# What to plant in paddocks after pigs are rotated?



## kaniacarpentry (Dec 15, 2013)

This spring will be my first time raising two pigs for butcher. I've gotten most of my info from this site and everybody seems so knowledgable and great! Thanks for all the info. I have a few questions though... 
I'm in south east pa and looking to raise berkshire, so if anyone knows where to get two, please let me know. 
What size paddocks should I have for two pigs and how often should they be rotated? I can then figure out how many paddocks I need. I only have about 1.5 acres to work with. 

I know they should not return to the same paddock for a min of 21 days, so what would be good to plant in there while they are not there? Also where to get the seeds to plant the paddocks. 
Thanks! 
Matt


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## kaniacarpentry (Dec 15, 2013)

Also I should mention the paddock area right now is just grass, weeds, etc. it has never had any livestock on it..... Is there something we should do to prepare it for the pigs? My wife and I are new to all of this we got chickens a few years back and are looking to try pigs now!


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I would plan on a much longer rotation than 21 days. That is a bare minimum for breaking parasite life cycles. The next minimum up is forage regrowth.

Here are some threads about things people are planting on pasture:
Start with this one:
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/pigs/205131-feed-4.html
and more here:
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/508933-pigs-clear-land.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/509066-does-hay-make-sense.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/509066-does-hay-make-sense.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/508184-growing-your-own-feed.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/508502-new-rasing-pigs-pasture-help.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/507390-planting-ideas-low-lands.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/507888-help-new-pastured-pigs.html
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/505550-pasture-planting-no-till-%ages.html


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

A lot will depend of the existing forage that you have right now. If your pasture needs reworked for pigs (probably will since you've never had pigs before), then I'd let them rip it up pretty good before moving them and seed either the day before or day after moving them. Wait until you have rain in the near forecast. 

I personally use dwarf Essex rape as the foundation for all my pastures here in NW PA. It grows like a banshee all summer long and once it gets about a foot high, the pigs can't keep up with it. It has just a hair less protein than alfalfa, but is easier to grow. I mix in all kinds of other forage with it including plenty of legumes, beets, turnips, rye, oats, and other things. Other than clover and trefoil, nothing I plant for pigs is more than about $1.50/ lb. Rape is about $0.80/lb around here.

For two pigs you can run them on very small paddocks initially. Once your pasture is tilled, fertilized (thanks pigs!) and planted to your liking you can expand your paddock size a bit. Don't outrun your coverage (forage).


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## kaniacarpentry (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks for the info! So if I'm reading this right just put them in the paddocks until they till the crap out of the existing land, then seed and move them to the next paddock? What would the ideal size of the paddocks be for just two pigs?


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

kaniacarpentry said:


> Thanks for the info! So if I'm reading this right just put them in the paddocks until they till the crap out of the existing land, then seed and move them to the next paddock? What would the ideal size of the paddocks be for just two pigs?


A lot depends on type of soil. Is it easy to work? I worked my ground first. Plowed, disk, etc. for just two pigs 4 areas would work fine. If you get more pigs later or other animals you could add more fences. And again soil type for type of grass etc. to plant. I got all my land worked up and planted and then got the pigs after the plants came up and was ready for the pigs. 

Alfalfa,Ladino Clover,Sweet Clover,Red Clover,Lespedeza all are good legumes to plant. Orchard grass,Tall Fescue,Timothy can be planted with the legumes to increase total yield. Check your local feed and seed store to see what is best for your soil and area. You can save about 1/2 on your grain bill with a good pasture. Plus have health and happy hogs.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

kaniacarpentry said:


> Thanks for the info! So if I'm reading this right just put them in the paddocks until they till the crap out of the existing land, then seed and move them to the next paddock? What would the ideal size of the paddocks be for just two pigs?


Yes, that's the idea. They may root up an area unevenly, but that's ok. Seed it all when you move them. Over time you may want to move your water and supplemental feeding areas around the paddocks as they tend to root a bit more where their feed is...you can even scatter some goodies like whole corn, or barley in with some scattered mulch hay and they'll tear the area up looking for kernels. 

Again, you'll really only need to do this rooting/replanting en masse initially to get your forage started...after that you can just "touch up" areas with seed. It also helps to let some forages go to seed so that they'll reseed themselves or with the help of the pigs. 

If you set up 1000 sq. ft. (say 20x50' or 30x30') paddocks you'll have roughly 60 paddocks within an acre and half pasture. This will give you more than enough rest time and regrowth time with only 2 pigs. Really this many paddocks is overkill, but like I said, you may want to mob graze them initially to root up the soil...or like gerold said, if you have the means to plow and disc ahead of time, mob grazing initially would be unnecessary. People always want hard and fast numbers when it comes to rotational grazing, but usually your forage will tell you it's time to move before your parasite calendar does.


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## kaniacarpentry (Dec 15, 2013)

We have great soil here! We don't have a lot of land though, and no heavy equipment to really work the soil. We have large vegetable gardens that I till up with a rear tine walk behind tiller and it turns over great. Our gardens have thrived every year ( all organic) I just pick a new spot every year, till, plant, and watch the stuff grow ! I'm in the contracting business and have done a lot of digging for foundations, decks etc for various jobs for clients over the years and have never come across soil as loose and easy to get through as ours. We had our septic system done when we bought the property and even my septic guy said he was amazed at how easy it was to dig. I'm not sure if that helps when it comes to pigs or not. My wife and I were both raised in a city environment and have no experience with any of this "farming" but every year were trying to do something new and it's really exciting. Our families think we're nuts haha


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

kaniacarpentry said:


> We have great soil here! We don't have a lot of land though, and no heavy equipment to really work the soil. We have large vegetable gardens that I till up with a rear tine walk behind tiller and it turns over great. Our gardens have thrived every year ( all organic) I just pick a new spot every year, till, plant, and watch the stuff grow ! I'm in the contracting business and have done a lot of digging for foundations, decks etc for various jobs for clients over the years and have never come across soil as loose and easy to get through as ours. We had our septic system done when we bought the property and even my septic guy said he was amazed at how easy it was to dig. I'm not sure if that helps when it comes to pigs or not. My wife and I were both raised in a city environment and have no experience with any of this "farming" but every year were trying to do something new and it's really exciting. Our families think we're nuts haha


You can get someone with a tractor to come in and work the soil up. Should be able to plow and disk up an acre in 3-4 hours. Ready to plant.


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## WildRoots (Nov 24, 2013)

I'm planning on fencing in what was a corn field last year and replanting for rotational grazing beef cows and pigs. We have the equipment to plow and disk, but can you just broadcast turnip and beet seed with the rest of the pasture seed? My husband said you needed a planter/drill?


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Broadcast works fine, although you'll get a bit less germination. I don't have a cultipacker or a drill, so I broadcast and drag an 8' barn beam behind the tractor if I'm doing a large area. If I'm doing just a touch up patch I'll either hand broadcast and rake, or I'll hand broadcast the day before moving the pigs and let them trample it in.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

WildRoots said:


> I'm planning on fencing in what was a corn field last year and replanting for rotational grazing beef cows and pigs. We have the equipment to plow and disk, but can you just broadcast turnip and beet seed with the rest of the pasture seed? My husband said you needed a planter/drill?


Corn seed is the only seed i use a drill to plant. I dress the ground good and flat after plowing and disk. After disk i broadcast the seed. I cut down a tree like 6-8 inches at the base and use it to drag over the field to cover the seed. Cedar or pine tree works good. I have a lot of Cedar so i use Cedar to drag over the field to cover the seed.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

WildRoots said:


> I'm planning on fencing in what was a corn field last year and replanting for rotational grazing beef cows and pigs. We have the equipment to plow and disk, but can you just broadcast turnip and beet seed with the rest of the pasture seed? My husband said you needed a planter/drill?


We can't use machinery on our steep, stumpy, stoney soiled mountain sides so we walk along hand broadcasting. We've done as much as 130 acres this way in a couple of weeks part of the day at a time. My sons like using the rotary hand crank broadcaster. I just toss by hand. It cover a swath 30' to 60' wide depending on the seed type. Cross cross bands work well. Storm seed, mob seed, frost seed and it goes into the soil with excellent germination.

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/?s=frost+seeding

Seed is far cheaper than feed. Timing the grazing cycle allows for self re-seeding and for the animals to spread the seed in their manure.

Small seeds work really well.


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