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  • From: Kakerby <kakerby AT aol.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?
  • Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 12:48:18 -0500 (EST)

We currently use the same 4' woven field fence that Laurie mentioned to keep our piglets and their 800lb+ moms inside their yards.  But we've hotwired the bottom.  That combo does a fabulous job of keeping them contained, over that entire size range.  I know at least some folks on the hog list have kept hogs in, and kept feral hogs out, with hotwire on existing fencing of whatever type, including hog panels.  Some folks do favor hog panels alone for smaller areas.  But they would be too expensive for larger areas, and not particularly effective on uneven ground.  I don't know I'd be comfy with the idea of hog panels alone.  A determined animal can turn those into big silver pretzels in an evening's work.

I agree that hogs of any type will "work" a fence and look for the weak points, then teach others to exploit those weaknesses.  So any gap in even the best fence becomes a portal pretty fast if there's substantial feral hog populations on the other side.  I think a combo system of barriers will be the long-term best bet.  If any one of them fails, the others provide some redundancy to the overall barrier.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA


-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie Jameson <jacqueline.jameson AT gmail.com>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Fri, Feb 1, 2013 9:37 am
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?

How big an area is this?  The only way to contain hogs is hog panels(fixed so they can't be lifted) or similar fencing.  They will go through or under fence, they will lean on it until it's destroyed, and they will lift up fencing and go under.  And do a combination of all the above.  They are very smart, and will teach each other the weak points, once one of them has figured out a weak spot, they will all return to that location and destroy any fence you subsequently put up.  This is for domestic hogs, but is true for feral hogs too (which are descended from escaped domestic hogs).  I have raised hogs.
Jackie in NJ

On Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 12:23 PM, Barking Cat Farm <barkingcatfarm AT mindspring.com> wrote:
Hello,

We're embarking on a project to reinforce our farm's perimeter fence.  It is currently 4' field fence, which has worked well on coyotes and other non-deer larger mammals.  However, we have a problem with digging, particularly from the local pack of vicious dogs.  We need to find a way to keep them out, and since I'm modifying the fence anyway, we want to also exclude feral hogs.  We don't have them yet, but they've been spotted in the vicinity, so it's only a matter of time until they find us.  What damaging behaviors and solutions have you experienced with respect to feral hogs?


More detail:  Our perimeter has a variety of micro-environments, so it may be a hybrid design works the best.
- Some areas are heavily vegetative. We don't plan to modify these areas at this time, as the vegetation is doing a good job of exclusion and we say if it's not broken don't fix it.;

- in other areas we have purposely planted rose bushes and other low growing plants which will do a good job of exclusion once they are more mature. In these areas we might need to do some chicken wire "elled" at the bottom of the field fence and extended out a few inches and stapled down to prevent digging until roses and other plants mature, hot wire not a good idea due to vegetative load.;

- and in other areas we have bare ground where vegetation is not growing due to heavy forest shade, for example.  In these areas, not quite sure whether a hot wire or a barrier mesh similar to above is a better solution.  We know mesh works against digging dogs, but not sure about hogs.  Thoughts?

My question to those who have dealt with feral hogs and fencing is how, specifically, they damage and/or breech fencing?  Do they ram and break it, do they dig under it, or what?

Note: please don't suggest poisoning, shooting, or trapping.  We have thoughtfully considered and ruled all three out for a variety of reasons.  We feel that exclusion is our best option and are looking for guidance on that specifically.

Many thanks in advance,

Laurie Bostic
Owner/Farmer
Barking Cat Farm
Heath, Texas
barkingcatfarm AT mindspring.com
www.barkingcatfarm.com
http://www.facebook.com/barkingcatfarm
https://twitter.com/#!/barkingcatfarm




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