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Author Topic: Hog roast  (Read 6645 times)

nutterly_uts

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Jersey - for now :)
Hog roast
« on: July 24, 2015, 08:59:33 pm »
Does anyone do this as a business using their own pigs?
I know it is somewhat demand lead but roughly how many pigs are needed to keep it viable? What age/s of pig are best to do it with?  Any breeds recommended or to avoid?

Am wanting some pigs but I'm trying to get my head around numbers and what options we have with them. I don't know if breeding or just weaners at the moment

verdifish

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • banffshire
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2015, 09:21:20 pm »
Do you have a spit?  And a few grand to spare?  Oh and the relative certs from environmental and animal health?  Just a few of the hurdles to jump through before thinking about geting pigs?

nutterly_uts

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Jersey - for now :)
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2015, 09:31:21 pm »
Nothing yet - 50-100 acres of blank canvas and no urgency to get stock :)  still very much in the researching process. Money not allocated in any direction so far

Will look into certifications, Thanks :)

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2015, 01:33:20 am »
Start off with a couple of white pigs, raise them to pork weight and hire a hog roast and give it a try to make sure you enjoy all parts of the process before you commit to the full set up  ;)
It'll cost upwards of £5K for a basic set up, decent machine, gazebo, catering bits and bobs and a trailer to store/cart it all around in.....you could easily spend double though.
Breeding pigs to supply your enterprise year round will depend on how many roasts you plan on doing every week - 1 a week means approx 50 porkers a year and having them at the right weight at the right time (most machines have an upper weight limit - especially those with a spit) Assuming you can manage the feeding/stagger litters you'll be looking at 3 breeding sows each having 2 litters per year - a quick guess would see feed costs around £10,000 p.a......maybe more (for sows and raising weaners)
Once we factor in all our costs, we make around £150 profit from each hog roast......maybe I'm not charging enough  :innocent:
HTH

verdifish

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • banffshire
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2015, 08:00:21 am »
Karen how much are you charging? ????

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2015, 08:43:41 am »
£4 for a roll... Assuming 120 rolls (£20 from our local bakers), the cost of raising the pig (£250 - if you factor in cost of breeding/buying, feed & straw and slaughter charges), the cost of gas (£30) and all the other wee bits and pieces (gravy, apple sauce, stuffing, onions, napkins and condiments (£30)
That's obviously not counting things like petrol, insurance or a 'wage' for my time; preparing, 8 hours cooking/serving and the clean up time  :-\

nutterly_uts

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Jersey - for now :)
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2015, 09:33:18 am »
Start off with a couple of white pigs, raise them to pork weight and hire a hog roast and give it a try to make sure you enjoy all parts of the process before you commit to the full set up  ;)
It'll cost upwards of £5K for a basic set up, decent machine, gazebo, catering bits and bobs and a trailer to store/cart it all around in.....you could easily spend double though.
Breeding pigs to supply your enterprise year round will depend on how many roasts you plan on doing every week - 1 a week means approx 50 porkers a year and having them at the right weight at the right time (most machines have an upper weight limit - especially those with a spit) Assuming you can manage the feeding/stagger litters you'll be looking at 3 breeding sows each having 2 litters per year - a quick guess would see feed costs around £10,000 p.a......maybe more (for sows and raising weaners)
Once we factor in all our costs, we make around £150 profit from each hog roast......maybe I'm not charging enough  :innocent:
HTH

Thanks :) VERY helpful :)

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2015, 03:31:51 pm »
I know two or three people around here who do hog roasts. None of them rear their own pigs. I would suggest that you will need more outlets for your pigs than just the hog roast to give yourself flexibility and ensure you don't have a business based on feast or famine principles. Either set up as a hog roaster and buy in the pigs when you need them, or set up as a pig farmer and develop the market for what you produce, possibly including the hog roasts in your plans. Either way it ain't easy.

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2015, 10:20:43 pm »
Spot on Hughesy.
Unfortunately it would be more cost efficient for me to buy an outdoor reared commercial hog, rather than use my own wonderful, happy, tasty, pampered piggies  ::) We did once for a short notice roast when we didn't have any pigs ready. It cost me about £120 plus slaughter.....i can't compete with the big guys when it comes to costs  :-\

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2015, 07:47:58 pm »
HappyHippy yes it would be a much better business model formne to buy in pork to sell too. Not the same though is it.

JEP

  • Joined Oct 2011
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2015, 08:44:36 pm »
yesterday at nantwich show they sold hog roast £8 a roll and sold out


hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2015, 09:13:33 pm »
yesterday at nantwich show they sold hog roast £8 a roll and sold out
They'd probably had to pay about 2 grand for the pitch ;D

verdifish

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • banffshire
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2015, 11:46:06 pm »
yesterday at nantwich show they sold hog roast £8 a roll and sold out
They'd probably had to pay about 2 grand for the pitch ;D
and if they did 3 pigs they are 4k up!

Loobylou

  • Joined May 2015
Re: Hog roast
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2015, 12:47:20 am »
We had a party and hired the spit£120  bought the pig£120. Cooked it all ourselves, fed around 100 people and had some to spare. It's a great way to do it but the outlay cost is big but if you can get the customers and get to the big shows you could make your money back.

 

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