Pigs & Horses

[1ofEach]

Are there any potential problems housing them in the same barn, minus the smell? My fiance is building my barn in about a month so want to make sure there isn't anything I need to take into consideration. I have no concerns about my 2 horses, both have been exposed to tons of animals and doubt they will even bat an eye at them.

[JSwan]

Nope.

Pigs are very clean animals.

If you are not pasturing them and are just providing a yard outside the barn just keep it clean the way you would a horse paddock.

My pigs do not smell. The goat stall, on the other hand, needs to be stripped. (I deep litter them over winter)

[Robin@DHH]

For a truly hysterical discussion of horses and pigs, read the discussion
written by Karl Maerz about his mare Primrose and their encounter with
pigs. Found at http://www.acornnmr.com/ncdc/pig.htm

[county]

I have my 27 year old stallion housed next to our boar pig all winter its a guy thing behind the barn. No problems at all the pig is much cleaner then the horse.

[Kairoshorses]

A small pig literally wandered into our place one day a few years back, and my three horses ADOPTED her....she herded with them, she slept in the round bale at night, and she ate their food with them out of rubber feed tubs on the ground. These are "piggy" horses, and they ALL let her eat with them! And while they wouldn't let the dogs get near their legs, the pig could wind around their legs and they didn't bat an eye.

The funniest thing was when I'd go for a ride (or even ride in our outside ring)....the pig would come, and it didn't simply sit in the middle of the ring...it FOLLOWED us. We had to take frequent "pig breaks" because it was huffing and puffing so! On trail rides, too. It was a hoot.

Because of our "covenents and restrictions", we weren't supposed to have pigs on our property...so I never contained her (we eventually named her Frances Bacon). But she stayed pretty much in our pasture for almost a year, until she got older (and a LOT bigger), at which point she decided that it was fun to root in our neighbor's pecan trees...and they complained. So I asked the nice young man who put up our fences (and who kept pigs) if he'd like her...he took her, and I opted not to know anything after that. :(

[anonymoustip]

For a truly hysterical discussion of horses and pigs, read the discussion
written by Karl Maerz about his mare Primrose and their encounter with
pigs. Found at http://www.acornnmr.com/ncdc/pig.htm

So funny. Just snorted coffee on my desk and keyboard. Thanks for sharing this story!

[1ofEach]

Thanks for the story Robin, very funny.

Fiance calls the pigs stinky, but he also calls the horses stinky too. He probably just worked at a dirty pig farm (and from his stories it was), which is why he has that opinion. Glad that they aren't stinky with proper care.

I think he just intends to have an outside pen for them separate from the horses. What type of fencing would I need for the pigs if I did want to pasture them? I do believe he intends to keep the steer with the horses.

[JSwan]

You need very strong fencing for pigs, especially if they don't have rings. One pig isn't too bad - but multiple pigs focused on a single areas can make quite a mess and a large hole in a matter of minutes. Very diligent animals.

Wire mesh or hog panels in their yard, with metal or wood posts may work best. Or you could try hot wire - I've not tried that so I have no idea if it works or not.

Mine graze with the steers.

[1ofEach]

Thanks JSwan. That's what I thought, they are very, very naughty with fences. I think they'll get just a pen for now.

[JSwan]

For the OP and county (or anyone else) what breeds do you raise?

[county]

My wife raises American Guinea Hogs she has www.sugarstonefarm.com I feed out some commecial hogs each year although sine my wife has gotten into the Guinea Hogs I think I may quit and we'll just eat what she doesn't select for breeding stock. There very easy to maintain and feed they live mostly on hay and grass. Very easy to keep in a fence also in summer we just use a hot wire and move them aroiund. In winter just some hog panals work great.

[JSwan]

WOW, county. That is a gorgeous hog. I don't think I've seen that breed around here. We've got Old Spot, Berkshire, and Tamworths. Wait - there may be one farm south of me that is raising those.... or a similar breed. There are so many. And you're right - the taste of the meat bears no relation to what is purchased in the grocery store. But I have noticed that not all people like the taste.

It's hard to get ahold of feeders (here) and I'm not inclined to keep a boar and sow- though I'm always eager to try something new. Time well tell.

Mine are crosses (Duroc/Old Spot).

ETA - I see that some of your pigs have Virginia in their pedigree - so maybe that farm south of me is raising the same breed. I'll have to check that out.

[Maybeapril]

We have a potbelly pig who lives with the horse and mini donkey. They get along fine except for the occasional chase the pig game. My horse love to run around bucking and squeeling after the pig. The pig runs and grunts and hides behind trees. The donkey licks the pig's snout for some reason and then the pig rolls over to try and get a belly rub from the donkey. They are so funny!

[AnnaCrew]

I do not know, where do you live, but here pigs and horses are not a good match due to the winter temps. Pigs need much warmer boxes than horses during the winter thus:

a) barn is too cold for pigs but horse is happy;
b) pigs are happy but horse is too hot.

Also pigs produce a lot of slurry thus making air in stables less suitable for horses who requires dry, well aired stables.

In warmer climate it is probably not a problem but here with 6 mo of winter temps below zero (C) it is a problem.

[1ofEach]

Neat breed county.

He wants to raise Hampshires and Blue Butts. I'm sure as I see what kind of meat they produce, I may want to experiment with some crosses or other breeds.

[Indy]

I used to work at a barn with a rather large potbellied pig. She would frequently nap in the ponies' stalls when they were outside (picking up any stray grain they might have dropped first, of course). When it was time to bring in the resident of the stall, if she didn't get up we'd just leave her in there - she was a large, grumpy pig and interrupting her nap was not advised. None of the ponies minded being closed in their stalls with the pig, so we'd let her be until she wanted out. She would bang on the stall door when she was ready to leave and someone would let her out.

[JSwan]

When it was time to bring in the resident of the stall, if she didn't get up we'd just leave her in there - she was a large, grumpy pig and interrupting her nap was not advised. She would bang on the stall door when she was ready to leave and someone would let her out.

Pigs have a way about them, don't they. My old boarding barn had two pot bellied pigs. The pigs ran one part of the barn, and Mr. Peabody (mean African goose) ran the other.

We obeyed them all, as they expected. The owner would go to the fair and come back with a little bit of everything - then let them loose.

It may have looked like the set of Deliverance, but the horses were pretty bombproof.

The pigs once got stuck in their dog house and had a fight - the whole thing rocked back and forth and the squealing was pretty loud- that time the horses did beat a hasty retreat. So did the humans, for that matter.

Once one of them got loose in the pasture and the horses did try and play football with it - and I had always thought that horses and pigs just didn't get along. I never cease to be amazed by animals.

[county]

Actually pigs live in cold climates just fine this winter it got down to -25 to -38 11 times here and our pigs were outside 24/7 in 3 sided sheds next to the old stud who was in a 3 sided shed. Lots of bedding they love to bury themselves in it to help stay warm.

[Tamara in TN]

Are there any potential problems housing them in the same barn, minus the smell? My fiance is building my barn in about a month so want to make sure there isn't anything I need to take into consideration. I have no concerns about my 2 horses, both have been exposed to tons of animals and doubt they will even bat an eye at them.

clean smart animals that as long as you keep well bedded will be no problem...I have three right now waiting for may 3 to be used as BBQ for the volunteer fire dept that saved our barn and many a nice big litter has been born,bedded and lux-urated as nice as any TB broodie in KY:D

best

[theoldgreymare]

I have no concerns about my 2 horses, both have been exposed to tons of animals and doubt they will even bat an eye at them.

I will tell you from experience that some horses (even those exposed to diferent animals) will think pigs are fire breathing monsters who will eat them if they don't bolt and run away, as fast as they can, with their idiot handler dragging along at the end of the lead rope through a muddy field. Please don't ask me how I know this.

That said, our two pigs were definitely the cleanest and smartest animals here on our farm.

[Foxtrot's]

How about the time they put on an event on a farm with the dressage ring right next to the pig barn. Made for some very interesting dressage scores and a few upsets :)
The short, fat, been there done that ponies prevailed on that day.

[Tamara in TN]

[QUOTE=theoldgreymare;3978077]I will tell you from experience that some horses (even those exposed to diferent animals) will think pigs are fire breathing monsters who will eat them if they don't bolt and run away


yes,form what I have gathered watching them all these years pigs don't have a neck and shoulder attachment like goats or sheep or cattle or even dogs and that seems to wig horses out....to them, I think there is no front and no back and it just grunts and shuffles around....

and pigs being as blind as they are, can smell the horses but rarely feel brave enough to track over to them...then, when they do finally match sniff to sniff, the pigs jump away barking and slinging their tails....:lol::lol:

best

[asanders]

I know sometimes it works out fine. I've been to barns with PBP.

But, to many horses, the pig is a natural born enemy of biblical proportion. I used to ride near a farm that had pig pens and have seen them turn otherwise sane equines into raving lunatic monsters.

I have heard more than one story of someone transporting pigs in their horse trailer and not being able to get the horses in it again even after thorough cleaning.

The explanation I was given is that pig smell (which PBP don't usually generate the way a market hog would) is akin to bear smell. That pig farm caused trouble a year after the pigs were gone for horses that had only been there without pigs. It smelled like pig.

That, and as Tamara said, they look wrong.