# pigs and goats same pasture?



## duckidaho (Dec 31, 2008)

I am putting up electric fence and would like to put the goats and pigs on the same pasture for a while. Any reason why this would be a bad idea? It's about a 1/2 an acre. 
Thanks.


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## Hagler's Farm (Jan 9, 2012)

The pigs will root it up and leave no grass, the goats will eat the pig food. I tried this with 2 pigs and 2 goats in a similar sized pen. I ended up getting rid of the goats because they where a pain, too naughty, got into and out of everything the weren't supposed to.


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## mitchell3006 (Apr 1, 2010)

There is a reason that sinners going to hell are referred to as the goats in the Bible!!!


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## Hagler's Farm (Jan 9, 2012)

mitchell3006 said:


> There is a reason that sinners going to hell are referred to as the goats in the Bible!!!


:hysterical:


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Pigs are also omnivores, which can pose a hazard to goats.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

We graze pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and sheep together, although right at the moment we have no sheep. The only time it is a problem is during lambing - separate then. Goats are about the same as sheep.

Pigs don't dig up our pastures - we use managed rotational grazing. See:

Rootless in Vermont | Sugar Mountain Farm

It works for us.

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
ButcherShop | Sugar Mountain Farm

Check out our Kickstarting the Butcher Shop project at:
Building an on-farm Butcher Shop at Sugar Mountain Farm by Walter Jeffries &mdash; Kickstarter


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## Hagler's Farm (Jan 9, 2012)

highlands said:


> We graze pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and sheep together, although right at the moment we have no sheep. The only time it is a problem is during lambing - separate then. Goats are about the same as sheep.
> 
> Pigs don't dig up our pastures - we use managed rotational grazing. See:
> 
> ...


The problem is they want to do it on 1/2 an acre. It MAY be possible if they only had 1 or 2 of each and intensively rotated, but even they I doubt that small of an area is enough to graze 2 pigs effectively, I don't think you'd get long enough rest periods for the ground to recover. Plus you still have the problem of goats getting into the pig feed, unless they don't feed grain, which most people do even though as you've demonstrated you don't have to.

I actually comend your operation highly and hope to run something similar one day. I don't mean to bash on you, just bring up the realities of most of us small guys.


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## duckidaho (Dec 31, 2008)

Hmmm. Good responses. I can't imagine our pigs letting the goats eat their grain. I think I'll meditate on a way to get them into separate rotations. Getting power to where I want it is an issue. affording solar electric chargers is an issue. We plan on running power to our barn area, 100 plus yards from the fuse box. But that too takes money. Hmm. Thanks guys/gals as always.


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

I would think that the breed and age of the pigs would mater even in a half acre spot.
My dairy goats and AGHs share pasture, but they are confined morning and evening for feeding then they all spend the day in the pasture.
I am still working on a plan for rotating the piggies around. I only have 3 to worry about right now, but the 2 gilts are about to burst.
Even the AGHs tear up pasture, but not too bad. It appears to be where there is poor quality grass and they are digging up the roots, or under some oak trees where I must have burried some acorns when working on the pasture.
I only have 4 goats and they know to stay out of the pig's "home" area. I have been training they to stay out and I know it is working because ocassionally they will still go in there and when caught they look guilty and run like hell. LOL They are funny! BUT THEY KNOW BETTER! It doesn't happen often any more.
I use pieces of cattle panels for gates going into the goats area. At these gates I have used 2x4s to build rail up to about 2 feet. The goats can easily jump over them, but the pigs do not climb them (so far).

I guess it depends on your animals and your set up.


SPIKE


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

Another problem with goats, that I have seen, is that, unlike pigs, goats poop whenever and where ever they want. As long as we have pigs by themselves, the shelters stay nice and clean, but, put a few goats in there and soon you have little black marbles in all of your shelters.

Doster&#39;s Heritage Farm - Home - colbert, GA


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

Farmerga said:


> Another problem with goats, that I have seen, is that, unlike pigs, goats poop whenever and where ever they want. As long as we have pigs by themselves, the shelters stay nice and clean, but, put a few goats in there and soon you have little black marbles in all of your shelters.
> 
> Doster's Heritage Farm - Home - colbert, GA


You are so right! LOL Goats really are great, but there lack of ability to control where they leave their waste is not one of their better qualities! LOL
That is why I have worked so hard at making my goats learn to stay out of the pig's house! They are smart as pigs, but all of them are hardheaded some times!

SPIKE


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Hagler's Farm said:


> The problem is they want to do it on 1/2 an acre. It MAY be possible if they only had 1 or 2 of each and intensively rotated, but even they I doubt that small of an area is enough to graze 2 pigs effectively, I don't think you'd get long enough rest periods for the ground to recover. Plus you still have the problem of goats getting into the pig feed, unless they don't feed grain, which most people do even though as you've demonstrated you don't have to.
> 
> I actually comend your operation highly and hope to run something similar one day. I don't mean to bash on you, just bring up the realities of most of us small guys.


It really depends on the number of animals, size of animals, pasture, soil and how one does the managed rotational grazing.

As just a dry lot (no managed rotational grazing) it is a disaster.

Divided up into a nine-square will work very well up to about 10 finisher size pigs per acre. Subtract some for the goats too as they are additional animal mass grazing that land. Add for how much supplementing you do. Consider follow grazing patterns. Consider adding poultry to the mix.

See:

site:sugarmtnfarm.com "nine square" OR "tic-tac-toe" - Google Search

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
ButcherShop | Sugar Mountain Farm

Check out our Kickstarting the Butcher Shop project at:
Building an on-farm Butcher Shop at Sugar Mountain Farm by Walter Jeffries &mdash; Kickstarter


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