Pig Maze?

While we're on the topic of letting wild animals loose, I might as well write about what the pigs have been up to. They aren't yet roaming in electrically fenced areas like the bucks (and the rest of our animals), but they're getting there. 

A few days ago I expanded their pallet pen for a second time. This time I wanted to create a chute so I could easily sort them and also give them a little more space. During the rennovation I realized it was a great time to test their willingness to plow through the electric fence.

For a little background on the pallet pens you can check out my prior posts: Pallet Pen for the Piggies and Revised Pig Pallet Pen. If you haven't read about The Great Ossabaw Escape, you should start with the Ossabaw? More Like Lostabaw post.

During this particular pen expansion I left the interior electric fence in the same place and I removed one pallet from the wall. The removed pallet will serve as the "chute" and also as the fence testing area. Right now there's a whole separate area of pasture that the pigs can see, but only the electric wire stands in their way.

The Test

On the other side is more pallets and more electric wire, so we're not at risk of them escaping. That's why it makes a good test.

For the past three days they've lived with this temptation of the open wall, but they remained in their pen. That's good news. Maybe they understand that they're not supposed to go through the electric fence. After they're old enough to breed (January) I'll really test it out with only electric fencing. Oh boy.

However, I still plan to keep the pallets up even after they are free to roam. That's where they will be fed and watered. When we want to harvest a pig or sort it for breedng purposes it will be easy for me to catch them. Eat up Bristle, Beercan is the only boar hanging around this town.