[Paulie]

Just collected my 4 large blacks from the butcher, 2 wholes sold ( far to cheap ) and a half sold for a decent price. 1 half as sausages for me and 1 whole for me and to sell
 To family for joints. I might break even if I'm very lucky but that's my fault 

Plenty of room in my nice new chest freezer 

Butchers comments regarding the carcass were good ( not too fat no thin )  they came back at around 65kg each as chops and joints. I didn't get any kind of grading sheet which was disappointing and nothing is labeled  maybe I should have asked. I can't say I'm impressed with the butchery compared to my first experience with the lambs, I was expecting this to be better.
As for the killing cutting bill  I was a little shocked at £525.99.

But we have loved having the pigs and will have them again next yr but will do some thing differently.
And thank you to Charing pork pantry for all your help advice along the way! Even taking the to the abattoir for me !!!

[harmony]

We pay just under £45 for kill and cut up. Recently I had sausage made and that worked out at a £1 a lb. So my bill would have been considerably less than yours. Did you ask about prices first?

[Bionic]

We pay the same as harmony for slaughter/cutting and sausages. Vac packing is extra and works out about £16 per pig

[Eve]

Oh dear, I'm sorry but that's an awful lot of money for a kill and cut of 4 pigs. Could there have been a doubling up of charges?


Was the butchery the same as the abattoir or were the pigs transported to another butcher?


We pay around £36 for the kill and £30-40 depending on requirements for butchery per pig. No sausages though.


Were they the same staff as before? That can make a difference.

[CharingPorkPantry]

Hi Paul,

Really pleased everything worked out for you with your first pigs. I am shocked by that figure 

Have you got a breakdown of costs? If so we could have a look at it when I next see you, try and figure what they are massively overcharging for!

Don't be disheartened though, lots of people loose money on them the first few times and at the end of the day its a success as you ended up with a good product and you will be able to sell your next lot on that reputation 

Onwards to next year and new pigs!

 

[harmony]

Don't be disheartened though, lots of people loose money on them the first few times and at the end of the day its a success as you ended up with a good product and you will be able to sell your next lot on that reputation


You can only sell at a profit if you work out your costs and charge realistically. You can only know your costs if you ask what they might be. Then if you are charges too much you will know.


I would give them the benefit of the doubt, ask for a breakdown and then get it sorted. There may have been a mistake. It happens.

[Porterlauren]

That is extremely expensive!

It costs us £40 kill and cut up to 100kilo, with joints, chops etc packaged and labelled nicely, and in a nice white half pig box.

It is then £1.80 per kilo for sausages and £2.50 for gluten free sausages, which we get made from the scraps, some belly etc.

The butcher is extremely well respected locally, and that helps to sell it.

[hughesy]

How much weight of sausages did you end up with? That's probably where the cost has come from.

[harmony]

The post says a half into sausage - average 65 kilo pig - deboning and trimming off 32.5 kilo's -still expensive!

[Caroline1]

That is very expensive, I took 2 for cut and kill in June and had a full half made into sausages, total bill was only about £130. I would be asking for a breakdown of costs if that was me.

[Bionic]

Paulie,
As everyone else has said the cost was very expensive. Did you query it at the time?
I am only asking because it is possible they made a mistake.
I bought a few mls of something from my vets to dose the sheep. Along with that there was an examination for the dog too. It cost me about £132 (not sure I can remember exactly) It seemed expensive but I didn't query it. It was only when I got home and looked at the bill properly I realised that the sheep meds were charged incorrectly. At that price the bottle of meds, had I bought it, would have cost me in excess of £1000.
Spoke to the vets who were very sorry and recredited my account with more than £60
 

[Paulie]

I don't think it's a mistake, I did ring for prices first but as a first timer with pigs and it all being quoted in kgs I didn't try to hard to guesstimate my costs.

I was quoted kill £30/£38
Cut 1.70 per kg
Sausages kg £3.10 gluten free

My bill says

Killing dressing 2 @ £27.00 2 @ £35.00
Cutting 260.5 kg @ £1.50 per kg = 390.75
Plus a few pounds vets fees etc

[Porterlauren]

Looking at that, it's the butchery thats caused you the problems! I cannot understand how they can justify charging that!

I can't understand it at all. I take mine to a very well respected 'master butcher' with a thriving shop, and their own small slaughter house attached.

The charge is £40 for kill AND cut. . . . . so for my £40 they will turn a live pig into two half pig boxes, with leg and shoulder joints (sized to my request), belly pork pieces or strips, and a selection of chops etc

The only additional charge is for sausage making or mincing. Which comes in at a per kilo charge.

[Bionic]

I don't think it's a mistake, I did ring for prices first but as a first timer with pigs and it all being quoted in kgs I didn't try to hard to guesstimate my costs.

I was quoted kill £30/£38
Cut 1.70 per kg
Sausages kg £3.10 gluten free

My bill says

Killing dressing 2 @ £27.00 2 @ £35.00
Cutting 260.5 kg @ £1.50 per kg = 390.75
Plus a few pounds vets fees etc

Ouch - Pauli I guess thats an expensive lesson learnt.
I suggest you search out somewhere else for next time. You should get a much better deal.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Just collected my 4 large blacks from the butcher, 2 wholes sold ( far to cheap ) and a half sold for a decent price. 1 half as sausages for me and 1 whole for me and to sell
 To family for joints. I might break even if I'm very lucky but that's my fault 

Plenty of room in my nice new chest freezer 

Butchers comments regarding the carcass were good ( not too fat no thin )  they came back at around 65kg each as chops and joints. I didn't get any kind of grading sheet which was disappointing and nothing is labeled  maybe I should have asked. I can't say I'm impressed with the butchery compared to my first experience with the lambs, I was expecting this to be better.
As for the killing cutting bill  I was a little shocked at £525.99.

But we have loved having the pigs and will have them again next yr but will do some thing differently.
And thank you to Charing pork pantry for all your help advice along the way! Even taking the to the abattoir for me !!!

That's ridiculous. Couldn't the abattoir butcher it for you? mine butcher all my lambs and pigs for me at a very reasonable price