Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Jackie Jameson <jacqueline.jameson AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?
  • Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2013 09:22:37 -0500

Hi Laurie,
You're welcome.  The behavior is key.  I should add that I had a 600 lb sow climb over a dutch barn door because her 13 piglets had escaped to the outside when one broke through the barn siding.  It's amazing what the sows will do when separated from the litter.  This is why I recommended hog panels.  The hog panels have smaller 2" spaces on the bottom to prevent piglets from going through.  It also works on other animals like skunks, rabbits, dogs, etc.  The panels are welded galvanized 4 and 5 gauge wire, and cannot be broken.  They last for years or decades.  They are 16 feet long, and while they may be expensive, you shouldn't ever have to replace them once they are properly erected. At the same time, you could deconstruct the fence and sell or re-use the panels elsewhere if you didn't want the fence anymore.  You also might find them used.
 They are attached to posts using panel clips or wires that are tightened.  If you have T-posts, the knobs (can't remember what they are called) provide extra protection against lifting.  The small spaces at the bottom prevent hogs from getting their snouts in the fence and lifting up (they can get their snouts in wider spaces).

These are rigid, so I'm not sure how an animal could burrow under them in one day, but I guess that depends on your soil type.  If you're walking your fence regularly to check it, you'd see if there was a hole started somewhere and could deal with that.  If you add an electric line, of course you'll have to maintain that to keep it clear of vegetation. 

The best fence for hog/dog exclusion will depend on your topography, soil, your resources (can you find used panels and posts), how much capital investment you want to make, and how much maintenance you want to do.  I found maintaining the electric fence to be time intensive, and would rather have a physical barrier I could rely on.  In other situations I've used L-shaped chicken wire at the bottom of a fence sticking out 12" and pinned down with landscape pins.  That does work for other digging animals, but a hog would get through if it wanted to.  Sounds like you are concerned these animals might ruin your field fence.

Here's a photo/product page http://www.herdsmanbrand.com/products/fence/fencepanels/hogs.html

Jackie in NJ

On Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 7:15 PM, Barking Cat Farm <barkingcatfarm AT mindspring.com> wrote:
Hi Jackie,

The perimeter fence line in question is only about a mile total length.  Thanks for the info about hog behavior, very helpful.

I'll look into hog panels - any tips for affixing them so they cannot be lifted?  Are you talking about fastening them to the existing fence posts, which in my case are mostly t-posts and 2 3/4" steel tube with a few 5" wooden posts?  The concern I have on this idea is the existing field fence is brand new, put up by professional fence builders, and strung tight within an inch of its life.  Even so, these dogs have found the weak spots in the soil itself, i.e, under the tree canopy where it's bare, and have dug holes under the fence.  I'm concerned that without either a hot wire to get their attention or some kind of barrier beneath the soil, the feral hogs would do the same thing to the hog panels, dig underneath where the soil is more pliable.  Would like to hear thoughts on that concern from people who've raised hogs or dealt with feral hogs such as yourself.

Thanks for all the great thoughts, keep them coming,
Laurie

On Feb 1, 2013, at 11:36 AMFeb/1/13, Jackie Jameson wrote:

> 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

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page