6 Pig Fencing Options For Durability That Old Farmers Swear By

There’s no feeling quite like the one you get when you look out at the pasture and see an empty pen where your pigs are supposed to be. A good fence isn’t just a suggestion for a pig; it’s the only thing standing between you and a frantic, neighborhood-wide hog hunt. Choosing the right fencing is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make, directly impacting your stress levels and your farm’s success.

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Why Strong Fencing Is Non-Negotiable for Pigs

Pigs are not like other livestock. They are incredibly intelligent, relentlessly curious, and built like four-legged bulldozers with a single-minded mission to test every boundary. A flimsy fence is seen not as a barrier, but as an interesting puzzle to be solved with their powerful snouts.

They don’t just lean on fences; they root under them, push against them, and chew on them. A weak spot will be found, and once it is, it will be exploited. This isn’t maliciousness—it’s just a pig’s nature.

Forget the idea that a simple fence that holds a sheep or a goat will work. A pig can lift an incredible amount of weight with its snout and will systematically work its way under a wire that isn’t properly secured and electrified. Your fence must be a physical, and often psychological, fortress.

Tarter Welded Hog Panels for Ultimate Strength

When you need an absolutely bomb-proof enclosure for a small area, nothing beats welded hog panels. These are rigid, 16-foot sections of heavy-gauge wire, typically with smaller openings at the bottom to contain piglets and larger ones at the top. They are the gold standard for constructing sorting pens, loading chutes, and small, permanent paddocks.

The beauty of hog panels is their rigidity. You can fasten them to sturdy T-posts or wooden posts, and they won’t sag or stretch. A determined boar can run full-tilt into a well-installed panel fence and simply bounce off. This physical strength provides peace of mind that other fencing types can’t match.

The main tradeoffs are cost and flexibility. Panels are expensive on a per-foot basis, making them impractical for fencing large pastures. Their rigidity also means they are best suited for flat ground and straight lines, as contouring them to hilly terrain can be a challenge.

Red Brand Woven Wire: A Time-Tested Classic

For perimeter fencing on a larger scale, woven wire is the traditional choice for a reason. Unlike welded wire where cross-points can snap, the knots in woven wire allow for some flex and give, making it more durable against pressure from an animal or a fallen tree limb. It’s a formidable physical barrier when installed correctly.

The key to a successful woven wire fence is tension and strong corners. The fence needs to be stretched tight like a guitar string, which requires well-braced corner and end posts to hold the load. If the fence is loose, a pig will quickly learn to push its snout through and wiggle the opening larger until it can get through.

Look for a roll with a "hog-tight" designation, which means it has smaller, 4-inch or 6-inch vertical stays. This prevents a pig from being able to squeeze its head through the openings. While it’s a significant investment in posts and labor upfront, a properly installed woven wire fence can last for decades.

High-Tensile Wire with a Zareba Energizer

Electric fencing is a psychological barrier, not a physical one. It works by teaching the pigs that touching the fence is an unpleasant experience to be avoided at all costs. High-tensile wire, powered by a strong, low-impedance energizer like a Zareba, is an effective and economical way to contain pigs over large, varied terrain.

The setup usually involves running three to five strands of wire, with the lowest wire just a few inches off the ground to meet their snout. The success of this system depends entirely on two things: training the pigs and a powerful charge. You must introduce them to the hot wire in a secure pen first, so they learn to respect it before relying on it in an open pasture.

A weak energizer or a poor ground connection will result in a fence that just annoys the pigs, turning it into a toy rather than a deterrent. Always use a fence tester to ensure you have at least 4,000-5,000 volts on the line. The primary benefit is its relatively low cost and ease of installation compared to physical fences, but it requires consistent monitoring.

Premier 1 Pig QuikFence for Rotational Grazing

If your goal is to rotationally graze your pigs to improve soil and provide fresh forage, portable electric netting is a game-changer. Products like Premier 1’s Pig QuikFence combine the posts, insulators, and conductive wires into a single, easy-to-move roll. This allows you to set up and take down a paddock in minutes, not hours.

This type of fencing is incredibly effective for managing pigs on pasture, allowing you to move them to fresh ground before they do too much rooting damage. The tight weave of the netting provides a strong visual barrier, and the built-in electrification provides the psychological one. It’s the ultimate tool for intensive grazing systems.

However, electric netting has its own set of rules. It requires a very hot energizer to be effective, as any vegetation touching the bottom strands will drain power. It’s also not a great choice for heavily wooded or brushy areas where clearing a fence line is impractical. Think of it as an excellent interior or divisional fence, but you’ll still want a more permanent perimeter fence for backup.

Combining Hog Panels with a Low Hot Wire

For the best of both worlds, many old-timers swear by combining a physical barrier with a psychological one. Installing a single strand of hot wire on offset insulators a few inches off the ground on the inside of a hog panel or woven wire fence is an incredibly effective strategy.

This setup prevents the most common failure point of physical fences: rooting and pushing. The pig approaches the strong panel fence, but its sensitive snout touches the hot wire first. It gets a sharp zap and learns to stay several inches away from the fence line, never even putting the physical barrier to the test.

This combination dramatically extends the life of your expensive physical fence by preventing rubbing, pushing, and chewing. It’s an ideal solution for boar pens, farrowing areas, or any high-traffic spot where a breakout would be disastrous. The small additional cost of a charger and some wire provides a massive return in security and longevity.

Durable Oak Board Fencing for Permanent Pastures

For a truly permanent, multi-generational solution, nothing beats solid wood fencing. While expensive and labor-intensive, a well-built oak or locust board fence is as much a piece of farm infrastructure as a barn. It’s a statement that says, "pigs will be kept here, period."

The key is using rot-resistant hardwood and proper construction techniques. Boards should be fastened to the inside of the posts, so when a pig pushes against them, it’s pushing the board into the solid post, not pushing the nails out. A low-running board near the ground is essential to prevent rooting underneath.

This is not a solution for everyone. The material cost is high, and it’s not practical for rotational systems. But for a central paddock, a dry lot, or a permanent farrowing area adjacent to the barn, a board fence is an incredibly safe, reliable, and long-lasting investment that adds real value to your property.

Matching Your Fence Type to Your Farm’s Needs

There is no single "best" pig fence. The right choice depends entirely on your goals, your land, and your budget. The key is to think about the job the fence needs to do before you spend a dime.

Ask yourself a few key questions to narrow down the options:

• Is this a permanent perimeter or a temporary interior paddock? Woven wire or board fencing for the perimeter; electric netting or high-tensile for the interior.
• What is the pressure level? High-pressure areas like boar pens or loading chutes demand hog panels, perhaps with an electric backup.
• What is my terrain like? High-tensile and electric netting are great for hills and curves, while panels and board fences are best for flatter, straighter runs.
• What is my budget for materials and my tolerance for labor? High-tensile is cheapest in materials but requires careful attention, while a board fence is a major capital investment.

Ultimately, most successful pig operations use a combination of these systems. A tough woven wire perimeter fence provides the ultimate backup, while portable electric netting allows for efficient pasture management inside. Match the fence to the function, and you’ll keep your pigs safe and your sanity intact.

The right fence is an investment in peace of mind, allowing you to focus on raising healthy animals instead of chasing escapees. Choose wisely, build it stronger than you think you need to, and you’ll be rewarded with pigs that are happy, healthy, and exactly where you left them.