Considering getting a couple pigs

[rbruno]

Hello All,
This is my first post on this forum. The chicken forum was very helpful in getting me started with my chickens, and I am looking forward to some great advice here. I am considering and looking into getting a couple feeder pigs. At this time, breeding is not in my vision of the future. But, raising a couple feeder pigs is my goal. I have several friends that have pigs and have been giving me a lot of advice. However, none of them also own horses. I was told by one person that pigs and horses don't mix. I have three relatively mild mannered horses. They are for the most part quiet on the trail and not what I would call "flighty" horses. My plan would be to use hog panels to section off part of my pasture for the pigs. They would not be in the same field per say, but they would be right next to each other separated by the hog panels or other fencing that I decide to use. They would also not share the same barn/enclosure. When I saw many people with horses as their photos, I thought I would ask if anyone has had any problems with their horses being neighbors with their pigs. I know all horses and pigs have their own personalities, but just curious if anyone has had trouble with horses and pigs next to each other.
Rob

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH Rob. Glad you stopped in. Since I don't have pigs (yet) or horses (ever), I'll try to tag a few folks who may be able to give you some answers. You didn't say where you're located and that may have some bearing (climate/humidity/heat/altitude/etc.), so folks may ask a few questions before they answer. If you decide to stay around with us (hope so), you really should put at least your general location in your profile. Meanwhile, browse around in the various pig threads and you'll find a wealth of information and shared experiences. Make yourself at home, and if you can, when you get your pigs, share a few pics. We all love pics here, just like on BYC, which many of us also started out on and are still members of.

@Mini Horses @mysunwolf @Baymule @secuono @misfitmorgan Those are the first to come to mind, but I'm sure there are others.

 

[rbruno]

Thanks for the reply. I live in central MD. We get all four seasons. Expecting a snowy winter according to the Almanac. We usually have hot humid summers. My plan would be to have the pigs in the spring and in the freezer by early November. My horses during that time are mostly on pasture and are out at night and in stalls during the day. The pigs would not have access to the same pasture as the horses. I am thinking about just carving out a section for the pigs.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I raised 3 feeder pigs this spring. (No horses)
How big a space do you plan to have? Keep in mind the pigs love to root and will tear it up bad. They won't need a huge space.

 

[Farmer Connie]

Start off with feeders. Start off small. There is a lot of hands on learning. They are escape artists remember. Don't let your investment get off your property. Get a food/diet plan prior to plunging. Feeder pigs need freewill feeding to get them to desired size as soon as possible. Certain food causes more fat content than others. Our window of op. is 250#. After 300 they are generally just aging and putting on more fat than meat.
Pigs DO NOT SWEAT. They will need shade and plenty of fresh water.
Health care is vital. A healthy pig grows faster than when fighting off parasites etc.
We commit ourselves to getting them to desired weight under 6 months. When we started back in the day, we spent more money on feed and the first one was way over a comfortable cost of raising them. Now these day, we manage health and diet to maximize growth while minimizing time.
We breed Heritage Pigs. Not all meat is the same. Our Berkshire meat is loaded w/marble a flavor which is in many ways different than our Hampshires. And the Bacon yield from our Old Spots are bountyfull compared to our Duroc. We like to cross breed our pigs to alter the taste and texture of the meat as well. Our feeders get a hefty supply of acorns to add a unique flavor. Breads/corn to add fat - you need protein to add meat. And a diet plan so you don't blow the budget..
Good luck with your venture!

Recent Berks...

Marbled Berk meat.

 

[secuono]

I had tiny pigs, horses licked them. Horse walking into pig pen, I had to help him back out.
Horse van walk over hog panels easily, so I'd add fiber posts and hot wire.
Why did mine go in? IDK.
Big hogs can injure horses and any with tusks can seriously injure horses.

 

[rbruno]

One Fine Acre, my plan is to have a 32'X64' pen and at lease a 8x10 hut and feed storage. I plan to only have 2 pigs.

Farmer Connie, my plan is to raise Berkshires. I believe I have a line on someone in my area who breeds purebred Berks. I have read about their quality of meat so I am hoping to go with Berkshires. Also, I have read that they have a pretty good temperament. As for feed, I am looking into a couple options for that too. I have a garden for my family and would plan to plant a separate garden just for the pigs. I work a couple blocks from a milk plant and was planning on reaching out to see about getting day old milk in small amounts. My farmer that I get hay from also does soybeans so I have talked to him about getting a quantity of that. I have several oak trees and walnut trees on my property so I was planning on collecting the nuts in the fall. I have not read yet of people giving walnuts to their pigs, but I did read about the acorns. If walnuts are bad, I wouldn't give them to the pigs. Plus I would be feeding regular feed to them. I see the other things I mentioned as a supplement.

Secuono, If the hog panels are that short, I might need something higher. I have a tall horse that can easily step over the second rail of a split rail fence, so I will have to be prepared for that. That is good that your horse didn't freak out when they got in the pen.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry I didn't mention you @Farmer Connie Completely slipped my mind about your extensive pig experience when he specifically mentioned horses...

A lot of folks just use cattle panels (4' x 16') as opposed to hog panels. Some use multi strand hot wire and I guess if they are trained to it at a young age, they'll respect it (until you unknowingly lose power and they see the grass on the other side of the fence/county).

 

[farmerjan]

Milk is okay to a limit when they are younger and growing. Pigs like it whether fresh or soured to the point of "holding your nose to give it to them" !!!! It will put fat on them as they get up towards butcher size. We feed milk to the younger ones and a limited little bit to the older ones cuz they love it.
Hog panels are less than 36 or 39 inches so yea they are shorter. Nothing wrong with them if you put a couple strands elec above to keep the horses out. Some horses don't seem to care, but the younger pigs will be very active and sometimes that will freak them out. Horses will try to get into the pig/hog feed... Pigs will root up pastures unless you "ring them" to prevent or discourage the rooting.
I see no reason to have any problem with sectioning off a part of the field for the pigs. Being next to each other shouldn't be a big deal.
Berks are a good choice and the meat does marble well. They do have pretty good dispositions in general. Never had any real concerns with ours. I also like Durocs and Hampshires. Had chester whites once, they were okay too. Since you are going to have feeders, if male they should be castrated so that there aren't as many issues with tempermant. Females can come in heat and sometimes be a little moody but not that big a deal. ANY HOG is an escape artist as stated elsewhere. They will dig up/under/around barriers. " But gee, we just wanted to go visiting...." as they run around wagging their little corkscrew tails....
Soybeans HAVE TO BE ROASTED... they cannot be fed raw to any livestock.
Don't have much experience with hogs and walnuts. The shells might be too hard on their teeth/jaw? Acorns give the meat a real good favor.

 

[OneFineAcre]

That's plenty big for 2.
You need to find a local mill for feed instead of buying from a chain like tractor supply. I bought mine direct for $9 for a 50 lb bag.