and you have decent pasture the feed bill won't be terrible. Mine will eat hay in the winter - but not much interest in it the rest of the year.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Some people put them together but I haven’t tried. I worry because pigs fight with their mouths and I don’t want them chomping my sheep! They’re pretty darn easy to keep in hot wire. Even my boar would stay put in one strand electric when a sow elsewhere was in heat!

 

[tortoise]

I had stock panels to start with just because that area was formerly a goat pen. A boar can bend a stock panel like it's nothing - so in comes electric. It works.

A lot of times I don't pen them and they free range with the goats/chickens. The only time I've ever had an issue was when the does were kidding. There was one incident where I didn't get a doe moved in time and she was kidding in the barn. Thankfully I got out there just in time to avert a tragedy. They can't resist the smell of blood/birthing fluids.

If they're together you'll need to find a way to feed them separately - they are pigs, lol! If they can free-range and you have decent pasture the feed bill won't be terrible. Mine will eat hay in the winter - but not much interest in it the rest of the year.

Our goats, wethers, and ram don't get any grain. Pasture in summer, hay in winter, and veggie kitchen scraps /garden excess.

I imagine I would need to feed pigs pellets. I was more concerned about sheep/goats getting into them. Am I worried about nothing?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My goats will definitely try to eat pig feed (or any other feed). I don't know how big your area is - but you'd be surprised how well AGH's maintain on graze during a good growing season.

I would imagine that your sheep/goats would try to steal some pig pellets. Some of my pigs will guard their feed, but the majority of them just try to eat really fast! When my goats and pigs are together I keep an area in the barn blocked off from the pigs. I feed the goats first and they jump over the barrier to get in the barn and eat their own feed. As soon as they finish they run out to see if any pig feed is left.

There was a day when I accidentally mixed up their feed - fed pig feed to goats and goat feed to pigs - and no one suffered from it.

 

[tortoise]

I think its a half acre pasture. Its feeding two niggy wethers, 2 lamb wethers, and a ram right now.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I just checked my pig pellets and they do not have copper in them. And AGH don’t eat a ton of grain anyway so it shouldn’t be a major issue… I wouldn’t think. I’m pretty sure my sheep and goats would back off a pig when it comes to grain, but I could be wrong, they are pretty brave