The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Valleycommando on May 24, 2014, 11:52:19 am

Title: pigs and chickens
Post by: Valleycommando on May 24, 2014, 11:52:19 am
hi everyone just as the title says really i have 2 8 week old pigs on a nice bit of land and i was looking to get some chickens about 5 i have had the chicken coop built would it be ok to put them all on the same land or would the pigs try and eat the chickens when they are older i know people always say that pigs will eat the chickens but has anyone had any experience of the eating chickens

Thanks
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Marches Farmer on May 24, 2014, 11:58:58 am
Pigs are omnivores.  'Nuff said!
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: fsmnutter on May 24, 2014, 12:05:59 pm
My chickens free range, my pigs are inside electric fence (kune kunes)
The chickens take no notice and go in with the pigs.
I have never seen the pigs take much notice of them, and we certainly haven't had any eaten.
Can't vouch for any other pigs or any other breeds, but we haven't had a problem.
Good luck!
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: oaklandspigs on May 24, 2014, 07:24:50 pm
pigs won't catch the chickens unless the latter are sick.  But they'll quite happily eat the eggs, so if they lay eggs in the pig area !!

Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Kitchen Cottage on May 24, 2014, 07:55:05 pm
my piggies are very relaxed and in an acre.  The chooks regularly go in and steal their food and sleep on them.  I breed my piggies here.

When I bought in 3 middle whites raised indoors..... they were feral and they ate Anthea, one of my ex bats :(

the moral for me was.... judge your pig (and don't buy in from a large commercial farm)
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Cactus Jack on May 24, 2014, 09:36:41 pm
 My chickens, some of my ducks and my pot bellied pig/wild boar crosses all live happily together. In fact the ducks all snuggle up the boar. The pigs do eat the eggs though, but I look on it as free food for them.
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Cluckinggoodpoultry on May 25, 2014, 07:18:47 am
I had one pig out of all of them that loved to eat chickens and if she ever got out she would demolish the coops to get to them, all the rest of them are absolutely fine, so I think it depends on the individual pig, quite frequently my chickens eat alongside the pigs.
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Valleycommando on May 25, 2014, 11:21:41 am
thanks for the replies i have decided to try it and see what happens as the pigs are young they might be ok with them but we will see

Thanks again
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: hughesy on May 25, 2014, 12:23:40 pm
Our Saddleback boar has eaten a few over the last couple of years. Never had any problems with younger pigs though.
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on May 25, 2014, 11:56:39 pm
I'd be more concerned about the pigs wolfing down the chicken food, turning over their coop, and eating eggs than attacking the hens. We have tame-ish mallards that swoop down to eat the pig nuts at feeding time without any problem. The pigs find magpies quite entertaining, and follow them around as they hop about. We did lose one warren that wandered into a pig paddock. Just found a pile of feathers.
Title: Re: pigs and chickens
Post by: Valleycommando on May 26, 2014, 09:07:26 am
Thanks liz