Author Topic: Is there really any money in raising wearers??  (Read 20710 times)

Porterlauren

  • Joined Apr 2014
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #30 on: September 14, 2015, 02:50:54 pm »
HH - We keep cross breeds in a natural setting, high health / high welfare etc etc. And they do very well indeed. They also are genetically pre-dispositioned to have great carcass conformation. Whilst traditional breeds may have a great conformation 'for a traditional breed' there is no way they can compete with the pie-train x etc etc.

We use saddle back x pie train and find we get the best of both worlds. They really are very hard to beat!

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #31 on: September 14, 2015, 03:06:04 pm »
I find that the average consumer isn't very bothered about breeds. They are interested in locally produced, well cared for, free range pork that they can buy direct from the farmer and therefore be safe in the knowledge that they're getting what they want and knowing where it's come from.
Regarding the KK question we've got a couple of KK crosses here so I have a bit of experience of them. There's no way they can be compared to something like a Saddleback or similar in terms of performance. Yes they eat a bit less but they take way too long to grow for them to be viable in a business situation. Ours do produce a lean, if slightly odd shaped carcass and the meat itself is super but they're just not quick enough to finish. We are a 52 weeks a year business and need to have a constant supply of porkers ready for slaughter and the poor old KK just doesn't fit in to our production system. Having tried quite a few of our native breeds we find the British Saddleback fits the bill pretty well. There's absolutely nothing wrong with crossbred pigs either as long as you don't get mixed up in showing or trying to sell pedigree stock.

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #32 on: September 14, 2015, 04:28:57 pm »
I wasn't suggesting that KKs were the answer just giving it as an example that breed and management could make a big difference to costs.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

greenbeast

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #33 on: September 14, 2015, 04:47:28 pm »
We've got all traditional breeds, some pure, some crosses of. We looked at doing pedigree herd but just didn't seem worth it unless we were selling pedigree breeding stock.

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #34 on: September 14, 2015, 08:03:16 pm »
We've got all traditional breeds, some pure, some crosses of. We looked at doing pedigree herd but just didn't seem worth it unless we were selling pedigree breeding stock.
That is very true. We're BPA members and our Saddlebacks are registered but it is of no benefit to us as a business. We don't sell weaners or breeding stock and we don't show our pigs so I suppose the only benefit would be hopefully protection via the breeds at risk register in the event of a nasty disease outbreak and the fact that we can call what we produce pedigree pork. As I said before though our customers don'treally care about that.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #35 on: September 15, 2015, 03:00:40 pm »
Kune Kune does mean "fat and round" in Maori so they've been selectively bred for just that.

Actually, I think 'Kune' means 'fat and round'.  'Kune Kune' means very fat and very round  :-J
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #36 on: September 15, 2015, 03:15:53 pm »
That is very true. We're BPA members and our Saddlebacks are registered but it is of no benefit to us as a business. We don't sell weaners or breeding stock and we don't show our pigs so I suppose the only benefit would be hopefully protection via the breeds at risk register in the event of a nasty disease outbreak and the fact that we can call what we produce pedigree pork. As I said before though our customers don'treally care about that.
We don't show either but at the moment are involved in conserving the rarest of the GOS female bloodlines and are most definitely on the Breeds At Risk Register.  Fortunately there are a number of folks out there who get what we're about and purchase breeding stock from us, not least because the line is an all round top notch pig.  We still need to sell weaners that aren't quite up to the mark to cover our costs.  Yes, you could get crossbreed weaners cheaper at the market but would you know if they were from a high health, closed herd, well handled and had been correctly fed and 100% healthy all their lives....?

Victorian Farmer

  • Guest
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #37 on: September 15, 2015, 08:45:49 pm »
Well pigs have gone 2  103 kGS cost for this £300 food on top. I could get half a pig for £80 from the same place. Definitely not worth the effort. I did like the 2 pigs but be realistic. So sheep pigs chickens no prophet whot next. Im turning a caw into mice see if that has prophet.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2015, 08:55:23 pm by Victorian Farmer »

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Is there really any money in raising wearers??
« Reply #38 on: October 19, 2015, 11:22:46 pm »
You have an excellent point and I would say many farmers dont do the figures and no wonder this country is in such a mess. Your figures are spot on.


We are raising organic pigs so half a pig will be £190.  Plenty of people have money and will pay for excellent meat.  There are a lot of switched on people out there who are happy to support us and eat very well.  There is endless talk of people who say they cant afford to eat yet this is a small minority and plenty of consumers who happily spend £300 plus per week on food.  We aim at the higher market because we are passionate about welfare, environment and feed.


Never base your sale price on what yr competitors are selling at as for all you know that havent a clue.  I dont care what cheap price John is selling at that is a mistake. My price is based on overheads plus profit. £80 for half a pig is ludicrous how do they make up these silly figures?


The problems of raising pigs is the modern system - if you dont have an orchard, nut trees, whey, waste etc then you have to feed them out of a bag everyday. The idea of a pig was to feed them waste and eat the fallen fruits.  Now pigs are raised on barren land.   When you see all these pork products in the shops you have to wonder how these were raised and what in Gods name were they fed????


Probably go back to raising two after christmas - keeping our freezer full and the family eating the best food is of prime importance.

 

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