[skidley]

tammies have smaller litters tho? 8 is less daunting than 13 i think!    still waiting for dorothys...

One of my tamworth gilts farrowed 12 in feb! She reared 11. Luckily had a buyer who had booked 6 before they were born and now is taking 8. The other 3 all meet the breed standard so will be registered. Had another litter of 5, 3 of which are booked so not too bad so far one more gilt to farrow next month. Not yet decided when to put them all back in pig.

[Greenerlife]

Think (fingers crossed) that I have finally found some weaners!  Woo hoo!

Strangely enough they are a bit older than 8 weeks and the breeder hadn't found any buyers!  I will zoom down tomorrow all being well!  At last!

[TheCaptain]

Just to add to this - put my four in the Blackmore Vale yesterday, had a lady ring up wanting six.  She asked the price, we said £50 her reply was 'ooo, I wasn't looking to pay that much.'  Rock and a hard place, as everyone says don't lower your price, but if everyone else is selling for £35 per weaner it's really difficult.  Anyway, had another lady ring and she has come and wants all four and will pay £50.   We've had other enquiries and all were happy to pay the £50.  There is hope for us breeders out there!!!

It seems that this other lady wants nearly half a litter to raise for herself without paying a decent price for them or having the overheads of keeping sows.  I need to ring her back and tell her they're gone.  I'm looking forward to that.

[Hilarysmum]

The purchase price of a piglet is an infinitesimal amount of the costs of producing a good pork chop, or of bringing a sow to the pont of producing piglets.  Anyone not prepared to pay a fair price for their piglets is not appreciating the costs and work involved.  Perhaps they should rethink. 

[TheCaptain]

On ringing her back, she replied that couldn't possibly afford that anyway!  It does make me wonder what the heck she was going to raise them on?  Thin air?

[Daisys Mum]

I am paying £60 this year for Oxford sandy and black weaners, and they were very hard to find in this area.

[SallyintNorth]

I paid £50 for OSB weaners last year from a breeder in Co. Durham.  They were unregistered but I could have paid £40 extra to have them registered.  (And I would have done but failed to tell her in time and she'd just mixed three litters up, so too late to register and I didn't want to wait any longer to get my piggies.)

I haven't found anywhere nearer to get OSBs; I was happy to travel to get nice pigs from a nice breeder.

I absolutely agree that anyone who thinks it's not worth £50 for weaners from a breeder is undervaluing the production of a healthy weaner, especially if it's free range and rare breed.  They cost so much to get from 8 weeks to plate that it seems very short-sighted to not want to start with good healthy stock.

[Hilarysmum]

Here in France the land of the throw out white elevage piglet for 20/30 euros (cost twice as much to feed it on the special diet it requires ... ) and the mythical 2 euros a kilo pork  its not easy to find good buyers who will look after the animal to its end.  Although I have been very lucky with some good, understanding customers who come back year on year.  Thank heavens.

[Hairy Hogs]

WOW, I cant believe this old post is still around!

Guess it hit the mark.. Our update, sold all 5 litters, some to 'forumites', Hi Eve!  Could have sold them all again, got £65 each for them, unregistered, anyone who cant be bothered to pay that price in my opinion is miles off the mark of what these things cost to rear in time, and money!

I had calls from a few peeps, who I offered to fetch piglets from a friends farm, and even they despite not finding any locally refused to pay more than £45!!!  Needless to say they didnt get piglets from us!

The fact is, they cost heaps of TIME, and a not insignificant amount of money, NEVER forget that when you are selling weaners, NEVER be afraid of your price...................NEVER forget that when you are a buyer, rob them at your peril...............you may just find next year they are even harder to find!

Regards
Jas

www.hairyhogs.co.uk

P.S. Thanks to all thos who are now hopefully enjoying our young stock, who may look in on this thread.  ENJOY!

[Hilarysmum]

Bearing in mind the cost of feeding, slaughter and butchering circa £15.00 more for a piglet is peanuts. 

[Daisys Mum]

Bearing in mind the cost of feeding, slaughter and butchering circa £15.00 more for a piglet is peanuts. 

I quite agree it is worth it to know that you are buying well bred and cared for weaners, as far as I am concerned I am only paying £5 more for each half pig and that is not a lot. 

[loosey]

I've only just caught up on this post.

I've sold my excess weaners at £25 each this year! We know our pigs won't make us money but we're happy to get a bit back from the ones we don't want to keep.

I'd like to think that they have been well looked after and they have, this week, been wormed. They are crosses so are not registered.

I've been to see where they will all be going and am happy with the set ups that the new owners have, so they will be off next week providing they are all okay after I take them away from Daisy tomorrow 

[Fowgill Farm]

Fingers crossed i will have a litter of pedigree GOS to sell at the end of September but the way the projected cost of next winters feed & straw are going i already think i'm going to struggle with shifting them and struggle to get a good price for them. Think we're in for more hard times ahead..........
Mandy 

[Helencus]

I've decided not to breed mine again until the end of the year so we get the next litters ready late April 2012. Poor old Boris won't spend time with the ladies for months. It'd probably make more sense for me to try and sell him but I hate to part with him.

[Fowgill Farm]

Likewise Helen, i'm aiming to have weaners next year ready for Easter as this is when people tend to think about taking them on. I think there's going to be some lonely boars for a few months poor lads!!
Rufis is on his own at the moment as i've no lady friends coming forward for him and as i have another young boar coming on it loks like his days could be numbered
Mandy