Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: jent1964 on February 15, 2011, 12:52:30 pm
Title: taking pigs to market
Post by: jent1964 on February 15, 2011, 12:52:30 pm
i have been told you can sell pigs at market for stores! has any one done this, and what age and weight to they have to be!
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: robert waddell on February 15, 2011, 01:33:38 pm
if it is a market that sells pigs on a regular bassis no use taking them to a market if there are no buyers good luck
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: chickenfeed on February 15, 2011, 03:55:09 pm
take a look at melton mowbray market report the market prices are very low so you could end up out of pocket. i have just come back from market today a good show of pigs but very little money changing hands.
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: oaklandspigs on February 15, 2011, 04:36:53 pm
Ashford market last week
Description Top - Bottom - Average
Strong feeding stores - £ per head - 38.00 - 10.00 - 31.00
Small stores - £ per head - 25.00 - 2.00 - 13.90
Need I say more !
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: jent1964 on February 15, 2011, 06:24:17 pm
Thanks everyone thats really helpful info, just dont like the idea of slaughter!!! :(
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: chickenfeed on February 15, 2011, 07:53:38 pm
thats pretty much where they would end up after going through a market just more stressful leaving your holding taken to market then loaded again and onto a holding until slaughter weight or straight to slaughter..............i much rather take ours straight to slaughter so much less stress for them in the long run.
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: Fowgill Farm on February 16, 2011, 09:20:11 am
Jent1964 i don't know how many pigs you're planning to put the market as stores but i'll tell you a story that happened to someone i know. Like you they couldn't bear the thought of taking their pigs to the butchers so they decide to put them thro the local mart. Their two gilts were bacon weight and they sold but ended up in the back of a wagon with over a hundred other pigs all fighting biting and screaming. The owner was in tears at what she had done to her girls who had a lovely life pootling around her field and had been loved. To see them end up like this and their lives ending up in such a stressful way. I didn't tell her that her pigs would be travelling all the way to Essex from North Yorkshire in the state she had seen them leave and that they would end up dangling by one leg going up a conveyor belt in a huge commercial abbattoir ::) to be stunned prior to slaughter. needless to say they don't keep pigs anymore. But hope this gives you food for thought! Decide whats best for your pigs not for you! Regards Mandy
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: manian on February 16, 2011, 09:30:21 am
jent1964 i agree with Mandy (but it depends on numbers and wether you have enough 'friends' to sell the meat to.
we sent our first 4 weaners to slaughter jan 24th. we had been in contact with the slaughter house before we went. she advised us that the sheep were done first and then the 'boys' have breakfast and then start the pigs about 9.30 she said quieter about 9am (others all back to farm or work) i was very worried that pigs would know what their fate was etc etc. it was all calm - we led our 4 girls into the lairage and the other pigs in separate pens already there were relaxed and happy overall not a bad experience and am feeling better for when the next lot go
HTH
Mx :pig: :pig: :love: :pig: :pig:
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: robert waddell on February 16, 2011, 09:53:14 am
agree with all that has been said already BUT no point in you producing good pigs to throw away and line someothers pocket also on the slaughter houses i am not so sure that animals don't know there fate there is a certain smell that emanates from them possibly like boar taint only recognised by some
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 16, 2011, 10:46:18 am
mY OH works in the slaughter house here in France. Its a fair size commercial one. There are cameras everywhere to prevent abuse, spot checks from vets and others. Pigs are driven from their pens in to a channel where they walk into the slaughter container. They actually splay the belt, they are immediately stunned, dead with seconds. I dont doubt there are/were places where pigs were strung up by their legs but think it p robably illegal under EU regs. Also when a butcher we knew was present at a killing where the pig was pulled up by its leg for killing the leg was broken in 3 places.
I only know of my own pigs' experiences in abattoir and what my husband says, but they dont appear to know what is happening. They go along quite calmly. Its only when the idiot is let loose with the electric prod (and there are a couple) that chaos ensues and the pig who has been "hit" will turn around and refuse to go further). Again th is is just our experiences her it may be worse in UK.
However anything that encourages people to eat their own well produced meat rather than buy from supermarkets is a good thing.
Title: Re: taking pigs to market
Post by: jent1964 on February 16, 2011, 12:01:21 pm
I only have 2 pigs, which after reading all these stories are now pet pigs! i dont eat pork, or any red meat, so couldnt ever eat one of my own pigs, my husband has more of a buisness look on things, and being a farmer has no problem with slaughter, but as i have said no meat will come back here to the house, and after reading about market, looks like he will have pet pigs as well!!! lol :o :)