Questions for Walter, what are the best ways to feed pigs?

I want to raise pigs in paddocks using portable electric nets. I think the best thing is a trough the pigs can't move which I can reach from outside the paddock, but I haven't figured out how to do it. Here are the problems I've had.

1) pigs flip over trough wasting most of the liquid
2) pigs knock trough into the electric net
3) pigs wasting large veggies that I don't chop up
4) pigs trying to tackle me if I enter the paddock with buckets full of slop

I am also considering purchasing a creep feeder and bags of ground dry feed. I could bolt the feeder to their shelter and give them free choice dry feed all day, in addition to a trough for slop. Maybe this would make them less aggressive at slop time?

My leading trough design is to use half of a large tire and drive a T post in the center, this seems more difficult to push or flip than other troughs I have seen. What do you think?

ben harpo wrote:I want to raise pigs in paddocks using portable electric nets.

Pull them tight, clip the bottom lead, train the pigs to the electric. For larger grazing paddocks train them to polywire as it is less expensive. See:

ben harpo wrote:1) pigs flip over trough wasting most of the liquid

We set troughs into the ground and put rocks in the bottom or pour concrete in the bottom. By setting them into the ground the pigs can't get their snouts under them so they don't flip them. The rocks make the troughs heavier and give the pigs something to get purchase on to jump out when they get in.

ben harpo wrote:2) pigs knock trough into the electric net

Secure the trough. See above.

ben harpo wrote:3) pigs wasting large veggies that I don't chop up

They're not hungry enough. If they were they would not waste.

ben harpo wrote:4) pigs trying to tackle me if I enter the paddock with buckets full of slop

Feed from outside the pen or pasture. Setup a pipe and a tank to feed from or a funnel and pipe.

ben harpo wrote:I am also considering purchasing a creep feeder and bags of ground dry feed. I could bolt the feeder to their shelter and give them free choice dry feed all day, in addition to a trough for slop. Maybe this would make them less aggressive at slop time?

I've never heard of a purchased creep feeder. I would just build one. Do you mean a self-feeder? Those are supposed to work well with pigs because it stores the grain, keeps out vermin and uses the pigs instinctual habit of flipping things with their snout to lift the cover. I've never used one, just seen pictures.

ben harpo wrote:My leading trough design is to use half of a large tire and drive a T post in the center, this seems more difficult to push or flip than other troughs I have seen. What do you think?

This plays into their natural instinct to flip things so they'll work it until they succeed.