If you followed my other thread, we're closing on some property next month and would like to start planning the layout of the land. As it stand now, there's what I estimate to be (2) 3-4 acre pastures on each side of the driveway. I will have a better idea of the size once I actually get a wheel and measure them. My goal is to have 2 meat cows, goats (most likely for the purpose of fun), pigs, chickens, and possibly some ducks and meat sheep. Has anyone successfully combined any or other animals in pens long term? At this point, we'll probably bring our chickens over when the time comes and just let them free range. I will probably end up starting with a 4 acre outer perimeter divided into 1 acre segments and let the cows rotate through each pasture. I think I'm going to elect to have the pigs fenced in a separate are so they don't ruin the pasture. I just don't want to have several pens where it becomes more of a petting zoo and increases time on a day to day basis. And yes, I'll be starting off slow and adding an animal or two each year. At this point, my wife and I are 100% committed.

I would also like to have somewhat of an orchard, but it seems putting animals in with the trees may not be the best idea. I may end up spreading the trees out over the property outside of the pastures. I have to give those honey bees something to harvest and pollinate

ETA 7/30 Livestock Guardians: Do they work in fenced in pastures? Ideally we would have one per fenced in pasture, but I don't see my wife letting me have that. I'm mainly concerned for the chickens and sheep. Predators that have been spotted in our area are hawks, skunks, raccoons, weasels, snakes, foxes, coyotes, and the very rare mountain lion. I will add a rooster to the flock and allow them to have cover in various locations so that eliminates the hawk threat. The others would be best avoided with a dog. If I'm utilizing electric fencing, is there a way to allow the dog to go from from one pasture to another or even to our house if needed? Do people have gates to allow for such requirements?

Cattle and goats would work well in the same pen, and it's pretty common practice in some areas, they each eat what the other doesn't like!

They both will strip small trees so you'll have to do the orchard thing elsewhere.

I haven't had a lot of experience with pigs and chickens, but I would think pigs need their own pen for sure and it might be best for the chickens too.

Check out Joel Salatin.

He's got some info on why goats aren't a long term thing that you should consider.

4 acres really isn't enough to subdivide. Your 2 cows and a couple goats  won't benefit from rotation. Just keep them in your 4 acre trap and if grass gets thin, supplement with hay.

Agree, except for the month of May, you won't rotate for enough feed. You should still divide your cattle pasture in half though, once they eat one down, move to the other or you will be re seeding. You may be constantly re seeding anyway. Make sure you have a third small area by the barn. They will always have access to this but  you will need to prevent access to the main pasture during week weather or pasture maintenance. This will be basically constantly destroyed, but that is ok.

Don't get goats.  ever. Goats and fun are not ever used in the same sentence as a positive. They are a massive pita.

Chickens around your fruit trees once the trees are tall enough to not get destroyed by the chickens as in leaves a good three feet off the ground is a good thing as a chicken's will help keep weeds down around the trees and keep bugs down. They won't dig in too deep unless that's the only area they have so there's no worries there. In fact if they're free ranging they likely won't dig hardly at all and just eat bugs they find and seeds that they find since it's a lot easier.

Chickens will get along great with cows in fact it's a good thing to have them in the pasture as they will tend to dig through the cow pies and spread them out so they dry faster and the faster you can dry The Cow Patties the less parasites and problems you have.

Pigs need their own place away from the other animals although the chickens will wander in there. Our pigs have gone after the chickens before but the pigs are nowhere near fast enough to catch his chickens. they would probably eat them if they do catch them eventually though.

My advice to you is set up automatic watering everywhere . try to centralize where all the animals are kept. if you keep them in the same Barn great but chickens always need their own building. The most ideal situation as a barn in the middle of the pastures and the animals have their own stalls and then go to their own side to their own pasture and are separated there. Except chickens of course they must be kept in their own building which should be at least 20 feet away from other farm animal buildings for disease reasons.

Pigs need very little if you you're having them just for meat. Again automatic watering with a pig nipple is the most ideal. Remember that pigs dig they will dig more efficiently than you can imagine you really do need a place where you can contain them and they cannot dig out which means cement.

No matter what animal you have make sure that you regularly give them a treat that only comes from you personally. Just make sure that even if they escape they will come back to you if you have a treat. Of course ideally you have the old metal bucket and they all know exactly what comes from that bucket and nothing else comes from that bucket. I can get back any of my animals with treats and they will escape eventually so don't think that you're immune to that. 

Lots of good info in this thread. Thanks. Ever used purely electric fencing for pigs? I'm thinking to run a low wire that way they can't dig.

Yup. I have a 5 wire electric for the pigs. They haven't broken out, be but I can't honestly tell you if they ventured far enough into the woods to find it.

If you end up getting LGDs make sure to get at least two, remember they are pack animals and work better as a team than by themselves.

An acre here may not be anything like an acre there, so hard to say what you can do where YOU are.


I had a LOT of old 4 and 6' chain link I got for free many years ago.

Hog pen is maybe 25 x 70, combination of old kennel panels and chain link with a hot wire on the inside, 2 or 3" off the ground about 4" from the fence.

They learn to avoid it within a day or two. Have never had one get out.
They dig a foot or two down but NEVER near the fence.

Most areas my soil is horrible. Less than an inch of topsoil and then either clay or sand, depending whete you are.
After a couple years first hog pen became a garden. 1 ft+ of rich goodness. Hogs till and fertilize for you.

Have seen folks make portable hog pens on skids. Think chicken tractor on steroids. Then drag it its own length every day or three.

Have dairy goats and no issues there either. Never had one get out.

 Pro tip from looking back many years.
DON'T. try to everything right of the bat. Take a year or two and get a feel for the place and the flow of things before you site everything.

Good luck

I don't think this is the case for all LGDs.  We have Maremmas and they do fine alone once they bond with whatever group they are protecting.  Our male, Leo, is with our female alpacas and is like a part of the herd going wherever they go.  It is more normal to have a single Maremma with a herd than multiple dogs.

What I had meant, was that if you have more than one, there is always one "on duty" while the other can rest. Also depending on the predators in the area one dog might not be enough. If you only have to worry about foxes and coyotes, then one dog can be enough, but if you've got bears, wolves or mountain lions you'll need multiple dogs to stand off the threat, lest they become food themselves.

I agree, I was just pointing out that single versus paired/pack might also be breed dependant.

Thank goodness I don't need to worry about large predators here- just pigs, dogs and the two legged ones.

Realistically with that small of a plot, maybe raising chickens and pigs is your best bet.  Cattle on a small plot will have to be on feed 24/7.  Any grass they eat will give them worms.  Goats suck and stink.  You can raise a large number of chickens in a small area, not to mention the eggs they provide, and you can pen hogs in a small area (away from the house) for pork.  You get anymore than that you will be feeding and cleaning all the time.