# Can cattle and pigs be pastured together?



## CESpeed

Would they consider each other to be company or would it be better to have two cows and two pigs?

Ay, yi. yi....so much to learn.

Also I'm considering a donkey as an LSG.

Open ears....learning time!


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## WildRoseBeef

Hi CESpeed.  I already answered those questions in your other post in the Feed board: Cows and pigs shouldn't be pastured together.  And, I don't think you'll need an LSG.  An LSG is only good if you have a lot of big problems with coyotes, feral dogs, cougars, wolves and bears and your cows aren't enough to protect their calves and themselves.


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## Royd Wood

I'm sure someone somewhere runs pigs and cattle together but I've never seen or heard of it. 
My cattle and sheep are quite often together but the pigs live in the woods.
What preditors do you have in your area, not a fan of donkeys as I've seen a calf with a smashed up face from a donkey kick


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## animalfarm

My large black boar sometimes hangs with my belties. He is lonely with his girls off having babies. He stays with the cows whenever they are close to the barn but won't  leave the area where the girls are. He could if he wanted too. I plan to run pigs with cows next summer. My calves spent most of last winter breaking into the winter pig yard, so I gave up and opened the gates; pigs spent most of the time in the cow shelter and the calves in the pig shelter; sometimes they all crowded into one spot. I don't think there is a problem mixing them,  they can all cause a lot of damage though when they put their collective heads to it. I would want a minimum 6-10 acre pasture though if I didn't want it destroyed.  The trick will be to introduce them through a fence and to make sure they have enough space to stay away from each other while together.  I am not sure you have that. I am also able to do rotational grazing. I don't think I would try the donkey. If horses are anything to go by, they enjoy chasing the pigs and stomping on them; I keep them away.


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## CESpeed

This is why I'm asking questions before I have my farm. it never occured to me that donkeys would attack calves or the pigs.  After reading article about the cows attacking the bear, I feel better, so I guess the donkey is out.  I'm not really all that broken up about it; one less thing to have to research.  

If I had 10 acres to pasture two cows and two pigs (in separate pastures) would I have enough space to rotate them throughout the year?  Bearing in mind I'm thinking about having each momma have her calf different times of the year.  (I'd prefer to have them calve together, I have to check on frozen milk shelf life).  And I would do the same with the pigs.

If I did rotate, how often would I need to move everybody?


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## shawn MN

There are lots of "hobby farms" around were I live. They have Pigs, cattle, goats, and other farm animals all living in the same pastures. They all stick to their own animal group(s) and nobody has had any problems. My one friend has 5 cows, 2 fainting goats, and two pot belly pigs in the same pasture and they all get along great!


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## animalfarm

Ten acres sounds like a lot of land, but when keeping large animals, it really isn't.

 How often you rotate, depends on the quality of your pasture and the weather for each summer. If you don't start with optimum, you need to understock in order to support the animals and improve the pasture at the same time. If your pigs are busy rooting up half the pasture, it will not recover enough to keep the cows. I put my pigs in the problem pastures  because I want them to root. I keep a whole mess of chickens in with the cows and pigs as well. I never let my pastures get less then 4 inches tall (unless I want to do some seeding) and I like 1/2 the grass to be trompled; not eaten. That is because I am doing the long slow method of pasture renovation. It is working but it can be very difficult to do, when there is limited pasture and too many critters.

 I would suggest starting with just 2 cows. Wait one full year till you have learned the requirements of the cows and your land, and then decide if the pigs will fit in. Buy weaners in the spring and try it for a summer. If it doesn't work, eat them and just keep the cows.

 I had to make the decision to utilize a hay field for more pasture and buy some hay for winter to make it work. No one can give you a direct answer as to how much land or how many animals without seeing what is actually available. In my very LIMITED oppinion, what you are proposing is borderline but possibly doable. Choose your land carefully. Ten acres and half of it bog, won't do you a bit of good. Also make sure of any deed restrictions for livestock and stock ponds ect... before you buy. Find out about waterways; what you might think of as a seasonal spring run off ditch can be a creek to the water authorities, and there goes half your pasture. Is there a river/creek within 1/4 mile? Find out how that will affect your rights to graze animals if there is a town downstream.


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## pubwvj

I can't speak directly of pigs and cattle but we keep pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese together. This works out fine. We do managed rotational grazing with the larger animals. The poultry naturally follow the bigger grazers and act as natural pest control, breaking apart the manure patties, etc. I suspect that keeping cattle with the pigs would be similar to keeping the sheep with the pigs.

The one trick is during lambing the ewes should be separated from the pigs for a week or so until the lambs are up on their feet and fully agile. The pigs get curious about the new born lamb who is not able to move and is covered in amnio fluids. During that short period the pigs may even accidentally hurt or kill a lamb. Best just to keep them separate then.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop


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