Some time ago I purchased four pigs to fatten up. One of the four is for a paying customer and will represent my first foray into farming for money. I had a contractor hired to build me a hog pen my wife could live. The pen would have been on the uphill side of our garden spot, down hill from a water source, etc. I was feeling all permaculturally since my hog pen was intended to be a permanent modification that would have stacked useful functions including stacking bacon on the breakfast table.
However, . . . (I am coming to hate that word) . . . said contractor never showed up. The temporary housing temporarily housing said pigs is shrinking in proportion to the pigs daily. I find myself in need of alternate arrangements. My thoughts turned to electricity.
Recently Jack Spirco at thesurvivalpodcast.com interviewed a gentleman by the name of Mike Canaday. One of the topics they discussed was electric fencing. Mr. Canaday made some very specific recommendations such as his belief that has the best fencing on the market. Researching there I seem to be leaning toward the Pig QuikFence™ 6/30/12 Electric Netting ().
Appearances are that the company recommends using the Premier PRS 50 Solar Energizer which is rated at 0.5 joules.
However, researching other sources that do not sell equipment but rather have experience keeping hogs confined with electric fencing, I found they recommend hogs be kept in with no less than a 15 joule energizer.
There appears to be a massive difference between 0.5 joules that this charger puts out and the 15 joules recommended by those that actually keep hogs.
Do any of y'all have any experience keeping pigs confined with electric fencing and if so, what are the specs of your system?
Are there any 15 joule fence energizers that push 15 joules?