How big a pen for hogs

[Delmar_Morgan]

Yesterday my nephew brought me three piglets, he gave my two boys one each plus sold one to my neigbor,it's been 30 years since my dad raised our last hog and he's dead now and my two brothers are worthless on info so how big of a pen do I need for the hogs. Thanks DM

[Deberosa]

We've been raising our three on an acre of brush which is plenty of space, but I have an aquaintance who raises 2 or 3 in a 16 by 16 area with a simple shelter in one corner. THey have to have a muddy area and shade as they can't sweat. She used 4 hog panels for the sides. That would result in a very tilled up area which she would plant corn in the next year and put the hogs in another 16 by 16 next to it.

They will probably get a bit smelly in a small area like that - mine hardly smell at all in their large area.

Hope that helps.

[cinok]

I have 3 that we got as piglets in May I have them in a 16x16 with a 4ftx16ft over the one side They are getting big and yes the area is starting to stink I plan on doubling their area this weekend. Does anyone use feild fence to contain pigs those hog panels get pricey and i would like to till a larger area

[walls0stone]

fellow up the road has this electric netting. moves the pen every other week ish. Seems to work fine. little shelter inside it. He also has some chickens in the pen breaking up the mess and cleaning up the corn I would guess.

[Deberosa]

I have 3 that we got as piglets in May I have them in a 16x16 with a 4ftx16ft over the one side They are getting big and yes the area is starting to stink I plan on doubling their area this weekend. Does anyone use feild fence to contain pigs those hog panels get pricey and i would like to till a larger area


I've got mine in half cattle panel (the part along the outer edge and part welded wire. They can push out the welded wire but with an acre to run in they don't bother it. Once they clear a path along the fence I'll put in a strand of electric and that should be plenty to contain them. As it was we just ran the fence through the thick brush just to get the area fenced off.

[danville]

Cinok
I grew up on a hobby farm where hogs were the major enterprise. We had 40-50 grown sows on pasture at anytime. We also had cattle and sheep in the same pastures. We used field fence for the perimeter and three strands of electric for interior fencing. Just keep in mind that it was the heaviest guage field fence available, bottom strand on the ground, pulled as tight as possible and a strand of electric wire on the inside about 10" high. Worked well. RARELY did anything get out, or in. Also the hogs were ringed with humane rings.

[gardenfay]

I'd like to add 2 points. First, on any smaller pen, as opposed to a pasture, if you can put it on any kind of slope, it will sure help keep the whole thing from getting muddy and nasty.
Second, pigs are sometimes kinda pig-headed about how they want their pen arranged, if they start using the area for a toilet where you were going to feed them; you just as well rearrange it to suit their fancy.
And one more point, please locate their pighouse door away from prevailing winds. i saw a pig "shelter" just a couple of years ago here in northern mt that i wouldn't have felt was adequate for winter in eastern ok.
when a pig has to use a bunch of energy to stay warm, it just costs you money in food.