Pigs are mostly known for frolicking around in mud, but as well as this, pigs need to be contained so they do not create problems around the paddock. Fencing creates a solution for this problem.

Controlled grazing works by allowing livestock to intensively graze a portion of pasture followed by rotation to a "rested" paddock. This permits plant regrowth on the grazed pasture while letting animals forage on the highly nutritious plants in the rested paddock. Livestock typically remain on a given paddock for as little as 12 hours and up to two weeks. The timing of animal rotations is based on forage growth in the paddocks rather than a rigid time schedule.

Barbed (standard and suspension) wire and cable fences are not effective for swine confinement. Woven wire fences with one or more strands of barbed wire (placed along the ground to discourage rooting) provide good hog control. Medium and heavyweight woven wire fences with small openings are excellent for restraining swine. Maximum fence height should be 54 inches. Fences built close to the ground prevent hogs from escaping by rooting underneath the fence.

A free range piggery is a piggery whose pig herd is rotated on pastures or cropland for all or most of their production life (e.g. sows are mated and farrow in paddocks, piglets are weaned and grown out in paddocks, or finished in shelters). Free range pigs are typically kept in distinct groups based on age, sex, size, and stage of pregnancy.

The fences of pig paddocks are typically electric, however, mesh, barbed or plain wire fences, or a combination of electric and wire fences are also suitable for confining pigs. Fences need to be adequate so that pigs cannot jump over, dig under or crawl between the wires. Some free range piggeries use temporary fencing and shift these to fresh land instead of rotating the paddocks. Whatever the type of fencing you use, train the pigs when they are young or when first purchased to respect the fences that border their paddock (e.g. by using an electric fence in front of a ‘solid’ fence in a small training paddock).

A quality permanent fence is recommended at the outer boundary to stop pigs escaping the property altogether and to prevent stray and feral animals (e.g. feral pigs, dingos and dogs) entering. Feral pigs may introduce diseases to your free range pig herd and the wild boars may mate with your free range sows, leading to lower productivity. Dingos, feral dogs and wandering domestic dogs, which are often attracted to free range piggeries by the squealing of pigs and the scent of carcasses, may attack and harass free range pigs, thereby increasing pig stress and pig losses. The erection of a permanent, pig/dingo/dog proof fence, effective disposal of carcasses and, if necessary, eradication programs, should minimise these problems.