# fence for hog pen



## nccat (Mar 14, 2009)

I am wanting to build my first pig pen and have some questions. Would it be better to use hog panels or cattle panels? The area in mind I use for goats now and might in the future as well. I can get cattle panels cheaper than hog panels.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Since you are going to build a pig pen then obviously you anticipate containing pigs. Cattle panels will not do that. If I was going to build a pig pen that I expected to use for a long time I would not buy the panels that are electro galvanized such as sold at Tractor Supply. Instead I would shop around until I found a merchant that sell quality Grade 3 galvanized panels. The grade 3 may cost just a bit more but they will hold up for many years in a manure environment.


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## Shawhee (Jun 19, 2008)

I used cattle panels for mine as my pigs were not little enough to go through them and they were cheaper. It worked pretty well. Took one to the processor and she wieghed in at 229, still have the smaller one in there and she is probably about 150-160 lbs. So it can work. I was like you and had it for a goat pen. It was my old buck pen - use what you have I say. I think as long as they are fed well they will not want to be too destructive and get out. Just my 2 cents.

Shawna


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## karenbrat1 (Jun 25, 2009)

The cattle or ranch panels' horizontal wire spacing is not as close together near the bottom as on the hog panels. So if you have little piglets, they can squeeze through. If this is not an issue they should work fine. Just make sure you tie (to tee-posts) or staple them (to wood posts) tightly because as they get bigger they can easily lift up the panels and go out to lunch. Posts at each panel end and at least one in panel middle, two would be better. I.e. a post every 5-1/3 feet.

Price is cheaper here too ($20 ranch panel, $24 hog panel) because they order the ranch panels 800-1000 at a time and get a price break.


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## bruceki (Nov 16, 2009)

Cattle panels have uniform hole size, and when the pigs are smaller they can get their head stuck in the mesh. Hog panels have a smaller hole on the bottom so that the smaller animals won't get stuck. 

If you have an electric fence, just about any kind of solid fencing will work -- just string a hotwire on the inside. I run a pastured pig operation, but I have to condition the weaner pigs to respect the electric fence, so I use what I call a pinball pen. You can see a picture and description on my blog, here.

Another choice that's lower cost than hog panels is woven wire fences.  You'll see 48" tall versions called "dog kennel wire" or "no climb horse fence". It's not as tough as a panel, but works fine when combined with an electric fence. You can see some pictures of my perimeter fence here. 

Eventually you get to the point where the pigs respect the electric fence, and you can then move them around your acreage pretty easily. 

In my operations, my pastures have a perimeter fence of field fence, and even without an electric fence they don't really bother with it. if they have what they need inside the fence and are content, they really don't test the fence much once they understand the boundaries.


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## bruceki (Nov 16, 2009)

Oh. One thing about electric fences and pigs is that you never want to electrically fence your gates. The pigs will remember the electric fence there and it becomes very difficult to move them through a gate, even when you remove the wire and open the gate. 

I have several pigs who remember every place the electric wire has been in the 4 years I've had them, and watching them walk across the pasture and avoid where the fence used to be 2 years ago is pretty funny.


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## nccat (Mar 14, 2009)

Yeah ,I have fencing experience,just put up about 1300 feet of Stay Tuff fixed knot fence and 800 feet of 7 strand electric high tensile. I have no experience with pigs and was wondering why do people use the shorter hog panels when they don't have piglets(usually feeder pigs),when the cattle panels are cheaper. I understand about the smaller squares, but unless you have small pigs?


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## bruceki (Nov 16, 2009)

I use the shorter panels because they're easy to step over or lean over. So for me it's ease of use. and pigs just don't jump very much. They're pretty content to hang out as long as their needs are met. 

You can see some farrowing pens I constructed with short hog panels here.

Cattle panels I do use, but for roofs if I have a sow that wants to jump the fence. You roof the stall until she has her piglets and the she's content to hang out without a roof. 

Bruce King / ebeyfarm.blogspot.com


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We use combination panels. They are cattle panel height and spacing at the top, but hog spacing at the bottom.


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