Thank you fellows for answering my question. All of Dad's were "topped out" outside on the dirt in about a two acre lot. Never worried about snakes in that lot - or any other lot where we kept hogs. No underbrush in there either but plenty of shade. I remember when it was time to make barrows out of the boars they would all still be in the farrowing house but the sows had been removed. We would put all of them on one side of the center aisle and I would reach in and grab one. If it was a gilt I would just move it to the other side. If It was a boar I would hold it upside down by its hind legs while Dad performed "surgery" with a razor blade. Sterilization was accomplished with a strong mixture of brown bottle Lysol and water and a can of blue lotion spray. There was always a couple of dogs handy to clean up the "mountain oysters." Today we would probably be arrested for animal cruelty. :-)