[fairhaven]

Hi

 Now the excitement of our first litters of piglets has worn off a little, I've been trying to decide what to do with 16 large black weaners.  Yes, We will eat some, but 3 of our main abbatoirs in Norfolk have now told me that they do not buy the large blacks     
 Ok, Maybe we should have researched all this first, but we didn't,  and now it looks like we will be eating sausages for ever!   
 Suggestions please   

[P6te]

Hi,

We don't have Large Blacks but I don't see why the principle can't be the same. We started off by asking round friends and family and word quickly spread.  I work full time and a number of work colleagues are now regular customers.

We sell quarter pigs at a time, this being a manageable quantity for most people and avoids us being left with whatever people don't want.  Customers vary from large families to people living alone (who clearly love our pork!) A quarter pig comprises a variety of joints, sausage and bacon. The bacon always come 3 weeks later when its dry cured either smoked or unsmoked according to customer preference.  Some want trotter, other don't so they tend to be by request.  We've had all sorts of 'special requests' too!

Hope this helps.

Pete

[Button End Beasts]

I was going to say try friends and family too. You could always stagger the kills, send them in batches of 3-4 at a time, depends on the age I guess.

[HappyHippy]

I'd say forget about selling to the abattoirs direct at the moment - you're up against tough price competition from commercial producers and large outdoor units, same with butchers usually - unless you can supply x pigs per week, with x amount of fat or probe reading they're unlikely to be interested in talking to you. And I don't mean that in a derogitory way - but you're just a little guy compared to the units with 500 sows 

You'll get far more value rearing them, processing them and selling them direct, whether to friends and family, farm gate sales or by attending farmers markets. But it takes time, dedication and a lot of hard work and investment to do that. Alternatively you could opt to sell the weaners for people to grow on and finish themselves, but depending on where you are in the country and what established breeders are near you it'll maybe take a wee while to get your name known - best way to do that is to attend shows and show your pigs and their offspring (assuming they're BPA registered) advertise on on-line forums, farming ad's etc.

HTH
Karen 

[hughesy]

You haven't a hope in hell of making pigs pay if you're selling into the meat trade wholesale. Selling direct to the end user is the only way and it's still not easy.

[robert waddell]

stating the obvious here but why did you start breeding without researching what you are going to do with them              selling to a slaughter house is the last thing you should be considering
 
the old chestnut about black pigs not selling or even coloured pigs not selling  in the scald process white hairs are not as offputting as black or ginger hairs in the rind of bacon    the real reason they don't want them  is the backfat  it does not matter how the pig has been reared or looked after or how tasty the meat will be to much fat and the housewife just wont buy it        also have you seen the offers on pork at the suppermarkets they are selling it at a loss and it is not them that lose the money on it
 
weaners is the first option to sell   then what you cant sell  there should not be to many to feed and hemorrhage money    you and you alone have to market them
 
it will not make much difference what market you try to get into you will be stepping on someones toes and the only to get in there is undercut     but friends and family are one way to get rid of them        and if you are left with all do not try to get them all finished at the one time split them up into even four groups and feed at different rates but remember don't feed to much or they will run to fat      and if you sell at auction  don't expect anymore than a £5 a head

[fairhaven]

Thanks for the input - We were offered 2 in pig sows at a fairly good price & thought it would save us having to worry about a boar or AI for a bit,  I'm not the only newbie to pigs and we all have to start somewhere...
 Have had a good bit of luck today, A fairly local butcher will try a couple when they're ready, to see how they go, if it works out ok for him it will be a regular thing as he hasn't been offered the large blacks before. There doesn't seem to be any out here at all so I guess that will help.  As for family & friends, most are looking happy to get quarter / half a pig.  One of our friends used to be a butcher and is happy to show us how to do it properly in return for some meat now & again (Just him & his wife, both retired now so not asking for much but 'glad to get back into it again'   

[kitchen cottage]

I only breed one litter a year and my purpose is to feed three famillies for nothing (me and my two closest friends) to get a little piggy barter work done.... and to do this, I sell "pigs in baskets" to friends and colleagues.  I guarantee 17-25 kilo's killed weight and the pig people get an update monthly and often come and visit.
 
I'll never be a pig farmer.... but I love my pigs and I eat free and friends who would find it harder  to manage if they didn't have the meat,also eat well 
 
I didn't even know that abattoirs bought meat!

[kitchen cottage]

fairhaven.... I'm a bit of the same.... I came home and there were 6 weaners here, my friend had bought them knowing I'd not get round to it.  They are a hobby so provided I get the husbandry right I'm not too worried that i didn't get a spreadsheet sorted before I bought them, it'll work out in the end 

[NicAlford1234]

If you are worried about having huge amounts of pork, try and sell some of the weaners, while keeping as much left for pork as you want. Even if it takes a while to find the buyers, they all arrive at the same time! Large Blacks are a popular breed; I'm looking for one!  I wouldn't worry, but I would stay away from selling to abbatoirs, as the price they pay may not be the best you can get - especially for good pork! Local butcher is a good idea, but also, sell from your own freezer to friends/family. Maybe if there is a farm shop locally they could be interested. Hope you can work some help out of that!

[P6te]

Hi

One thing I'd like to add to my earlier post is when selling your first 'batch', 1/4 pig or whatever you decided to do, ensure you understand your market and DO NOT UNDERSELL your produce.. It is a quality product and should command a premium price.  Remember, the people who purchase this time you want to turn into repeat customers and it is much more difficult to 'justify' increasing the price second time around than it is setting it at a realistic level first time!

Pete

[rispainfarm]

I think it depends on where you live in the country as to how well they sell. We could not get rid of our birth notified litters very easily  in Scotland but had a waiting list for our tamworths and OSB

[Fowgill Farm]

16 piglets wow, its a lot to get your head round.
First of all divide them up into boys & girls so you know what you've got.
Get them advertised as 8wk weaners to fatten in time for Xmas pork. Girls always sell better than boys so they will probably go first. HH gave you some ideas where to advertise.
When you know what you've got left aim to send the boy pigs for pork at around 22 - 24wks old and grow any girls you have left on for bacon, hams, gammons etc. around 8mths old.
Already mentioned don't undersell your product and don't rely on your butcher pal who says he'll try them in his shop (theres a tendency for them to drop out at the last minute when their regular suppliers get arsy!)
YOU must be prepared to work at this people aren't just going to come to you out of nowhere you need to get out their and plug your pigs and pork.
HTH
mandy 
 

[NicAlford1234]

Hate to say it, but i agree with Mandy! 
Although you have the pork/pigs, they wont sell unless you let as many people know as you can! Get the word out!
I think it is best to put them all up for sale, usually you will sell the girls faster than boys - how many girls/boys have you got? You could castrate the boys, but from experience, I wouldn't recommend it - just as it hasn't seemed to make a difference. Then grow the others on until you have a demand/ space in the freezer and send the odd one or two off to slaughter.
Once the word is out, you'll be fine - you've just got to break in!! Definitely a market for Large Blacks, if you are looking to breed on a bigger scale, why not try supplying farm shops/ restaurants. The meat will be good quality and the money could be better!

[Sylvia]

'Phone around local restaurants, some are very keen to source free range, happy meat and some chefs are keen to do the cutting themselves so will take a whole or half a pig from the abbatoir.