# Are there any "weeds" that are bad for pigs?



## TxHorseMom (Feb 21, 2011)

I discovered something recently, that I should have realized sooner, but because I raise my pigs for fun, (and a little profit if possible) I just didn't notice. 

I currently have 7 piglets in an 100'x80' pen. (aprox) and there isn't one blade of green left in it. They were trying to push under the fence to get at some weeds there the other day. I pulled a couple of the weeds and threw them in to them and they gobbled them up! I have some area's that are pretty weedy at my place, ie a cattle pen that currently has no cattle in it, that I've been pulling the weeds daily and throwing them to the pigs. About a wheelbarrow full. What I was wondering was, are pigs smart enough NOT to eat weeds/plants that are bad for them? 2 are about 6 months old and 5 are about 4 months old. If not, what weeds or plants should I avoid? Thanks!


----------



## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

> are pigs smart enough NOT to eat weeds/plants that are bad for them?


For the most part, as long as you're not restricting feed and giving them no choice but to eat whatever is tossed in front of them, yes. If they're HUNGRY and have only the unpalatable to choose from, they're going to eat rather than starve.


----------



## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Actually that's a good question about dangerous weeds - are there any dangerous weeds that should be removed from the pigs area?


----------



## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

TxHorseMom said:


> I discovered something recently, that I should have realized sooner, but because I raise my pigs for fun, (and a little profit if possible) I just didn't notice.
> 
> I currently have 7 piglets in an 100'x80' pen. (aprox) and there isn't one blade of green left in it. They were trying to push under the fence to get at some weeds there the other day. I pulled a couple of the weeds and threw them in to them and they gobbled them up! I have some area's that are pretty weedy at my place, ie a cattle pen that currently has no cattle in it, that I've been pulling the weeds daily and throwing them to the pigs. About a wheelbarrow full. What I was wondering was, are pigs smart enough NOT to eat weeds/plants that are bad for them? 2 are about 6 months old and 5 are about 4 months old. If not, what weeds or plants should I avoid? Thanks!


http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/noxious...e to Plants Toxic to Horses and Livestock.pdf

Quite a few. You will have to check to see which ones in your area are bad for swine.


----------



## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

gerold said:


> http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/noxious...e to Plants Toxic to Horses and Livestock.pdf
> 
> Quite a few. You will have to check to see which ones in your area are bad for swine.


http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/library/poisonous/page8.htm

Two that i have here in Missouri that you may have and really need to get rid of is Poke berry and Jimsonweed.


----------



## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Thanks Gerold! You're a peach!


----------



## TxHorseMom (Feb 21, 2011)

Yes, thanks! We _may_have the poke berry around, but I'm not sure. I'll be sure not to give them anything that looks even similar to that.

I feed them a 5 gallon bucket of grain 2 x a day, plus any "scraps" that I can get that are not post consumer. I also give them a couple loaves of stale bread a day when I can get it. (usually) so they shouldn't be so hungry that they will eat anything that is thrown in front of them.


----------



## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

The pigs better not eat my pokeweed! I'll be having poke salat and ham!

Seriously, never had any sign that the pigs have rooted them up and eaten them and we have a _lot_ of pokeweed, encourage it to grow so we can eat it every spring (hubby does, anyway, I'm not wild about it)


----------



## Dry Bridge (Jul 7, 2010)

CarolT said:


> The pigs better not eat my pokeweed! I'll be having poke salat and ham!
> 
> Seriously, never had any sign that the pigs have rooted them up and eaten them and we have a _lot_ of pokeweed, encourage it to grow so we can eat it every spring (hubby does, anyway, I'm not wild about it)


CarolT,

Since you mentioned it...do you have any direction on how to prepare poke salad? I've got it growing everywhere at my place here in VA.

Paul B.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

Given a choice, most critters will choose good feed over bad. I've always free choice fed my house pets and livestock. Since all the livestock roam free on my acreage, it's not a problem, altho I would pull out any plants I saw that are toxic/poisonous.

Go to your search engine and type in - plants toxic to animals. It's not just weeds, there's plenty of other plants that are also toxic, as you'll see on the lists. Not all plants are on all the lists. So check out a few of them.


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

One weed we have is one called Black Night Shade, it gets little clusters of green berries on them that turn black. They are deadly and will kill a pig in short order. > Thanks Marc


----------

