Will Pigs Eat Chickens?

[McChooky]

This guy free ranges chickens with pasture hogs (not penned hogs) Probably the only way it would work

 

[Double Yolked]

Pigs are omnivores and will eat anything. Pigs are predators/carnivores by both choice and skill. They are, when it comes to diet and nature, the 4 legged equivalent to humans, and can be just about as bad natured, but without the opposable thumb (thank goodness!).
I've been around pigs most of my 68 years and I would not allow your pigs to free roam unless you have some SERIOUS fencing and a way to keep all small animals (Including children) completely away from them. The only thing more bloodthirsty than a pig is a lawyer. Especially one who smells lawsuit over dead or injured child or animal due to careless pig keeping.
If you really need a four-legged blackberry control? Get goats.

 

[MClean417]

I was going to post a link to the Pig explanation scene in the Movie "Snatch". OR a couple references in Dead Wood. The language, though informative, well it's just not acceptable in this forum. Both have to do with the subject matter of disposing of, well, things that have gone a fowl in the criminal world. The most important thing being "Don't trust a man whose raising pigs." On the other hand, are you raising pigs for meat or pets? I watch several farm blogs where they have a smattering of pigs, 3 in the one I'm thinking of but 1 is a pot belly and the other two are I forget but they're pet pigs and environments where there is ample feed, plenty of loving on so we're not talking your average large pig farm environment where you don't want to fall down for several reasons. Don't worry bout the smell so much, count your appendages.
And if you're ever in for a R rated laugh, Snatch is pretty funny. Dead Wood, is just grizzly.
I would just keep the chickens separate. They can get stinky enough without running through a pigpen.

 

[Doug Goolsby]

Good Morning
A pig will eat you if you was to drop dead in the pen ,Bones & all the only DEA from you would be found in there droppings thats a true fact ,have a great Christmas

 

[Old farmer at bFADFarms]

I respectfully disagree. Pigs will eat anything they can catch. They're a big part of the reason that wild turkeys and whitetail deer populations are being affected in areas where wild pigs are naturalizing- they eat the eggs, hens on nests, fawns and any young deer they can catch. I worked on a farm when I was a teenager where they had a hog pen and the hogs would catch and eat barn cats. If given the opportunity, they will eat chickens, too.

I have to disagree and agree. I have been raising chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, cows, rabbits, and Aussie dogs for 66 years now and yes pigs will eat everything but they are also opportunists. If it’s there and not moving it’s dinner. If it can run when a pig comes after it pigs learn fast leave it alone so the answers to both your statements are yes and no. A wild boar will catch birds, rodents, small game and eat dead animals. In a barnyard a well feed pig will leave them alone. I had 52 hens and 5 roosters, they where always flying over the hog fence, the adult pigs left them alone but once in a while the little squealers might chase an old hen but more than not they got a good peck on the nose and that was that.

 

[1cock2hens]

I keep pigs and chickens. My pigs never go after my chickens but if the chickens are going after there food the pig just might snap at a chicken. Chickens are in more danger of accidentally being smashed by a pig than hunted down and killed lol. I had a pregnant pig kill a bunch of chicks once but they really just were in the wrong place at the wrong time. None were eaten, all squished. Had them kill a few kittens too. And a turkey poult, that hurt the hardest.

 

[Birdinhand]

I grew up with pigs and free ranging chickens. We never had an issue. A well fed pig isn’t all that fast, not like a wild boar… and they tend to just not want to work that hard to get food when there’s plenty of feed. Theoretically possible but unlikely to actually be an issue.

 

[Jajika]

I want to let my chickens have access to the pigpen so they can have more room. Will a pig eat the chickens? We do not have the pigs yet, but I want the chickens to have access to the area the pigs will use and am wondering if I can safely let the hens into the pigpen after it is occupied by pigs.

I'm not an expert, but my initial reaction was "no." Just the size and weight of a pig next to a chicken feels really unsafe. It would seem they could get stepped on. But, I think you need to find a safer way to give your chickens more room. It could be a tragedy.

 

[birdlady11]

I've seen pigs catch, kill, and eat any chickens who jumped into the pig pen, especially since the pen was of a small enough size that the pigs could chase the chickens around easily until caught and killed. Loose in a yard together it is less likely the pigs could chase down the chickens. Pigs are fast but frightened chickens are faster.

I wouldn't take the chance of letting them in the pen with the pigs. It's all good until it isn't and then it's too late to wish you hadn't made that choice.

 

[cassie]

I have seen a hog grab a passing chicken and scarf it down, feathers and all, in less than two minutes flat. Some pigs will eat chickens. Some pigs ignore them.