Bob Burkinshaw

Can the strong smell of a goat buck "taint" the meat of our feeder pigs? We are raising our pigs in rotating pasture with some goats. The pigs are now between 150 and 200 pounds and the larger ones will be going to slaughter in a few weeks. They have got along well with the goats. Last week we introduced a borrowed buck to our little goat herd. He will be staying for about a month and is a lovely, sweet-tempered animal but he really smells! I am starting to wonder if sharing a paddock with such a smelly creature might bring a goat taint to our pork. The paddocks are nearly 1/2 acre in size but both types of animals tend to stay fairly close to each other and sometimes end up sharing each others' food and water.
Has anybody had feeder pigs in with a stinky goat buck? Did you notice whether or not the pork flavour or smell was tainted by the goat?

Grant,

I am delighted to have come across this. Do you supplement the pasture/hay diet with any dairy products? Some argue it isn't possible to raise pigs profitably on pasture alone without some supplemental protein such as waste dairy products but others say that it is at least possible, if somewhat slower.

Do you have any thoughts to add on that debate?

Thank you

I used some chopped Laurel leaves on our vegetables this year. At first I hesitated b/c of the smell and what I had read but decided to do it. The results were very good! Soil was kept moist all summer long with less watering than usual. No problems evident in any of the vegetables. Carrots, especially, have been the best ever. No worm holes!