New Anatolian Shephard puppy - Questions

[AgnesGray]

Feeder pigs I’ve had would eat the roosters. I never put any other animal with pigs. Never.

I would not even put a grown dog in with pigs.

I agree with this also.

We have kune kunes in our back pasture, furthest from our house. Very docile sweet pigs. Mostly big babies with us that love their belly rubs but bit one of our puppies the instant she got near enough to reach. We have german shepherd sized coyotes and they've never messed with our kunekunes.

Feeders are going to be way tougher. They shouldn't need protection. I agree that your dog should be protected from them. Our neighbor told us about an old farmer that had his tractor parked between birds and pigs. Anytime a bird would fly up on his tractor and poop on the seat, he'd get angry and toss the bird in to the pigs and it was gone in a flash.

With feeder pigs especially (we are adding berk/durocs now), we never turn our backs on them and always feed them from outside the pen before going in. I would worry more about the pup with the pigs and less about the pigs needing the pup, because that is not likely to ever be the case.

I'm glad she is settling in and bonding with you all. She sure is a cutie!

 

[Ridgetop]

Our feeder pigs killed our geese. Your pigs will be protected by the dog being outside the pen just as well as in. In Europe, when we lived there, Belgian and Dutch farmers would run adult hogs in with the cows. However, we never saw hogs in with cows and sheep during lambing or calving season. If you have a lot of stumps and brush you want to get rid of, the hogs will root it up for you. If you have good grass pasture though the hogs will root it up and destroy it.

My friend, Erick, breeds Anatolians and keeps several of different ages in each paddock on his 50 acres. He has pecan trees and the wild hogs come in after the pecans. They knock down his fences to get to the pecan trees. He has a flock of goats in that pasture and 3-4 LGDs to protect them off BUT last year the hogs killed one of his older Anatolians. She was a 10 year old experienced bitch and although the 2 young Anatolians - 12 and 18 months - that were in with her tried to drive the hogs away, she was killed. Probably because she was such a good guardian that she did not allow the hogs to chase her off.

Five of his dogs also killed a very large cougar that had been killing sheep and goats all around him. It took 2 adult experienced Anatolians and 3 pups, aged 9, 14, and 18 months old, to take out the adult male cougar. Some injuries.

Even cougar usually don't try to take a pig from a group. Hogs in a group will attack the predator as a group and kill the predator. Pigs can be mean. They also eat meat and will eat what they kill.

 

[Baymule]

Yes. Pigs eat meat. Remember that and never fall down in a pig pen.

 

[Baymule]

@AgnesGray this is the thread where I built my Pig Palace. Don’t have to go in to feed or water. Much safer that way!

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/baymule’s-pigs-2018-herefords.37448/

 

[AgnesGray]

@AgnesGray this is the thread where I built my Pig Palace. Don’t have to go in to feed or water. Much safer that way!

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/baymule’s-pigs-2018-herefords.37448/

Thanks! I agree!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have American Guinea Hogs. I also have Anatolian Shepherd guardians. I have the dogs to protect the goats and chickens. The AGH's don't need protecting - they take care of themselves very well.

My dogs are of a decent size...the male being in the 125-130 lb range and they have a hate/hate relationship with swine. American Guinea Hogs are generally very docile but they do like their food just like any other hog and they are incredibly strong. Before my boar went to freezer camp I saw him take offense because my dog walked past him when he was eating. I saw this boar flip my125lb-ish dog through the air like he was a toy. He caught him under the chest with his head (thankfully not his tusks) and flipped him head over heels about 6 feet into the air. That's not an exaggeration. AGH's aren't even that big...the boar probably weighed maybe 200 lbs at the time.

Hogs are opportunistic feeders. If it's sitting still it's fair game. I had a rooster who loved to hang out in the pen with the pigs. He would dart in and out and snag some feed and they never bothered him - he was too fast for them to even try. However, one day the rooster got a little stupid and went into a muddy area of the hog pen and managed to get himself stuck in the mud. It was the last stupid mistake he ever made. He became pig food as soon as he was immobile.

With pigs/hogs - electric fence is your friend. BTW - your pup is adorable!

 

[AgnesGray]

I saw this boar flip my125lb-ish dog through the air like he was a toy. He caught him under the chest with his head (thankfully not his tusks) and flipped him head over heels about 6 feet into the air. That's not an exaggeration.

I have seen that flip and it's an incredible thing to watch! Always a good reminder of how strong they really are.

 

[Hideaway Pines]

I am glad to learn these things now, long before we get pigs or do something we regret with our pup. She will be kept outside her pen but very near them, I am now thinking we will create a separate area for the next critters, maybe alpacas or goats and she can be with them... but will just let her patrol the area for now. But again, we are a few weeks out from her doing anything. She was a bit young - I did speak to the breeder yesterday, they were born in the pasture/barn with her other big horn sheep. So, she is used to being outside. We have considered getting a rescue ASD from a place in Dallas that has a young male... thinking this could help her having a big dog to be with... but then that takes us to a total of 5 dogs... I am already over what I would have previously said was my limit so not sure about this... just tossing the idea around. If we do, I will wait till after the new year and see how she is doing then...