Raising Pigs

Latest Articles

Raising Pigs
Page 1, 2 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Livestock and Pets

Author

Message

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 06 5:33 pm Post subject: Raising Pigs

Our farmer is getting some GOS weaner pigs to grow on for food, and I'm thinking of asking him if we can add one or two to the herd for us to grow on. I've read through Nick Howe's excellent article, but have a few dumb questions.

How much, on average does it cost to provide food for a piggy from moving in to dinner status?

I saw from the article that two pigs cost ï¿½110 to slaughter - is this about average, and would just one be about half that, or is there normally discount for bulk?

Now really dumb question ... when they come back from the abbatoir, are they just whole dead pigs, or can you have them butchered to your requirements before they come back? If so, how much would that usually cost?

I not so worried about the keeping bit, as the farmer will do all that - just the costs involved, and the end product, so I'd be grateful for any advice.....

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 06 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Raising Pigs

It normally costs us around ï¿½30 a pig to kill & cut up, but that is for a porker & it goes on weight, so a heavy baconer will be more. It depends on your abattoir/butcher as to how they come back, we have an abattoir who also butchers, some will just kill & you'll have to get a butcher to do the rest (or yourself if you've got the ability)- ask them well in advance (around now) what services they offer.

Feeding cost really depends how heavy/age you kill them at. They eat about 1lb of feed for every month of age each day, so by six months they'll be eating 6lb a day each. Feed can be as variable as butchering cost, but @ ï¿½250/tonne that's ï¿½6-25 for a 25kg bag, so you could work that out for yourself.

High Green Farm

Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 9:01 am Post subject:

At around ï¿½6 a bag (which is what it would cost you to buy the bags directly), it should cost around ï¿½55 to feed from 8 to 24 weeks. Plus the cost of one weaner, lets say ï¿½45. It costs us around ï¿½55 for slaughter and full butchering (ie all joints boned and rolled, sausages made etc). So comes out at around ï¿½155 all in.

There can be a big difference in costs of weaners though ï¿½35 - ï¿½65. The farmer may well get them at the cheap end, and he may well get food in bulk, so cutting the cost down considerably. If I do 5 weaners then I can get the feed costs down to around ï¿½42 each, and that is still bagged feed.

Hope this helps.
James

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 10:29 am Post subject:
Thanks, Rob and James, that's really useful information. It will work out much cheaper than buying them by the half from the pig farm up the road, and I'll know they have had a good life too

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 10:49 am Post subject:

Penny wrote:

Thanks, Rob and James, that's really useful information. It will work out much cheaper than buying them by the half from the pig farm up the road, and I'll know they have had a good life too

And cheaper or not, it's sure to taste better

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 4:55 pm Post subject:

I've just had mine killed and butchered. It'll vary lots, from place to place, would be my experience.

I had 4 pigs, three a shade under 100kg, and one a shade over. ï¿½30 a pig under, ï¿½37 over, to kill and dress. I could then take them home and home butcher, but at this time of year I had them do it for me. Total bill for all four, killed and butchered was ï¿½280, so about ï¿½150 to butcher.

They also made sausages for a further ï¿½22 for 17kg.

Weaners cost between ï¿½30 and ï¿½60, and food will cost an amount, depending on how much you have to buy, what you buy, and how long you feed them for. It works out a shade under ï¿½200 per pig for me, but I confess I don't keep them to a fixed timetable, rather they fit around me, and I probably let them run to too much fat.

Penny, I'm only down the road, and you'd be welcome to come and see my next lot.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 5:31 pm Post subject:
On a similar note (and for similar reasons) how much is a bale of hay? ish will be fine.

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 7:15 pm Post subject:
about ï¿½1 - ï¿½2, depending on quality, time of year etc

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 9:48 pm Post subject:
That's what I thought - thanks.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 06 10:23 pm Post subject:

nickhowe wrote:

Penny, I'm only down the road, and you'd be welcome to come and see my next lot.

Thanks Nick - we'd love to do that, when the next lot arrive

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 06 4:37 pm Post subject:

Got one coming tomorrow

It's a large white apparently, I know nothing else about it. Farmer had to have two, so as not to keep one on its own, but really only want one for themselves, and was going to try and sell the other to friends. So when I suggested we would like to add one to theirs, they said immediately, that we could have the second one

Bloody hell, in the space of two days, we are now the proud owners of four chickens, and a pig

Wonder what's going to happen tomorrow

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 06 4:39 pm Post subject:

Penny wrote:

Wonder what's going to happen tomorrow

A cow?

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 06 4:46 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Penny wrote:

Wonder what's going to happen tomorrow

A cow?

Leonie

Joined: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 731
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 06 4:48 pm Post subject:
ooooh congrats Penny home grown pig is delicious, post a photo when you can

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 06 4:49 pm Post subject:
If you want to se your stock numbers soar: bees! From single figures to 10s of 1000s in seconds!

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Livestock and Pets	All times are GMT Page 1, 2 Next
Page 1 of 2

View Latest Posts