[FLETCHER]

Hello,

I am looking in to getting a couple of pigs to fatten one i will sell the other is for the freezer,
with the price of feed,buying the pigs and slaughter charges it doesn't look like i will cover my costs.
Am i missing something or is this correct ?

[Hilarysmum]

It depends on whether you are going to be selling your quality meat for the same price as supermarket flab.  Then no you wont.  If you and your customer(s) recognise the difference and you are prepared to charge accordingly, then you will more than cover your costs.  After all would they expect to buy pork from the Farmers Market at the same price as Tesco cheap and nasty?  Dont undersell your produce.

[Rosemary]

I think our costs for last year are in the Pig section on TAS.

[Crofter]

We keep 3 pigs to pork weight, sell 2 and the one for us is more or less free. We charge £4-50/Kg for the pork and are currently paying £8 for 25Kg pig food.  Also, you do not need pedigree pigs for pork.  Often cross bred piglets are cheaper and grow just as well (sometimes better!)
Of course if you are looking to make a large profit.......you chose the wrong job!

[sausagesandcash]

If you're feeding a lot of veg do you absolutely need to supplement with grain? If you do what quantity of grain do you need to give approx.? I know it may sound stupid, but if the pigs are grazers, can they not forrage for themselves?

I'm only asking before i get the pigs (please don't be worried that I have emaciated porkers running around  )

If you're supplementing their feed with milled grain should you let it soak in water, or just feed it dry.

Many thanks for any assistance, as the first pigs arrive next week

[Hilarysmum]

I was always told by a man far more expert than I, that no matter how much veg. etc. a pig is given it should have at least 1 kilo of pignuts per day.  Younger pigs need this to grow on, older pigs for maintenance.  For grazing pigs go for Kune Kunes.  I think there are some advertised on Market Place. 

This of course is just one view, many others have different methods, and all probably produce really good pigs.  However I do think it is necessary to add a good protein ratio to feed.

[sausagesandcash]

I was hoping to mill my own feed...or find an organic feed in ireland. I am just very anxious that the pigs (Tamworths) get their full dietary requirements.

[juliag]

We raised our own pigs and sent them to slaughter just before xmas. we had 2 and sold one for £2.50 a pound. This is cheaper than sainsburys cheapest rubbish meat but we still worked out that we had covered costs and had our own pig for free. You will not make a great deal of money but to cover costs is fine if you get a freezer full of pork for free. 

[sausagesandcash]

I was just thinking back to when we had chickens and used 'distillers' in the feed. Distillers is a by-product of the brewing process. I did a little rooting around on the net and found this site http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/ , and apparently distillers can also be used as a dietary suppliment. Distillers "can be included
at up to 30% of the diet of growing pigs without detrimentally affecting growth
performance". Could this a useful way for us all to cheapen the costs of feed?

Our Co-operative Mart used to stock it (I hope they still do). I'll let you know how I get on.

Any observations/comments appreciated 

[garden cottage]

reminded me of 20yrs ago on the dairy farm we used to have brewers grains delivered in a huge lorry for the dairy cattle, very hot when tipped. re pig food reducing feed costs, spoken to several people about feeding fodder beet price to buy in locally is about £20.00 ton use this along side pig nuts. we shall try this for the next 2................neil

[Crofter]

The important thing to work out is the protein content of the food they get.  Bought rations are 16% protein and a 8 week old weaner will need 1 kg a day.  That's 160g of protein.  You just need to work out how much veg etc. that equates to!  Remember that pigs are naturally omnivores, it's only DEFRA/SEERAD that make then vegetarian.

Dave

[sausagesandcash]

If ever I should stop posting, it means that my wife has discovered that pigs are omnivores! Me and a side dish of lettuce! Whats the nutrition value of that for the pigs?......If was all in a good cause! Lol 

[Hilarysmum]

I sold some of Hilary's piglets.  They were in a paddock ajoining a local quiet lane.  Naturally the curious came to look.  One a rather elderly lady, almost blind, went out in her carpet slippers.  Somehow she managed to slip and roll under the electric wire into the field.  Being Hilary's offspring they were particularly friendly and curious.  The lady was found quite quickly, the piglets were keeping her company, whilst dining off her slippers.  She was quite unhurt, although a little shocked.  They are still awaiting the "return" of her glasses and hearing aid.  Her slippers, sadly, are no more.  HM

[sausagesandcash]

The old lady went into the field with ten toes....but now has three! A salutory lesson for those wearing slippers around pigs.

[juliag]

I am trying so hard to stop crying here!!!!! That is so funny but also so tragic. poor poor lady, I am surprised and glad she survived the shock!!! One of the funniest things you could imagine other than the time the local vicar asked me to graze a paddock at the back of the village church, First he expected my ponies to climb over a wall next to Ralph Allens tomb, I had difficulty climbing it myself and had to point out they cant really climb as they are ponies not goats , However as he didnt want hoof marks on the church path he came up with another solution. This involved going through next doors very very muddy farm yard , through a very very muddy gate. Vicar showed me the way to go, however he was in full long black vicar dress with welly boots, which got stuck in the mud in the gateway (we have all had our boots stuck in thick mud, but a vicar ?) pulled his foot out of the boot and promptly fell over!! All you could see was the vicar lying flat on his face in the wet slimy mud lifting his hand for me to pull him out!! What can you do? I was quite beside myself with laughter, (very inappropiate I agree) and the more angry and distressed he was the more I laughed!! Oh dear , I have been to church many times since and prayed for forgivness, if I get turned away at the pearly gates though I will know the reason why!