Free-ranging?

[CountryFried]

I plan to get a couple of feeders within the next month. I have to figure out a pen for them, but I need something mobile. I plan to use them to clear about 3 acres of land in small sections (thinking a 16' x 16' pig "tractor" and moving it every few days). Any ideas how much feed I will need to supplement with?

 

[freemotion]

Make sure you use electric fencing with it...if you can move it, they can move it more easily!

I have mine on a good sized pasture...it is not quite square, but the longest side is about 120'. I find that they eat lots and lots from the pasture when it is fresh and again after it rains. They ignore food when they are getting plenty from the pasture. I put two loaves of bread in yesterday and it is still barely touched. However, I cracked some pumpkins tonight and threw them in and they went nuts! They also loved some old unhusked sweet corn. Mine seem to prefer "whole" foods to manufactured foods.

So I can't really answer your "how much feed" question. You will have to experiment and see what your pigs need in your unique situation. You will soon see what patterns emerge, as I have.

Oh, mine weren't interested in food I brought when the acorns were falling from the trees in their pasture.

I've learned to give them a small amount of food and see how they react, and feed them accordingly on a day by day basis. I also prefer to give them lots of stuff (like the pumpkins and corn) that can stay in their pen in a large amount and they can eat what they want, when they want.

They like certain things to be quite nasty before they eat it. They let three big buckets of tomatoes almost liquify before they snarfed them all up.

 

[CountryFried]

Electric fence is an issue. I don't have electricity on the acreage I want them to clear, and according to what I read on the Homesteading Today forums, the battery powered chargers aren't strong enough? Any thoughts on that?

My thought for the "tractor" was based off one someone on HT forums built. I haven't actually seen it, so I've tried to piece together how it would be.

I plan to take 16' hog panels and fasten them into a square with 4"x4"s in the corners. I was debating whether to run a strand or two of barbed wire along the bottoms? And then, based on a different person's experiences, I was going to lay 2"x6"s around the outside of the pen, she said that works well for her. Another thought was to put concrete blocks in wherever they started to root under, that was something another poster mentioned. I also plan to see if I can thread rebar or some other type of stake about every 4' along the panels. I have an old above-ground pool ladder I was going to keep beside the pen for access into it.

I much appreciate any advice you can offer me on how to make this workable, as I'd like to get pigs soon, if at all possible.

 

[jhm47]

I'd also suggest that you get yourself a good pair of track shoes. If you plan to forego the electric fence, you will need them while you are chasing your pigs.

Seriously, there are some newer battery powered electric fencers that have nearly as much power as "plug in" ones. Parmac makes one that charges up to 30 miles of fence, and it is not very expensive (around $80). The key is to keep your battery fully charged. Pigs are unbelievably destructive, and you will save a lot of time and $$$ by using an electric fence. Been there and done that myself.

 

[Royd Wood]

We have used solar panel elec box for 3 years and it works really great but i know from previous posts on this subject it sounds rather hit and miss with these boxes.
Tried concrete blocks and found them stacked 10 ft away following day
Good luck

 

[CountryFried]

I'd also suggest that you get yourself a good pair of track shoes. If you plan to forego the electric fence, you will need them while you are chasing your pigs.

Seriously, there are some newer battery powered electric fencers that have nearly as much power as "plug in" ones. Parmac makes one that charges up to 30 miles of fence, and it is not very expensive (around $80). The key is to keep your battery fully charged. Pigs are unbelievably destructive, and you will save a lot of time and $$$ by using an electric fence. Been there and done that myself.

I'm too fat to be running LOL.

Thanks for the info on the Parmak charger, I'll get that one. When you say fully charged on the battery, how much is fully charged? Obviously I'll invest in two batteries, and there will be weeds I'm sure, though I'll try to keep them to a minimum, but roughly how often should I switch the batteries? (Just to give me an idea, I'll check them with a domaflicky (altimeter? can't think what they are called)

So take my idea for the 16' panels, what if I mount 1"x4" wood along the inside of each panel, and then run the electric fencing around that, say 6" off the ground? Do I need more than one strand, and if so, how high should I go with the next one? (Guess I should move this to the fence forum, oops!)

Thanks for all the advice, I want to be successful with my piggies LOL.

(About solar powered...the area I'm going to have them in is heavily "wooded", it's not so much that there are tons of trees, just that their spread pretty much blocks all the sun in the area, so I'm not sure if a solar cell would get enough light there?)

 

[freemotion]

Loose concrete blocks are like foam take-out cups to a pig. I've watched my young pigs breaking rocks in their teeth just for fun. They also flip their 20 gallon water tub, full, like it is empty. And then it IS empty. :/ And that would weigh, full,....um.....160 lbs. We're talking pigs about 50 lbs themselves when they started this.

I wouldn't use a solar charger for an electric-only fence....I'll never try an electric-only fence again, myself....but it would likely be good enough to keep them off the panels you are using. I ran a hot wire about 6" off the ground on the inside of my cattle panels and it is working fine. I have to check it for grounding often as they will push dirt clods and roots up on it. They zap themselves all the time on it. So it is only a mild deterrent, but it works.

I second the track shoes.

 

[Bossroo]

Instead of pigs to clear out brush in the wooded area, have you considered Dorper sheep ( known to be great browsers) or meat type goats? This is what the Forest service, cities and land owners do to economically remove brush, poison oak, ivy,etc. These would be much less labor intensive than moving pig pens every couple days around trees, knocking down brush around a 16' x 16' pen area every time you move the pen, etc.

 

[jhm47]

My Parmac chargers are supposed to be effective on up to 30 miles of fence, and will shock through wet weeds. I would suggest that you charge your batteries about every 2 - 3 weeks, depending on how big your batteries are. You will lose weight when you're chasing those pigs!. Running and cussing while chasing pigs is good for the cardiovascular system. LOL

 

[remadl700]

I'd also suggest that you get yourself a good pair of track shoes. If you plan to forego the electric fence, you will need them while you are chasing your pigs.

Seriously, there are some newer battery powered electric fencers that have nearly as much power as "plug in" ones. Parmac makes one that charges up to 30 miles of fence, and it is not very expensive (around $80). The key is to keep your battery fully charged. Pigs are unbelievably destructive, and you will save a lot of time and $$$ by using an electric fence. Been there and done that myself.

I'm too fat to be running LOL.

Thanks for the info on the Parmak charger, I'll get that one. When you say fully charged on the battery, how much is fully charged? Obviously I'll invest in two batteries, and there will be weeds I'm sure, though I'll try to keep them to a minimum, but roughly how often should I switch the batteries? (Just to give me an idea, I'll check them with a domaflicky (altimeter? can't think what they are called)

So take my idea for the 16' panels, what if I mount 1"x4" wood along the inside of each panel, and then run the electric fencing around that, say 6" off the ground? Do I need more than one strand, and if so, how high should I go with the next one? (Guess I should move this to the fence forum, oops!)

Thanks for all the advice, I want to be successful with my piggies LOL.

(About solar powered...the area I'm going to have them in is heavily "wooded", it's not so much that there are tons of trees, just that their spread pretty much blocks all the sun in the area, so I'm not sure if a solar cell would get enough light there?)

With a little ingenuity you can add 3 200 watt solar panals to trickle charge the batteries also add extra batteries to the pack depending on the voltage.