This article will look at exactly how Pigs and Goats get along.
As well as the benefits and the negatives of the two different animals living together.
It will also look at how they like to like and how their enclosures should be designed.
So, let us not waste any more time and get right into it.
Do goats and pigs get along?
It entirely depends on your own pigs and goats, and how they act around other animals.
It is difficult to say yes they do get along, or no they do not, by lumping them all into the same category, because they all have different temperaments and personalities.
But, when talking about the species as a whole, typically Pigs like to have their own space, and they need the company of other Pigs.
So, if there are other Pigs and even other animals around, they will probably get along with Goats pretty well, as they will more than likely just stick with the other Pigs and stay out of the Goats’ way.
Pigs are also known to be quite violent towards other animals.
They like to make it known that they are the boss and will definitely let their dominance be known.
In doing this they can seriously hurt or even kill other, smaller animals.
So, please keep this in mind if you do plan on putting Goats and Pigs in the same pen.
However, Goats are typically very friendly animals, and they will get along with just about anything.
They are very social animals, and it doesn’t matter the species of animal, they will more than likely get along with them, and be very happy to be around them.
However, it also means that they aren’t afraid of being near them, and they can and probably will eat the other animals’ food.
This may cause problems, so it is probably best to keep your eye on them to ensure that there isn’t any issues between the animals.
What are the positive effects of keeping goats and pigs together?
Unfortunately, there are more negatives than there are positives when it comes to keeping Pigs and Goats together.
However, the main (and possibly only) benefit of Pigs and Goats living together is the fact that you do not have to build two separate living areas for the two animals.
You can create one that will fit them both, and this will save you a lot of money, time, land, resources, and upkeep.
What are the negative effects of keeping goats and pigs together?
As stated before, there are more negatives than there are positives, and one of the main, and most common negative effects that you might face when keeping them together, is violence.
As previously discussed, Pigs can become very violent and they can even kill the smaller, baby Goats.
Which is something that I imagine you do not want to happen.
Also, when Pigs eat meat, they can become quite brutal, so it is probably best that you keep Pigs on their own.
So, you will feel as though you need to be supervising them constantly.
Some people have the time and the patience for this, but most people do not, so even though you can save money, resources, and land, by keeping them together, but it will take up a lot of your time; and can possibly even cause you a lot of unnecessary stress and worry.
Another negative impact that can come from Pigs living with Goats, is the fact that Pig feed can be very toxic for Goats.
It can make them very sick, and in some extreme cases, it can quite possibly even cause death.
The pig feed could be medicated, and Goats have very sensitive digestive systems, and even one small change to that can cause some serious problems for them.
So, keep this in mind, because as stated before, Goats are very sociable animals.
They do not care whose food they are eating; they will just eat it.
However, if you do decide to keep them together, you will need to ensure that the Pig food is out of the Goats’ reach.
To avoid them trying to steal it.
Not only will this, help with limiting the Pig’s violence, as they will not be getting their food stolen.
But it will also help keep your Goats safe and keep their digestive system intact and working as usual.
What shelters and fencing do goats and pigs need?
It is important to note that the types of shelter and fencing, that Goats and Pigs need are quite different.
Goats can live in a barn or even in a large shed (depending on how many Goats you own).
You need to make sure that there is at least 25-square-feet for every Goat, and that the building is well ventilated.
For their bedding, you can just use straw, but it must be clean and dry, and you need to ensure that all damp or soiled straw is removed before putting in new straw.
Goats are very adventurous animals; they like to go out and explore as far as they can. So, you need to ensure that you have a strong, stable enclosure, to keep them from escaping, but also to keep unwanted animals from getting in.
To do this, you need to ensure that you do not use cattle fencing, this is because Goats like to stick their heads through the wire, and they can get stuck.
The fence needs to be tightly woven to avoid them sticking their heads out and it should be at least five feet high. It is important to note, that you should never use barbed wire or electric fences. This is to avoid your Goats hurting themselves on it.
You also need to ensure that there is ½ an acre for every two Goats, this allows them to have plenty of room to go exploring. But, there also needs to be a good amount of shade available for them, when it gets to the warmer months. So that they have somewhere to cool down and get comfortable.
Similarly, Pigs can also have an indoor area, whether that be in a barn or in a shed. Pigs are considerably larger than Goats, so you should allow for at least 50 square feet per pig. The indoor area should also have good ventilation.
For an outdoor area, you need to ensure that there is at the very least 20-square-feet per Pig.
This is to allow them to have their own space if they need it, but it also gives them the opportunity to wander around if they need/want to.
Even in an outdoor enclosure, you need to ensure that there is some shelter for your Pigs, this is both to give them some space to relax and wind down, but it also allows them to cool down in hot weather, or to get a bit of warmth in the colder months.
The fencing for Pigs, doesn’t need to be as high or as secure as it has to be for Goats. Mostly because they are a lot larger, and they are not anywhere near as adventurous as Goats are. You just need to ensure that the fencing for Pigs, is sturdy and that there are no holes that are large enough for them to escape through.
It is also important to keep your Pigs, water and food troughs separate. This is simply to encourage them to exercise. They are not as agile as Goats are so they need a lot more encouragement to actually get moving, and this is an especially good way to do this.