Can I use pigs to clean up around my dwarf fruit trees? Will they hurt the trees while eating the fruit?

Question

I have heard that a good way to police a fruit orchard is to let pigs roam under the trees. They will eat the windfalls and fertilize as they go. I know pigs root around a lot, though. Would they be safe to use in an orchard of dwarf trees? Has anybody here done this?

Answer 1

I just read a report for a MASTER GARDENER in Texas who tried pigs the way you are asking. It was a disaster. The pigs went after the lower fruit still on the trees and actually broke off many lower branches. They also did damage to the tender bark on the trunks. Their dropping attracted bugs and flys some of which also went after the fruit and caused additional damage.

The pig experiment was a total disaster. Don't try it.

Answer 2

The more pigs the worse it'll be because they will root around, maybe even taking up the younger trees and eating off the lower limbs that they can get to. If they weren't dwarf trees it could work perfectly just so long as you keep a close watch on them to make sure they don't get foundered, or eat too many and get sick. I'd try out a few pigs first and go from there.