Feral Pig Fencing That Paid for Itself

Feral pig fencing can change the economics of crop protection when shooting alone is not enough.
On this Liverpool Plains property, electric exclusion fencing helped protect a crop, reduce pest pressure, and cut control costs.

On a 43,000 acre property in New South Wales, feral pigs were hammering crop paddocks and turning some areas into sacrificial country. In this episode of Farm Learning with Tim Thompson, I speak with local pest controller Andrew and Local Land Services pest animal specialist Paul about how electric exclusion fencing has changed the way feral pigs are managed on this farm.

The conversation covers why pigs keep returning to cropping country, why shooting, trapping and baiting still matter, and why fencing can become the first line of defence when nearby hills, scrub country and neighbouring properties keep supplying pest animals.

The paddock featured in this video had previously suffered heavy feral animal pressure. After installing an electric exclusion fence, the farm saw a major lift in harvestable crop, with the fence discussed as having already paid for itself through extra yield. The system has also changed pest control costs, including a large reduction in helicopter shooting over fenced cropping country.

This video is useful for farmers, contractors, landholders, pest controllers, agronomists and rural property owners dealing with feral pigs, deer, wild dogs or other pest animals around crops, lambing paddocks, water points and productive farm country.

It also looks at the practical side of exclusion fencing: fence power, monitoring zones, fault finding, maintenance, pressure from animals outside the fence, and why pest control still needs to be integrated rather than relying on one method.

For anyone searching for feral pig control in Australia, electric exclusion fencing, crop protection fencing, pig-proof fencing, pest animal control, thermal shooting, baiting, trapping, Local Land Services pest advice, farm biosecurity, or how to protect crops from wild pigs, this video shows a real-world example of how fencing, shooting and management can work together in a broadacre farming system.

Watch next on Farm Learning:

Farm fencing setups, energisers and fault-finding https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI-zA_zYCYC9K2xFN4I0r5_7FwlHk75G3
Pest animal control, exclusion fencing and rural property management https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI-zA_zYCYC_tabc_NH53iiGDVK1ioSt_

Details
Location: Liverpool Plains, New South Wales
Farm type: Broadacre cropping country
Main issue: Feral pig pressure and crop loss
Practice featured: Electric exclusion fencing for pest animal control
People featured: Andrew, local pest controller; Paul, Local Land Services pest animal specialist
Key themes: Feral pigs, crop protection, exclusion fencing, energiser power, fence monitoring, trapping, baiting, thermal shooting, helicopter shooting, farm biosecurity

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Share this video with farmers, contractors, landholders or anyone dealing with feral pigs or pest animals on productive country.

Comment below with your experience: have feral pigs affected your crops, lambing paddocks, fences or water points?

#FeralPigControl #ExclusionFencing #FarmFencing #AustralianAgriculture #FarmLearning

00:00 Feral pigs hitting a crop paddock
00:28 The pest problem on this Liverpool Plains farm
02:05 Why fencing changed the control strategy
02:44 The paddock that used to be sacrificed
03:17 How the fence paid for itself
03:56 Why shooting still matters outside the fence
04:34 Fence power, zones and fault finding
06:06 Does fencing replace trapping and baiting?
07:05 Helicopter costs before and after fencing
08:16 Are pigs just pushed onto neighbours?
09:29 Fence first, shooting second
10:50 Local Land Services and pest animal advice
11:31 Why feral pig numbers are increasing
12:36 Why 70–80% control matters every year
13:17 Protecting crops when neighbours do nothing
13:44 High-powered energisers and fence maintenance
14:28 Why pigs are hard to control in hill country
15:33 Lamb losses, disease and biosecurity risk
17:06 Integrated pest control that actually works
18:04 Where farmers can get help