6 Best Portable Pig Pens For Temporary Pasture For Small Acreage
For rotational grazing on small acreage, the right portable pen is essential. We review the 6 best options, from electric netting to durable hog panels.
Watching pigs transform a weedy patch of land into freshly tilled soil is one of the great satisfactions of small-scale farming. Rotational pasturing is key to this process, improving your land while giving your pigs a healthier, happier life. But the success of the entire system hinges on one critical element: a reliable, portable fence.
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Choosing a Pen for Rotational Pig Pasturing
The first decision you’ll face is choosing between a physical barrier and a psychological one. Physical barriers like hog panels are heavy and strong, offering peace of mind that your pigs are truly contained. Psychological barriers, like electric fencing, rely on a memorable shock to teach pigs to respect a boundary, offering incredible flexibility and ease of setup.
Your choice depends entirely on your context. Are you raising small, quick piglets or powerful, full-grown hogs? A determined 300-pound sow will test a flimsy fence in ways a weaner pig won’t. The terrain matters, too; setting up rigid panels on a steep, wooded hillside is a lesson in frustration, while electric netting or polywire easily conforms to uneven ground.
Ultimately, the tradeoff is often between security and speed. Panels are nearly foolproof once installed but take significant effort to move. Electric systems can be moved in minutes but require a good charger, proper grounding, and—most importantly—well-trained pigs. There is no single "best" answer, only the best fit for your specific operation.
Premier 1 Pig QuikFence: Top Electric Netting
When you want a reliable, out-of-the-box electric netting solution designed specifically for pigs, Premier 1 is the standard. Their Pig QuikFence comes with posts pre-installed in the netting, making setup incredibly fast. You simply unroll it, step the posts into the ground, and connect your charger.
The design of this netting is its key advantage. The lower horizontal strands are spaced closely together to contain smaller pigs, while the higher strands are spaced wider. Its conductivity is excellent, ensuring a consistent and memorable shock along the entire fence line. This isn’t a multi-purpose poultry net repurposed for pigs; it’s built for the job.
The primary drawback is the cost. Premier 1 products sit at the premium end of the market. However, for a hobby farmer with limited time, the reliability and speed can easily justify the investment. You’re paying for a well-engineered system that minimizes setup headaches and maximizes grazing time.
Starkline Electric Net Fence for Versatility
Starkline offers a compelling alternative to premium brands, often at a more accessible price point. Their electric net fences come in various heights and configurations, making them a versatile choice if you’re managing multiple types of livestock. You might use the same fence for pigs one season and sheep the next.
While the core concept is the same as other netting—integrated posts and conductive wires—you’ll want to pay close attention to the specific product details. Check the number of conductive strands and the quality of the step-in posts. Sometimes a lower price means slightly less durable posts or fewer horizontal power lines, which can be a tradeoff for containing particularly stubborn animals.
For many small-acreage farmers, Starkline hits the sweet spot between affordability and functionality. It’s a solid workhorse product that gets the job done effectively. It’s an excellent choice for those starting out or for farmers who need a flexible system for various animals without committing to a top-tier, single-species setup.
Tarter Hog Panels for a Sturdy DIY Enclosure
For a bombproof physical barrier that’s still movable, you can’t beat classic hog panels. These are rigid sections of heavy-gauge wire mesh, typically 16 feet long and 34 inches high. You connect them to T-posts driven into the ground, creating an exceptionally strong enclosure that even the most determined rooting pig won’t get through.
Setting up a panel system is pure physical labor. You’ll be driving posts, hauling 30-pound panels, and securing them with wire or clips. Moving the pen is a significant chore, making this system best for paddocks you plan to leave in place for at least a few weeks. It’s not something you’ll want to move daily.
The major advantage is absolute security, especially for farrowing sows or boars. There’s no charger to fail, no ground to test, and no training required. If you’re raising pigs near a busy road or a neighbor’s prized garden, the peace of mind offered by heavy-duty steel panels can be priceless.
Gallagher SmartFence 2.0: All-In-One System
The Gallagher SmartFence is an innovative take on portable electric fencing. It combines four strands of polywire, 10 posts, and a geared reel into a single, integrated unit. This design makes it arguably the fastest system to deploy and retrieve for long, straight runs.
Imagine setting up a 330-foot fence line in under five minutes. That’s the promise of the SmartFence. You simply walk the line, stepping in posts as you go, and the reel system keeps the wires perfectly tensioned. It’s ideal for subdividing a larger pasture or creating long laneways quickly.
However, its design has limitations. The system excels at straight lines and gentle curves but is less suited for creating small, square, or irregularly shaped paddocks. For that, traditional netting or a custom polywire setup offers more flexibility. Think of it as a specialized tool: unbeatable for speed in the right situation, but less of an all-arounder than other options.
Behlen Country Panels for Heavy-Duty Containment
If Tarter panels are the standard for sturdy, Behlen Country utility panels are the next level up. These are often made with even heavier gauge steel and are built to withstand the pressure of larger livestock, not just pigs. When you have a large boar or a group of very energetic market hogs, this is the kind of containment that lets you sleep at night.
Like any panel system, the weight and rigidity are both a feature and a bug. They are incredibly durable and will last for decades. But moving a dozen of these panels across a pasture is a serious workout and is best done with a tractor or UTV. They are the least "portable" of the portable options.
Choose these panels when your primary goal is containment above all else. They are perfect for creating a semi-permanent "home base" paddock, a secure boar pen, or a safe farrowing area within a larger pasture. You might use electric fencing for the daily rotational moves and a set of these heavy-duty panels for the central hub where the pigs have their water and shelter.
Kencove Polywire and Posts for Custom Setups
For the ultimate in flexibility and affordability, nothing beats a custom setup with polywire and step-in posts. This is the DIY approach. You buy the components separately: a reel of polywire, a bundle of step-in posts, and insulators. This allows you to create a paddock of any shape or size, perfectly tailored to your land.
The key to a successful polywire system is getting the wire height and tension right. For pigs, you’ll want at least two or three strands. A low wire at nose-height (about 6-8 inches) is the most important, with another a bit higher to keep them from trying to go over. This system is lightweight, easy to modify on the fly, and works brilliantly on hills, around trees, and over rough ground.
The tradeoff is the setup time and learning curve. It takes more practice to string polywire effectively than to unroll a net. You have to manage the reel, thread the wire, and ensure good tension. But once you master the technique, it’s a powerful and cost-effective tool for managing pasture with precision.
Factors: Charger, Grounding, and Pig Training
No matter which electric fence you choose, it’s useless without three critical components: a proper charger, a solid ground, and trained animals. Pigs have a thick layer of fat and a stubborn disposition, so don’t skimp on the charger. Get a low-impedance fence charger with more joules than you think you need; it’s designed to push a current through weeds and tough animal hides.
Your grounding system is half of the entire circuit, and it’s where most people go wrong. A single, short ground rod is not enough. For a reliable shock, you need at least three 6-foot galvanized ground rods, spaced 10 feet apart, and connected to your charger’s ground terminal with high-quality wire. In dry soil, you may need even more.
Finally, you must train your pigs. Set up your new fence inside a secure, permanent pen for a day or two. The pigs will inevitably test it, get a memorable shock, and learn to respect the boundary in a place where an escape doesn’t mean a chase through the woods. A few minutes of training saves hours of headaches later.
The right portable pen is a force multiplier for the small-acreage farmer, turning your pigs into partners in regenerating your land. By matching your fencing choice to your animals, your property, and your available time, you can create a rotational grazing system that is both effective and manageable. The result is healthier soil, happier pigs, and a more productive homestead.
