# Pen size ?



## missysid (Feb 21, 2006)

We are looking at buying 2 weaned pigs next spring and feeding them out til the fall (about October). We are in central IL and would like to run them on a pasture area with a run in barn on skids. The field I am looking at using is currently an alfalfa field which was planted 3 years ago so it is a good standing crop. 

What size of pen do you recommend for 2 pigs? Is it better to start small when they are younger and add on as they grow in size? Also how often should we move their pen to prevent excessive ground damage? 

We have checked out 3 books from the local library and are reading those as we speak. I am currently reading Raising Pigs Sucessfuly. There is a neighbor up the road that has pigs for his daughters 4-h project and I am planning on stopping one day to visit with him as well. But just trying to get a good idea of what to expect and plan for before we committ next spring. Thanks


----------



## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Start with a 16'X16' pen when they are weaners and then make it larger as they grow. Your eye will tell you how often to move them to prevent ground damage and insure the pigs are getting a good amount of food from the grazing.
Think on how you will handle providing a cooling pond or wallow for the hot days of summer.
Another good book on outdoor hog rearing is called "Dirt Hog" by Kelly Klober. Available from Acres, USA publication.


----------



## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

I raised mine from little pigs to 300lb hogs in a 16'x16' pen. They will wear out a piece of land like you cannot believe.


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Beeman said:


> I raised mine from little pigs to 300lb hogs in a 16'x16' pen. They will wear out a piece of land like you cannot believe.


That has not been my experience at all. I've actually been a little disappointed at how slowly mine have rooted up the land I plan to use as a garden in the spring. I've never raised them to market weight in a 16 x 16 pen...maybe if I limited them to a smaller area they would till it up better. So far I've had them in 1/4 acre and 1/5 acre pens mostly.


----------



## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

farmergirl said:


> That has not been my experience at all. I've actually been a little disappointed at how slowly mine have rooted up the land I plan to use as a garden in the spring. I've never raised them to market weight in a 16 x 16 pen...maybe if I limited them to a smaller area they would till it up better. So far I've had them in 1/4 acre and 1/5 acre pens mostly.


 Are you sure they're pigs? My pigs rooted so deep and ate every root and stem they could get near. This is with plenty of feed and slop and clean water. They softened the ground so much when it rained they looked like they had no legs. The woman I bought my pigs from had them on a large hillside pasture. The only vegetation remaining on the acreage was large trees. Every person I've seen put pigs on a pasture here winds up with a bare pasture and bad erosion as everything is on a hill.


----------



## PACrofter (Oct 11, 2002)

Farmergirl, how many pigs did you have in those pens?



farmergirl said:


> That has not been my experience at all. I've actually been a little disappointed at how slowly mine have rooted up the land I plan to use as a garden in the spring. I've never raised them to market weight in a 16 x 16 pen...maybe if I limited them to a smaller area they would till it up better. So far I've had them in 1/4 acre and 1/5 acre pens mostly.


----------



## missysid (Feb 21, 2006)

Thank you all for the post. Up North I will check with the library today to see if they have that book.


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

PACrofter said:


> Farmergirl, how many pigs did you have in those pens?


As many as 12 or 13 at a time, granted they were smaller pigs. My farrowing stall is in a large grassy paddock that always has one of my sows in it and always has plenty of grass growing too. They do root up small areas within the pen, but nothing close to the whole area.


----------



## PACrofter (Oct 11, 2002)

farmergirl said:


> As many as 12 or 13 at a time, granted they were smaller pigs. My farrowing stall is in a large grassy paddock that always has one of my sows in it and always has plenty of grass growing too. They do root up small areas within the pen, but nothing close to the whole area.


So, 12 pigs in a quarter-acre paddock works out to a stocking density of about 900 square feet per pig.

I've seen recommendations for stocking density - if you want them to tear up the sod - of about 2 square feet per pound of pig. For 12 pigs of, say, 75 pounds each, that works out to 1800 square feet, or about a twentieth of an acre. At full size of 300 pounds, they would be able to till up about 7200 square feet using that formula, or 0.15 acres. 

It sounds like you're giving them too much room if your goal is to break the sod. You could raise 12 pigs in a pen that starts at 40 X 45 and then expand it as they grow to 40 X 180. If that's more garden then you want, you can always put a cover crop in the extra space.

Beeman, you didn't say how many pigs you raised to 300 pounds in your 16X16 pen. That's 256 square feet, and if you've got two pigs at 300 pounds then they should be able to till an area of up to 1200 square feet. No wonder they tear it up!

Does anybody else have experience with stocking densities to test this formula? I don't have personal experience with it but if it holds for others I'll be using it next spring. Thanks in advance...


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

PACrofter said:


> So, 12 pigs in a quarter-acre paddock works out to a stocking density of about 900 square feet per pig.
> 
> I've seen recommendations for stocking density - if you want them to tear up the sod - of about 2 square feet per pound of pig. For 12 pigs of, say, 75 pounds each, that works out to 1800 square feet, or about a twentieth of an acre. At full size of 300 pounds, they would be able to till up about 7200 square feet using that formula, or 0.15 acres.
> 
> ...


No wonder mine can't put a dent in the sod! More pigs, more pigs! That's what we need  LOL I'm gonna try the tighter stocking density and see what that gives me. At least I know there's hope yet...


----------

