[Bionic]

Does anyone know anything about Pietrain pigs?

There are some weaners available fairly near me although very expensive. 

I have also found some OSB weaners availalble soon. Would they be better for a first timer?

thanks
Sally

[robert waddell]

pietrains are the Belgian blue of the pig world       very little fat compared to traditional pigs   the grow quicker if fed correctly
 i know to people that have them and both are delighted with them  one has tried almost all the traditional breeds       how expensive are they

[Bionic]

Robert,
This is the price I have been given

Young gilts ranging from 7mths old to weaners range price from £150
Young boars ranging from 7mths old to weaners age range from £120

Sally

[Sylvia]

Robert,
This is the price I have been given

Young gilts ranging from 7mths old to weaners range price from £150
Young boars ranging from 7mths old to weaners age range from £120

Sally

 

[robert waddell]

i can see the value in  the 7 month old ones but not that in weaners  i take it the breeder lives at a place called neverland 

[ZacB]

Young gilts ranging from 7mths old to weaners range price from £150
Young boars ranging from 7mths old to weaners age range from £120

Sally

Surely this is prices to £150 

Sally, we picked up some OSB's last year, 8 week old gilts at £55 each which in hindsight was a little over the top. Great pigs though & really pleased with as our starter piggies.

Have recently bought some Large Blacks, gilts again, 8 weeks & at £45 each.

Prices around us seem to be in the region of £40-£50.

Good luck & best wishes

[HappyHippy]

8 week old gilts at £55 each which in hindsight was a little over the top.

It's not though  We've had this discussion time and time again 

I think anything up to £60-£70 for a good meat weaner is perfectly acceptable - that initial saving of £20 when you're investing £150-£200 in the pig over its' lifetime is nothing really in the grand scheme of things. Also from the point of view of a breeder - if we don't get fair prices (and that's not being greedy that's just covering costs with maybe a tenner profit) for our stock where is the incentive to keep and breed pigs  I'm as tightfisted as the next man, but there has to be a fair price paid for good stock in order for breeders to continue doing what they do 

Sally, Pietrains will grow like stink and be really lean, but OSB's would be my first choice for first time round 
Karen 

[ZacB]

Hi Karen, point taken. My view was from a purchaser point of view, & a short sighted one at that, well & truely beaten up .

Given time, when & if we take our interest / hobby to the next level, I'm sure I will be singing from your hymn book 

[robert waddell]

thankfully Karen you have posted about prices       it will be you that gets the flack before me this time
weaner prices  as Karen has said  it has been gone into in depth before   by all means get a cheap £5 special at the market alleged to be  x weeks when it is y months old and ready to kick the bucket   spend hundreds on fancy arks then argue over the cost of weaners and give them a meager amount of food because you want to save  a few shillings
and as Karen said 60-70 quid is not a rip off for well bred pedigree weaners that have been well looked after have had jags for worms etc if you don't get a good price for weaners that breeder will not be there next year and you will have to pay £150 a weaner do without or buy supermarket pork  not much of a choice then

[SallyintNorth]

I expect to pay £50-£60 for pure bred rare breed weaners to rear for meat, quite a bit more for breeding stock.

I guess you will get more, leaner pork faster off Pietrain than OSB, so economically it may be worth paying more this end of its life as you'll be saving 4lbs per pig per day for a month or maybe more at the other end of its life plus possibly getting more meat from the carcase.  I could argue £20 - £30 more per weaner on that basis - not sure how to quantify the carcase difference, I love the OSB meat! 

If you're buying 8 week old weaners now, the Pietrain could be ready by the end of August, possibly sooner; the OSBs probably would want to go on into Sept/Oct - perfect timing for any dry/air curing you may want to do... 

Of course I am going to say everyone should start with OSBs - they are lovely, friendly, easy-going, charming, entertaining, and don't get too fat if you don't feed them too much.

Who could resist....

[Tamsaddle]

If good looks come into the equation, I'd go for the OSBs any day.   Pietrains look decidedly weird in my opinion, with strangely bulbous rear ends, quite unpig like in shape.   But then I have never met one face to face.

[robert waddell]

sally you are the first one to come out and admit that good quality weaners that cost more than run of the mill ones actually save you money on feeding and finishing time both factors are relevent in achieving economicall  home produced pork



animal breeding is not that different from humans       that Greek god like figure may be ascetically pleasing but you have to look further than the thin veneer that is looks    animals have no option but to stay with you cars are on a similar vein


Hampshire's have the same bullbus back end as pietrains and others to a lesser extent you just have to view them as an end product

[Bionic]

This morning I went to see a litter of 13 OSB's and reserved 2. They will be ready for pick up on 5th May. 

I am so excited 

Sally

[rockstar]

good luck sally

[Mammyshaz]

That's great, get the camera ready! Looking forward to reading little piggy stories and your experiences with them