frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Most of my goats are pretty good sized and when they're all in the melee there's no real fighting just a lot of shifting around. No blood shed.
Fencing for Pigs?
- Thread starter tortoise
- Start date
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
I used to keep a section of grass just to cut to feed the pigs. Used my chute and bags on mower, ran across the grass and dumped it into them. They would chow down!! Next day, another strip. At the time I used to get a lot of close dated fruit/ veggies from a supplier ... dumped that to them and excess garden stuff, peelings or toss outs from kitchen. They grew very well! A treat was any grain.
baymule
Sustainability Master
I have only raised feeder pigs. I never kept pig breeding stock, just didn't want the extra upkeep. I have mostly raised heritage breeds and NO WAY would I ever mix sheep or goats with them. A chicken would be snapped up in an instant. AGH I have no experience with, but understand they are more laid back and easier to keep.
First feeder pigs I raised went in the garden. New ground, they were a big help in plowing it up, eating roots that I missed and rooting in general. They left big holes that I had to fill in when we took them to slaughter. They were also creepy, always trying to get behind me and I had to fend them off with a pipe. As they got bigger, I never went in there by myself unless my husband was on the outside of the fence. They immediately turned their water tub over or laid in it.
I raised pigs a few times in pasture. One group rooted up and ate every single Bahia grass root that we so laboriously dug off the side of the road and planted. Always water was a problem. Lay in the tub or turn it over-as soon as it was filled.
We got 2 big hogs one time, about a year old, $75 for both of them. We put them to pasture, fed them soured corn 36 days, then took to slaughter. We gave away meat, we had so much. They also tore up the pasture. I got tired of that.
Finally we built a hog pen. I set it up so that I didn't have to go in the pen to feed them. I didn't have to go in the pen to retrieve the water tub to fill it up only to watch thirsty hogs get a drink, then turn it over. Here is a link to what we built.
www.backyardherds.com
Later we replaced the blue barrel that I put soured corn in, for a wooden trough. I found a HUGE boar for $100 and he couldn't get his head in the hole. The trough worked better. I kept using the trough after that. He also couldn't use the bin feeder I had, so everything went in the trough.
Link to huge boar, picture on first page partly shows the trough.
www.backyardherds.com
To build our pen, we used a 200' roll of wire, add a 12' gate and the shelter is 12' wide. There are trees for shade and the shelter to get out of the rain, if they want. Plenty of room, they have a potty corner and a wallow or two. No pasture, but pigs always get plenty of garden goodies. It has worked well for me.
I didn't run a hot wire, it has never been a problem. Raised 3 hogs this year that were BAD BOYS! They tore the trough loose and dragged it all over the pen. They went around the edges, rooting holes and we had to place sheets of tin around the pen, weaving in and out of T-posts. They were destructive. I have to take off a sheet of tin from the shelter and replace it. Being used, it had rust, they managed to get a hole through it that they could stick their snout through. Ummmm....... that could be a problem. So I just screwed another sheet of tin over that, while smacking their snouts to get them out of the way. For those 3, they needed a hot wire. Was GLAD to load them up to go to slaughter.
I'll be selling, moving to a rent house on 2 acres my son has, so no pigs next year. I'm sure when I get to where ever I'm going, I'll raise pigs again. Home grown pork just is so much better than the tasteless stuff at the store. But I will always raise feeder pigs so I don't have to care for pigs in the winter.
First feeder pigs I raised went in the garden. New ground, they were a big help in plowing it up, eating roots that I missed and rooting in general. They left big holes that I had to fill in when we took them to slaughter. They were also creepy, always trying to get behind me and I had to fend them off with a pipe. As they got bigger, I never went in there by myself unless my husband was on the outside of the fence. They immediately turned their water tub over or laid in it.
I raised pigs a few times in pasture. One group rooted up and ate every single Bahia grass root that we so laboriously dug off the side of the road and planted. Always water was a problem. Lay in the tub or turn it over-as soon as it was filled.
We got 2 big hogs one time, about a year old, $75 for both of them. We put them to pasture, fed them soured corn 36 days, then took to slaughter. We gave away meat, we had so much. They also tore up the pasture. I got tired of that.Finally we built a hog pen. I set it up so that I didn't have to go in the pen to feed them. I didn't have to go in the pen to retrieve the water tub to fill it up only to watch thirsty hogs get a drink, then turn it over. Here is a link to what we built.
Baymule’s Pigs 2018 HEREFORDS!
I found 2 Hereford boars 4 1/2 months old on Craigslist. We went and got them today. I have long admired Hereford Hogs and am delighted to find these! As usual, I have no hog pen ready and won’t be putting them in the pasture we sprigged with Bermuda and Bahia. So I guess we better get busy...
www.backyardherds.com
Later we replaced the blue barrel that I put soured corn in, for a wooden trough. I found a HUGE boar for $100 and he couldn't get his head in the hole. The trough worked better. I kept using the trough after that. He also couldn't use the bin feeder I had, so everything went in the trough.
Link to huge boar, picture on first page partly shows the trough.
Baymule's 500 Pound Boar!
I found a deal on a huge boar. His name is Wilbur and he is a Red Wattle. He got too big to breed their sows, so he went up for sale. The lady who owned him couldn’t put him in the freezer, he was her first pig and a pet. He is very calm and gentle. But she became afraid of Wilbur because he...
www.backyardherds.com
To build our pen, we used a 200' roll of wire, add a 12' gate and the shelter is 12' wide. There are trees for shade and the shelter to get out of the rain, if they want. Plenty of room, they have a potty corner and a wallow or two. No pasture, but pigs always get plenty of garden goodies. It has worked well for me.
I didn't run a hot wire, it has never been a problem. Raised 3 hogs this year that were BAD BOYS! They tore the trough loose and dragged it all over the pen. They went around the edges, rooting holes and we had to place sheets of tin around the pen, weaving in and out of T-posts. They were destructive. I have to take off a sheet of tin from the shelter and replace it. Being used, it had rust, they managed to get a hole through it that they could stick their snout through. Ummmm....... that could be a problem. So I just screwed another sheet of tin over that, while smacking their snouts to get them out of the way. For those 3, they needed a hot wire. Was GLAD to load them up to go to slaughter.
I'll be selling, moving to a rent house on 2 acres my son has, so no pigs next year. I'm sure when I get to where ever I'm going, I'll raise pigs again. Home grown pork just is so much better than the tasteless stuff at the store. But I will always raise feeder pigs so I don't have to care for pigs in the winter.
Alaskan
Almost Self-Reliant
- Thread starter
- #15
tortoise
Wild Hare
We have 10 to 15 acres unused pasture
Alaskan
Almost Self-Reliant
Well there ya go!We have 10 to 15 acres unused pasture
I was thinking all of that livestock on a half acre must be grazing it pretty short.
CrealCritter
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All I can say is it needs to be a good fence. I think would even go as far as to bury some of it in the ground. The last and only pig I had was an escape artist. My wife had to chase home several times with a big stick. I still remember the mail man driving by the house and saying hey your Thanksgiving dinner is on the loose again. It would get out and she would go hunt it down, whack it on its ham with a big stick to get it home. I was glad to get that pig in the freezer. Plus once it started to grow tusks it knew it had them and would use them.
Jesus is Lord and Christ
Jesus is Lord and Christ
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FarmerJamie
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CrealCritter
Sustainability Master
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