Do pigs clear land for you ?

BBH

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Can I ask if pigs are useful to clear land of creeping ivy and scrub before planting, or are they more trouble than there worth.

We have been offered a couple short term from a local farmer.
 
Judging by a field I ride past regularly, they'd clear pretty much anything that wasn't electrified... whether that's a good thing or not I wouldn't like to say
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They'll clear anything! Just make sure they can't tip their water over and it is securely fenced as they're a lot of fun if they get out which reminds me that two of ours are due for the freezer shortly!
 
My YO has 4 lovely pigs and they have cleared everything in their pig pen. In the summer they wander around a 2 acre paddock and eat grass but when the ground is soft they're put in a small corner and just root around in that.

So long as you can contain them - cos they're quite bright and will quickly suss out escape routes - I think they'll be just the job.

I think they're great fun.
 
yup they do - we got them for our front garden when we moved to the new house to clear it up and rotivate
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they are now in the freezer and we have a beautiful lawn
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They do make a mess but if you're planning to plough and harrow before you reseed it won't matter how much mess they make.

I was watching Countryfile the other day and there was a guy on there who uses pigs as part of his arable rotation, so after he's harvested crops, he lets the pigs on the land and they dig it all up for a few months. He then moves them off, ploughs the land and reseeds it and starts all over again. He has summer and winter crops so that there's always a field for the pigs to go to. I thought it was really interesting!
 
It's horse for courses really. Sheep will clear vegetation although if it's scrubby you're better off with goats, pigs will clear roots as well and dig some fairly big holes!

Either sheep or pigs are nice in the freezer.
 
LOL I don't want anything getting out I have enough of that with a bl@sted welsh sec d who I'd happily put in the freezer if he were mine
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Thankyou all for your thoughts
 
NOOOOOOO dont do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We had 3 and they trashed the field, horses and pigs don't mix!
Pigs are fine if there well fenced in (concrete
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) and have thier own patch that they can dig etc but they do make a big mess and take all the grass and create massive holes!!

Our pigs are now where i can keep my eye on them - in the freezer
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They will not only clear every plant in your filed, but roughly plough it too. I'd steer clear
 
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