If pigs call your farm home, make sure the size of their pen is dependent adequate. The size depends on the number of pigs you intend to keep. Ensure there’s plenty of space for pigs to roam around, eat and defecate. Also, it’s important to build pens in well-ventilated areas, as unventilated areas can cause poor health.
How to Build a Pig Pen
Step 1
Lay out your cedar posts, mocking up how large you’d like your pig pen. Make sure all sides are parallel and lined up. The pig pen can be designed to be square or rectangle. Leave room for the gated entrance.
Step 2
Dig a hole for the first post. This hole will act as a guide for the rest of your holes. Place the first post into the hole and attach the first cedar rail into the cedar post. Cedar posts can be purchased with these holes precut into the sides.
Step 3
Continue working your way around the perimeter, digging holes and placing the cedar posts and cedar rails, until you have the entire perimeter posted.
Step 4
This is an optional step. If you think any of your cedar post are not secure, try mixing some cement and pouring it into the holes. When the cement dries, the poles will be secure.
Step 5
Mount the gate, securing it with screws to the final pole placed. Use metal wire to secure it to the opposite side’s post. Leave the knot loose, so you can come and go, or install a latch.
Step 6
Wrap the 4-by-2 welded wires along the inside of the fence you've created. Use a staple gun to secure the wire to the posts and rails. The actual amount of welded wire you’ll need is dependent on how far apart you set your posts and how large you’d like your pig pen to be.
Step 7
Use your scrap wood around the base of the pig pen, filling any holes that may be present. This will prevent pigs from escaping through any unsecured areas.
How to Build a Pig Pen Shelter
Step 1
Create a rectangular box nailing together two 12-foot 2-by-4s to two 2-foot 2-by-4s.
Step 2
Saw an opening through the rectangular box. This will serve as your pig’s entrance, so make it wide enough for them to fit through.
Step 3
Create a second rectangular box on top of the first, using screws to secure the boxes together. Make the entrance taller, by sawing through the wood, directly above where you created the first opening, thus making the entrance taller.
Step 4
Continue to build on top of the rectangular box, until it is five 2-by-4s tall. Stop sawing the entrance after the second box, unless you think your pigs require a taller entrance. If that’s the case, continue to saw through the wood until the entrance is the right height.
Step 5
Secure a tarp around the top of your shelter, using the staple gun to hold it in place. This serves as the roof to your shelter.
References
Photo Credits
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Digital Vision./Photodisc/Getty Images
Writer Bio
Caryn Anderson combines extensive behind-the-scenes writing experience with her passion for all things food, fashion, garden and travel. Bitten by the travel bug at the age of 15 after a trip to Europe, Anderson fostered her love of style and fashion while living in New York City and earning her degree at New York University.
