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13/05/2010, 2:27 PM John M Joined on 13/05/2010 Posts 1 Can pigs be kept on sloping ground? Hello all, I can't seem to find an answer anywhere else, so I hope someone can help.  I'm looking to buy a new property which has 4 hectares of chestnut and oak woodlands, but they are on a hill slope.  I know pigs love woodlands but can they cope with rooting around and passing their days on sloping ground?   The hill starts off not too steep - ie has some kind of terracing, but in parts goes steeply into a small stream valley.  There is also another attached field where their housing would be located, but I wondered if the slope would be a problem.  I'm planning on the old traditional breeds for hardiness, but will it pose a problem for them and their well being? Thanks for your help.    Report

26/05/2010, 12:25 PM Swancombe Farm Joined on 16/10/2009 The Mendip Hills of North Somerset Posts 1 Re: Can pigs be kept on sloping ground? Dear john M. I keep 3 pet Kunekune pigs on very sloping ground. The terrene is a mix of grazing; paddock, rough grass & woodland. My pigs were bread on the Somerset Levels so until they came here they’d only been used to flat land. Initially it took them a while to work out how to get about on the sloping ground but being young (7mts) & intelligent it wasn’t long before they were running around as if they’d always lived there. The only problem I’ve experienced occurred in the wooded area. Due to the lack of undergrowth the ground became very slippery in the wet. On this particular occasion one of the gilts slipped & did the splits with her hind legs. A trip to the vets yielded a torn muscle & tendon. She hobbled about for a few weeks & was soon right as rain. Kunekune pigs are small & quite light compared to standard breads & they appear quite at home on our sloping ground. Kunekune’s don’t make good eating therefore I keep mine as pets. I have no experience of keeping commercial breads on sloping ground but other than the weight issues I shouldn’t think it would be too different to keeping Kunekune’s. Regards Dave. Making hay while the sun shines    Report

CountrySmallhol...LivestockPigsRe: Can pigs be kept on sloping ground?

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