Autumn Acres Mini Pet Pigs

Outdoor Pigs

Many people decide to house their pig outdoors. Some start out that way, while others transition their pig into an outdoor pig after an initial period inside. I am not opposed to either situation. Not everyone wants a pig in the house and I completely understand that. Pigs generally love to be outside and as long as they are kept safe and secure, they thrive.

So what kind of things do outdoor pigs need? We will be answering this question in this article.

Outdoor Pig’s Fencing Needs

Fencing is a must when you are housing a pig outdoors. Fencing will keep your pig in while keeping out predators. Pigs are very strong and tend to test a fences capabilities. Because of this, fencing for a pig needs to be well built and secure.

A good size for a fenced in area is 8×15 feet or larger. In order to keep your pig safe, wood, chain link, or hog panels with T posts are best. We use hog panels and T posts with wooden panels for reinforcement. A gate should also be secure. We use a chain to keep the gate closed and a wooden beam as extra security. NOTE: A gate is only as good as the person closing it. We have had several mishaps because the gate wasn’t closed properly. Always double check that gates are secure.

Outdoor Pig’s Housing Needs

Pigs need housing no matter what climate you live in. A house can be purchased or built. Whichever option you choose make sure to check the following details:

Well insulated
Good ventilation
Safe
Secure
Appropriate for extreme weather conditions
Draft free
Door is large enough for a full grown pig to get through comfortably
At least 6 sqft
Appropriate bedding

If your pig is strictly outdoors, extreme weather will be a huge concern. Housing must be warm and draft free in winter. It must also have good ventilation and be well insulated in summer. There should also be enough room so that your pig can turn around, stand up and root around easily.

Your outdoor pig’s house should have bedding to make it comfortable. I prefer straw. I hate using hay for bedding because we had issues with mites after using hay. It took weeks to get rid of them. Blankets aren’t a good option in cold weather since they hold moisture and freeze. Some people use pine flakes or shavings (do not use fine pine shavings).

A Few More Tips for Outdoor Pigs

For our outdoor pigs, I like to make sure they have a friend so they don’t get lonely. Pigs are very social animals. They need interaction. Another pig is ideal but if you can’t have another pig, a kitten, tortoise, turtle, bunny, chicken, duck, skunk or ferret have been known to make great company for pigs. NOTE: Pigs are scavengers and have been known to eat small animals so don’t leave them unattended until you’re sure your pig understands that they are friends.

My pigs enjoy shade from trees and bushes on warm days. They love to root and explore and even make mud holes when it’s hot outside. I enjoy seeing them be pigs.

In cold weather, they stay mostly in their houses. Our building is heated and is very well insulated so that it stays warm even when it is very cold outside. A nice thick bedding of straw also helps. They root way down underneath and sleep for longs stretches of the day.

One more great tip for an outside pig is to put some patio stones or concrete pad in their area. It should be in a place that they walk over several times a day. This will allow their hooves to be naturally filed, minimizing the need for professional hoof trimming.

I have seen some people use pet air conditioners and heaters in their outdoor pig’s house. Those work great if you want to invest in one.

In Conclusion

Pigs need permanent housing when they live outside. There are limitless options when it comes to housing ideas. Pinterest has hundreds of really creative ideas. I will share some pictures below of what we use for our pig housing. Your outdoor pig won’t be too picky as long as you make it safe and secure.