My new rototiller

Yes April, please do tell...If you have personal experience with pigs getting out of their pens through the electric fence, I would be interested to hear, as we have taken what we believe are reasonable precautions. However, if they are not that reasonable, we may have to adjust accordingly. :)
 
So you want to hear about pigs getting loose? We were young and inexperienced and I was a few months pregnant, and my husband was a young ex college football player. We were taking our 4 pigs to market in a borrowed horse trailer, with the owner driving the truck, 2 pigs in each horse stall. We were 15 minutes into the trip and a lady was riding along side smiling and waving for us to pull over. Each of us thought she knew the other one so we pulled over to see what was up.
One pig had piggie backed upon the other and jumped out of the horse trailer while we were doing at least 50 miles an hour on the entrance to the highway. We pulled the whole caravan around on the median strip of the highway and returned to find the lone pig rooting the grass near the highway. Within minutes 2 different farmers drove up "Heard there was a loose pig along the highway." (Pre cell phone days.)
So there we were, 3 pigs in the horse trailer one on the highway and one big door in the back. The pig was impossible to catch, as they are, until my husband got frustrated, and with all his speed and strength tackled the screaming, squealing 200 pound pig. Tackling and carrying the pig were two different things. And how do you get the pig in with out letting the other 3 out? The friend was a little more experienced and put a bucket over the pig's head. He kept backing up and we were able to guide him back to the horse trailer. Fortunately there was a small front door where the saddle was kept and they were able to get the little piggie in through there. Our friend kept saying that the pig just wanted to ride in the non smoking section. I think I have never laughed that hard to this day. My rounded baby belly hurt for days from laughing so hard.
 
I will be following this with interest! We have 20 acres of mostly hardwoods... when the acorns start falling (on the metal roof...) they just PILE up on both sides of the house, and all over the woods. Hickory nuts too (not sure if pigs eat those?) I think a couple of pigs would be easy to raise. Right after I get my perimeter fences fixed up.

From reading historical fiction I have this idea that I can take them out to forage in the woods and then (somehow?) herd them back into their pen. DH thought my electric poultry netting would keep them contained. I don't think so...

Then in February there is an old fashioned "Hog Killin'" just up the road: http://www.oldsouthfarm.com/gallery7.htm . I couldn't make it this year but will try again next year. I love how you pay to attend... and then get FREE pork. They probably can't sell it due to all the regulations (same ones that keep me from selling my home processed chickens :( ) but no one can stop them giving it away!

-Wendy
 
Pigs are very smart. Make a sound when you feed them, a whistle or a word. They will quickly learn that the sound and bucket mean food. They will then follow a bucket anywhere.
wsmoak said:
I will be following this with interest! We have 20 acres of mostly hardwoods... when the acorns start falling (on the metal roof...) they just PILE up on both sides of the house, and all over the woods. Hickory nuts too (not sure if pigs eat those?) I think a couple of pigs would be easy to raise. Right after I get my perimeter fences fixed up.

From reading historical fiction I have this idea that I can take them out to forage in the woods and then (somehow?) herd them back into their pen. DH thought my electric poultry netting would keep them contained. I don't think so...

Then in February there is an old fashioned "Hog Killin'" just up the road: http://www.oldsouthfarm.com/gallery7.htm . I couldn't make it this year but will try again next year. I love how you pay to attend... and then get FREE pork. They probably can't sell it due to all the regulations (same ones that keep me from selling my home processed chickens :( ) but no one can stop them giving it away!

-Wendy
Click to expand...
 
catjac1975 said:
So you want to hear about pigs getting loose? We were young and inexperienced and I was a few months pregnant, and my husband was a young ex college football player. We were taking our 4 pigs to market in a borrowed horse trailer, with the owner driving the truck, 2 pigs in each horse stall. We were 15 minutes into the trip and a lady was riding along side smiling and waving for us to pull over. Each of us thought she knew the other one so we pulled over to see what was up.
One pig had piggie backed upon the other and jumped out of the horse trailer while we were doing at least 50 miles an hour on the entrance to the highway. We pulled the whole caravan around on the median strip of the highway and returned to find the lone pig rooting the grass near the highway. Within minutes 2 different farmers drove up "Heard there was a loose pig along the highway." (Pre cell phone days.)
So there we were, 3 pigs in the horse trailer one on the highway and one big door in the back. The pig was impossible to catch, as they are, until my husband got frustrated, and with all his speed and strength tackled the screaming, squealing 200 pound pig. Tackling and carrying the pig were two different things. And how do you get the pig in with out letting the other 3 out? The friend was a little more experienced and put a bucket over the pig's head. He kept backing up and we were able to guide him back to the horse trailer. Fortunately there was a small front door where the saddle was kept and they were able to get the little piggie in through there. Our friend kept saying that the pig just wanted to ride in the non smoking section. I think I have never laughed that hard to this day. My rounded baby belly hurt for days from laughing so hard.
Click to expand...
Oh my goodness cat! I don't know that I would have been laughing at the moment, but I am laughing with you now. I bet it was a sight to see as a spectator and being just a random passer-by! I'm glad you got the runaway pig back in safely. :D There is a never ending supply of farm stories isn't there? :lol:
 
wsmoak said:
I will be following this with interest! We have 20 acres of mostly hardwoods... when the acorns start falling (on the metal roof...) they just PILE up on both sides of the house, and all over the woods. Hickory nuts too (not sure if pigs eat those?) I think a couple of pigs would be easy to raise. Right after I get my perimeter fences fixed up.

From reading historical fiction I have this idea that I can take them out to forage in the woods and then (somehow?) herd them back into their pen. DH thought my electric poultry netting would keep them contained. I don't think so...

Then in February there is an old fashioned "Hog Killin'" just up the road: http://www.oldsouthfarm.com/gallery7.htm . I couldn't make it this year but will try again next year. I love how you pay to attend... and then get FREE pork. They probably can't sell it due to all the regulations (same ones that keep me from selling my home processed chickens :( ) but no one can stop them giving it away!

-Wendy
Click to expand...
Thus far...they have been really easy. They are super curious and social. They watch the cows, the cows watch them. Both secured a distance away from each other. They do love acorns that's for sure. I am not sure about the electric netting, but they stay a couple inches away from that electric fence I can tell you that. I bet you could get them contained with electric netting. (but then again, I am not the one that is going to be chasing them around the yard if it doesn't work!) haha So don't take my word for it!

I love how you pay to attend... and then get FREE pork. They probably can't sell it due to all the regulations (same ones that keep me from selling my home processed chickens :( ) but no one can stop them giving it away!

I think you are right on with this one! Sometimes you have to be creative. Like, if someone can't pay you for "XYZ" because of regulations, but they can donate grain to your farm or help you process your chickens. :D
 
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