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Author Topic: Rear your own piglets idea  (Read 27436 times)

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #15 on: February 26, 2008, 12:11:40 pm »
I have an agree ment that if someone needs to drop out if I keep half the amount paid.  Also they pay small regular payments rather than one large payment, helps a lot. 

Wonderful idea to do this with chickens etc.  Could be a great way to finance the purchase of turkeys or geese for raising for Xmas, and for people who want the free range ideal yet are limited financially its one way to avoid a large expense at the most expensive time. 


rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #16 on: February 26, 2008, 12:40:30 pm »
the idea does seem a very good way for the smallholder to make the best use of the market ,so to speak. One problem ,apart from those already mentioned, that may be hard to overcome is, a strike of foot and mouth or bluetongue or with poultry bird flu.... These are problems that would hit anyone with stock, but, it would need to be thought out carefully if money has already been taken for half a pig , or whatever , then  you lose your stock due to government rules or just can't move your stock for possibly weeks or even months. Is there any glaring mistake in my theory ? I know that you would have most of the money for the 'product' so therefore most costs would be covered, but not so if you have to feed x number of pigs for a few extra weeks/months !! This isn't said to put anyone off the idea , just to see what could be done to avoid someone going down the pan !!!
 
Russ

Fluffywelshsheep

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Near Stirling, Central Scotland
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #17 on: February 26, 2008, 01:07:06 pm »
a strike of foot and mouth or bluetongue or with poultry bird flu....

hehe that was my next point
I really like that idea especially for the chicken/turkeys, I would even concider the possiblities of doing if for next xmas

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #18 on: February 26, 2008, 02:56:20 pm »
Russ that is something that would need a lot of forethought, but for anyone rearing livestock these are things that have to be factored in anyway.  The difference would be if the "owner" backed out because the animal was bigger than they wanted although I can offer a smaller replacement under those circumstances, and would use the larger animal for bacon, not sure how it would work for turkey though.

stephen

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Kent
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #19 on: February 27, 2008, 08:39:28 am »
i think for things like foot and mouth, avian bird flu etc these are unavoidable! could put a bit in the contract between you and the customer / owner of the animal about acts of well i suppose god! ie if the country has a bird flu / foot and mouth etc epedemic and their animal has to be slaughtered under government orders then they would recieve no refund etc as it is out of your hands and was unavoidable, if you are under quaranteen and the animals end up staying for a month or two extra then the owner / customer should pay for the associated costs of keeping the animal as that would also be out of your control!

just read that and it does kinda sound a bit harsh towards the customer who just wants some decent, lovingly, properly raised meat but by entering into something like this they are kinda taking on the responsibilities of raising animals as back seat drivers! and if the country suffered a massive outbreak of one of those diseases then prices at the local tesco, asda etc would rocket so its not that unfair! and after all i assume those on here that do this scheme do it to make some money?!?

when we eventually get a larger space (seems like that day will never come!!) i plan to have several different breeds of turkey (love norfolk black's and crollwitzer) and several different types of chicken raised for people to buy and possibly phesant etc i know several already who would be intrested in something like this and alot more who would jump at the chance when it gets to x-mass, plus i think the idea of paying a bit over a couple of months appeals to lots of people at this expensive time of year.

not sure myself how it would work on the sizes of a turkey / chicken etc i suppose the purchaser could choose one they liked the look of, feed them all the same etc and charge a blanket price for them, some would be bigger and some would be smalller but the bird they would get would be the one they chose at the start??!! cant think of another way unless you raised some and sold them to people at the end going by the weight but then you run the risk of having too many for the demand, not being able to sell any etc etc

 ;D

carl

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #20 on: February 27, 2008, 09:34:38 am »
As I have said before, I have a couple of sponsored pigs on the go. They were due to go to the abbatoir this week. however the farmer turned butcher who has been helpful thusfar, and was taking them in with their pigs has suddenley become unhelpful. It has been a case of ." this week, I thought I said last week" and " sorry I lost Your number" etc. So now I have to start ringing round to organise something else. Meanwhile the sponsors have booked time off work to pick up pork which won't have been processed.So best laid plans can and will go wrong. It should all end allright, but I won't have made any money at all.

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #21 on: February 27, 2008, 02:04:57 pm »
Carl that is so depressing and hard for you.  It must be very disappointing.  On the bright side, your customers will be getting superb pork, with  luck they will not only want more next time, but will pass on your details to others.  My waking nightmare is if they went as far as the abattoir and were seized at that time.  Leaving me with the double bill for killing and disposal with having to repay the customer or find an alternative fast.  Hopefully thats how it will remain, just a nightmare.

stephen

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Kent
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #22 on: February 27, 2008, 02:53:40 pm »
that would be a plus for doing the same idea with poultry, you wouldnt have to worry about getting to the the abattoir etc and it would be alot easier to arrange the pick up's for the customers! although i imagine it could become very hard work if you ended up with masses and masses to sort!

carl

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #23 on: February 27, 2008, 03:43:19 pm »
There is a nightmare scenario of getting to the abbatoir, failing on one of many levels of red tape and having to pay for the disposal of your livestock. so i suppose its a case of fail to prepare and you prepare to fail. Although one abatoir I rang today knew nothing of the new food chain information forms that now have to be produced for pigs? Hopefully all will be sorted before too long. All part of the learning curve, and it will just make me wiser and more determined. The poor porkers don't realise what's coming, bless them.

nellie

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • Mont St Michel France
    • Vacation Normandy
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #24 on: March 02, 2008, 02:44:56 pm »
we offer this service with other smallholders in france via our website www.freerangefrance.com

We dont have a huge surplus so if anyone backs out we keep the meat for ourselves but insist on a large deposit so that we dont loose out financially!! :D

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2008, 08:16:14 am »
Thats worth noting thanks Nellie.

katelock

  • Joined Mar 2008
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #26 on: March 25, 2008, 09:41:25 pm »
I am sort of doing the same thing as one of my pigs is for two friends who will buy half each. Does any one have an idea of what price a pig will go for at about 160lbs (which is what my last ones weighed in at)? I will record the cost of feed etc, but interested to hear what others are charging. Kate

nellie

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • Mont St Michel France
    • Vacation Normandy
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #27 on: March 26, 2008, 10:31:43 pm »
Before you calculate a price remember to include not only the feed cost but the abbatoir plus your time ;)

If your pigs have a good life their meat will be fantastic- so dont sell it on the cheap ;)

stephen

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Kent
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #28 on: April 21, 2008, 01:34:36 pm »
With regards to prices:

http://www.countrylife.co.uk/news/article/175074/Raising_your_own_chickens.html

scroll down the page to the links.... some sell chicken for £21 a kg and others £10 / £15 and the pork prices vary as well.... i suppose you have to factor in the demand in your local area as well as the feeding costs etc

 :chook: :cow: :sheep: :turkey:

Jayhawk

  • Joined Apr 2008
  • Duns
Re: Rear your own piglets idea
« Reply #29 on: April 22, 2008, 06:51:30 pm »
I don't think this point has been raised (other than FMD). What happens if the pig you have sold and has been visited every weekend by purchaser and children, dies?
Old age is a privilege denied to too many

 

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