The near PERFECT "working man's" PIG PEN Setup

[@valerieb12]

Thanks for sharing the layout of your hogs. It looks like you put some thought into it and have the ability to expand without much disruption to your current setup.

[@highdeseretranch]

Thank you Valerie, that is the idea. Work smarter and hard, and you do well.

[@robdye2192]

I see the benefits of confinement vs ranging setups. For me, I'm using the pigs to clear bush. So these little dozers are helping me out. I've had one escape in 12 months just using electrics and that was my fault as I ignored a grounding fault light for a couple of days. And when I saw escape, they were only a few metres away. I'm using modified spoke/ally system here to move them about, but they currently return to a central food and water area. The good thing is anything can be changed as the learning continues. ❤ 🐖

[@highdeseretranch]

Rob, absolutely pugs can be used to clear land, like has been said, pigs are mini dozers. So stout and powerful they are! They are some of the best animals I know for clearing thick vegetation, coupled with goats you have yourself clearing machines! Yes, I love to keep learning, even in his 90s my grandfather was still learning things! Thanks for watching and your comment. I Iearn, as well as others that read your comment.

[@joshuatillman9093]

How do you get the pigs to eat the brush. I bought a pig and it only eats feed from tractor supply and my wife’s fruit scraps

[@clay7051]

@@joshuatillman9093 type of pig and how they were raised before you got them will matter

[@Lazy-F-Acres]

@@joshuatillman9093stop or taper down what you’re feeding them…if they’re hungry, they’ll eat what’s available. Given the choice between brush and store bought feed or (even better) food scraps, of course they’ll choose the candy ;)

[@abequiner9815]

5:43 Boaromir, nice

[@BR7Fan71]

I couldn't agree more with the setup. We raised hogs for the freezer. We shared them with my grandparents every year. They are stronger than you expect. They definitely need a strong enclosure with hog panels

[@dont.ripfuller6587]

Destructive is subjective. Their wallows are great for ecosystem building for small animals when they fill with rain.

[@ryanconley5978]

Really like your set up! Question for you. If they are contained how is the odor? I know that is a loaded question but one advantage to moving them on pasture is the odor being somewhat controlled.

[@highdeseretranch]

Great question Ryan. With exception to the pen I mentioned in the video, and that was due to the worst winter in decades, with rotation, resting, and some lime the smell is kept to a minimum overall. Here in this climate, pasture raised pigs isnt even close to feasible. In places back east where annual precipitation is much higher pasture raised is more doable and feasible. Thanks for the comment.

[@bryank5450]

If you add big round bales of straw to those setups it will change your life. Much cooler ground temps and moisture holding. I've been having my pigs make compost from straw and wood chips, cow manure pack while in their pen and after a couple years it will be full of bugs and worms that add lots to their diet and entertainment. They really thrive

[@jamesbarbour8400]

This guy is the spitting image of Jake Busey, the actor !

[@harvestmoonmountain3699]

Nice layout

[@fiestyvixen9618]

Thank you I'll definitely be reaching out to the power companies about these posts!!

[@Juicawins83]

@highdeseretranch Using a netal barrel with water nipples is a life saver. No spillinf water and digging. How do you keep the feeder barels in place?

[@highdeseretranch]

I secure them to the fence with thread-all and some perforated flat iron bars. It spreads out the tension along the hog panel. Check out my playlist 'pigs/hogs', and there is a beginners guide to hog pens. I outline in detail what I have done.

[@humbleacres5106]

Nice set up, what are you feeding them?

[@rd_gyes7484]

I also am interested in the feed

[@johngreene6534]

enjoyed your video

[@highdeseretranch]

Glad you liked it!

[@johnblyth9787]

Several years back, a man I knew had a neighbour. He had a very large set up. Raised weaned pigs for a company. 5,000 every 6 months. As soon as one lot was gone, the next lot came in. He provided land, pens, water, and labour of feeding , watering, cleaning, etc. Company provided food, vet bills and transport on pigs. This was around 8 years ago. Every 6 months he had a cheque of $50 K. After he paid a few incidental farm charges, land rates, water charges etc he would have maybe $45 K a year after tax. Maybe more depending on tax right off. Top dollar at the time

[@highdeseretranch]

It's great to hear about some folks who made it work. It's a lot of work.

[@cultleader3572]

Dam I work a government job easy work making $60,000 a year plus ot and pension . And I work 5 hr days

[@thesmokinsalmon]

@@cultleader3572pays to be part of a cult

[@MarkWYoung-ky4uc]

I love your setup Robert and especially how you used recycled or home grown materials for a lot of it. I said once that the fellow that invented the bull dozer got the idea from watching a hog root.

[@highdeseretranch]

Thanks Mark. You have to reuse and repurpose materials. Plus, the tin, although several decades old is solid and to buy the equivalent nowadays would make raising pigs nesr impossible. Yeah, you get a sow or boar worked up and it would surprise most folks as to waht they are capable of doing. As always thanks for watching and your support!

[@MarkWYoung-ky4uc]

@@highdeseretranch You probably couldn't find new tin that good.

[@highdeseretranch]

@@MarkWYoung-ky4uc Ain't that the truth. These 12' lengths weigh around 20lbs!

[@colbystrawder4589]

How often do you put bedding down? I noticed some older straw in some pens. Have you ever considered Korean natural farming (knf) system?

[@trevorbeach9619]

Great set up sir. Watching your videos is helping me build my layout. How many litters to you get a yr out of one sow. We plan on running a small operation. Manly for keeping my freezer full but I was wondering about breeding and just a single sow with a boar, how many litters you get a yr..

[@highdeseretranch]

Glad to help folks out. I do a six month breeding cycle per sow.

[@trevorbeach9619]

Oh ok. Thanks and good luck

[@Kb-gh2rk]

What would you say about the efficiency of this set up for a small homestead that wants to turn a profit on their pigs as well? Would it be beneficial to have a small paddock to turn them out in as well or do they actually thrive more with the structure of a more confined and set space? We are struggling to find land in our area but have dreams of starting a real homestead and expanding to a fully functioning farm and I’m interested in using a layout like this for pigs but I need to do more research. The turn out for the land amount seems incredible.

[@tnkcards]

Great content thanks for sharing

[@highdeseretranch]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@nobreaks3305]

So for the bigger ones its the same set up really 4 feet in between the T post.

[@johnnyvannoy7180]

Nice set up !

[@highdeseretranch]

Thanks!

[@mr.mikesart7111]

Do you concrete the poles. I have one of my males I'm about to butcher, He continually raise the panels and goes under. Just t post every 4 feet East Texas 260# Mine are hampshire and love to root

[@cisco5400]

I think it looks good, well thought through. Since pigs like to experience things, i would like for them to have new branches each day or anything where they can play and figure things out. Thx

[@tammyzurlinden6328]

How much do you feed your pigs and how many times a day and what do you feed them including supplements?

[@Juicawins83]

@highdeseretranch Do you give tours. We live in utah as well

[@highdeseretranch]

Never thought about that. I reckon it's a possibility!

[@lynndellcox7078]

You have a really good set up

[@Tubefish07]

Good looking swine. Are you in Susanville?

[@highdeseretranch]

Utah

[@mckennahicks5259]

No electric fence what keeps them from jumping up mine would get out of that in a heart beat unless it’s cattle pannel buried 2 ft deep

[@cdjhyoung]

Your pen design is good, and having alley ways to route your hogs around is a good idea. You might find it helpful if your loading chute is a solid wall from the platform up to eye level for the pigs. First in prevents the pigs from hooking the fence to resist being moved. It also blocks their line of sight so they don't realize there is a possible escape path. I have concerns for building this as permanent on dirt. Hogs are highly susceptible to disease. They have their nose in the floor of these pens all the time. If you have a single disease out break, or even a parasite infection, you will never get these pens clean enough to break that cycle. We suffered two totally lost pigs herds because of disease. Protect them up front. The first way is to never allow outsiders to walk around the hogs, especially if they are also running hogs.

[@andypleasanton4451]

Do you feed them hay that’s in the picture

[@Jonathan32177]

I'm currently running 16x16 pens for my meishan mix hogs, they stand over 3ft at the shoulders and a little over 6ft in length .. 800+ pounds .. was considering shrinking the pens to 16x8 to expand my numbers. Which do you think would be best,... 16x8 with one or two hogs per pen.. or run larger and do community pens ?

[@highdeseretranch]

Depending on your soil type you might get away with a smaller pen. I will probably do a larger, community sow pen, but still keep the boar in a separate pen.

[@chintz7428]

How deep can they dig down? I have seen a guy throw rig mats down to keep them from digging into soft muddy soil.

[@highdeseretranch]

They will dig down but unlike a dog they can’t squeeze under the fence. My posts are 4 feet in the ground. The deepest I have seen them go is about 2 feet. But then they root around and fill the hole they dug.

[@chintz7428]

@highdeseretranch thank you!

[@kevinholbrook7174]

Hey Robert I love your set-up and it’s very convenient for loading and unloading your pigs! I was wondering how many pigs per pen? Like how many boars in one pen and how many sow pigs per pen even with the piglets and how many sows per mating pens? Thanks 🙏 for your hard work for your setup! Hope you have a blessed day!

[@highdeseretranch]

There are 6 pens. One dedicated pen for the boar and then the other pens for sows as they farrow. One is always resting and idle and I combine sows together so they learn to get along and then when they farrow they don’t get territorial with piglets which leads to problems.

[@saltrooster]

Hey….how do you prevent the pigs from leaning on, scratching, rubbing on the tin panels of the pen? my pigs seem to be super itchy as soon as they get on a little mud bath they then go straight for a rigid wall and start rubbing their itch out.

[@highdeseretranch]

I don’t prevent them. My tin is very heavy gauge and I wrapped the tin around the entrance posts. And I use heavy-duty spex screws at the end of the tin around the posts. I haven’t had issues with that method! I’ll do some more videos showing that in detail.

[@mr.mikesart7111]

Do you minimum me asking how much you feed a day in weight?

[@arthurquintana1345]

Do you feed your pigs hay in the winter or is that just for bedding. Are you pigs just fed a feed ration?

[@frankevans9949]

I don't see it....I'm 63,life farmer, livestock, 10 brood sows,2 boars, 100 capacity top hog finish floor. 1/10 acer is a myth unless inhumane

[@lucaslovell6914]

5 sows, 1 boar... Spring and fall litters??? If you average 10 piglets, you make your 100...

[@wingedcoot9853]

Inhumane? Is that your opinion or based on some acceptable standard? Real question don’t get mad. I’m in NC and have seen how SmithField runs their barns. They would put way more hogs in enclosures way smaller. Yet, they still operate.

[@highdeseretranch]

I keep the sows who give large litters. My last round I averaged 12 piglets per litter, every 6 months.

[@stevenhall9349]

@@wingedcoot9853it’s my understanding that Smithfield is now owned by communist China just saying I seen documentaries on how they raise their hog. No thank you

[@allthingsgrowing]

What is the intent for using lime in the resting pen?

[@highdeseretranch]

It reduces the odor from the urine and manure and breaks both down in the soil to make for good compost.

[@michaellutaaya168]

Good work Sir. Is it possible to visit your farm so I can pick/ share some ideas on how you guys do it over there? Am just starting the project in Uganda East Africa. Kindly give me an invitation

[@quentinjackson3778]

Hey not bad I can put some sheep in there 😁

[@highdeseretranch]

There is a reason why I don’t do sheep. Too much trauma from my youth😂 and helping my grandfather with his 2k sheep!😵‍💫

[@patricktano8053]

❤❤❤❤

[@abcd-mp6cj]

❤

[@carriida1313]

0:27

[@carriida1313]

👊🏽

[@jsmfarms71263]

🎉❤❤

[@sethcunningham2555]

Small feedlots…..

[@NathanDubose]

No crop

[@letsgetreal-df7pu]

100 pigs on 400 square metre's c'mon mate!

[@highdeseretranch]

With a 6 month cycle with 5 sows and piglets that are then sold after 8 weeks really isn’t as bad as it seems. There is a 20 acre field the piglets can run around behind the pens.

[@letsgetreal-df7pu]

@@highdeseretranch I Don't recall 20 acres being mentioned that changes the perspective!

[@highdeseretranch]

@ when I do videos in front of the camera there is stuff I just forget. Chalk it up to stage fright! The setup is right and if you had to you can actually run that many piglets sold at 8 weeks if you have a six month cycle and your sows have large litters like mine do. Thanks for watching and your comment.

[@lewisyeager2064]

More than a 1/10 of acre why you lie

[@DustinUhrig]

How do you know he's lying

[@RndmGuy48-t1b]

Not every acre is dedicated to pigs…….

[@DustinUhrig]

@@lewisyeager2064 why would you say they're lying when it easy to raise pigs on a small acreage

[@michaeljones4478]

Raising pigs in confinement is cruel & inhuman.... that many pigs in that small of a space breeds unhealthy & unhappy animals... shame on you

[@highdeseretranch]

I reckon I forgot to mention that the piglets can roam the 20 acres behind the pens as they do. When I drive to the city and see folks packed into 20 units an acre I think about the sad state of folks living that way and the children who grow up with no yards and no space to play and roam. So the 20 acres the piglets have to play and the 6 pigs when they aren’t taking care of piglets have to roam seems just fine.