[Porgies Piggies]

after receiving invaluable information from fellow accidental small holders xx i have decided that my boar "wally" x how much do you recon i should ask for ?? an i will welcom any advise as just starting up a stud service xx thanksto all who commented on my last post xxx xx

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

I think realistically you have to think about what you have got to offer. He is a crossbreed boar so therefore most people will only use him in order to get a litter of pigs for meat. They could also get a litter of pigs by buying semen and doing a.i. I would perhaps aim your prices at a similar price to a.i. Not necessarily Deerpark prices as these are pedigree pigs but maybe cost of pooled semen  .  May get an idea of price from p.i.c. Been awhile since we got any from them so couldnt advise.
Not trying to put you down but trying to aim you in a more realistic direction. I think pigs are some of the most expensive animals to own in terms of feed but unfortunately the cost of buying them doesnt reflect this, so in terms of breeding stock they just don't reach the same prices as males of different species  . Very annoying!

[oaklandspigs]

Are you planning that the girls visit you or that your boar goes out to them?
 
If the girls come, then you need secure area away from your sows (to minimise disease spread risk), and work out how they deliver all year round - ie ability to reverse to pen and unload in all weathers.  Cost of feeding them whilst they are with you need factoring in.  If you sell litters, then unless he and girls are in approved isolation area, you need to phase arrival and departure to prevent standstills on selling your weaners.
 
If he goes out, then again an isolation area (whether official or not) for when he returns to ensure he brings nothing back in with him, or that you can treat before he infects your girls.  Are are you delivering or are they collecting? in both cases, again all year round loading/unloading.   If you deliver, then time and diesel needs to be factored in.
 
You might want to consider possible damage to him, or him damaging sows and them claiming against you.
 
You'll also need a written hire agreement 1. if you take the girls to prevent girls getting left with you without recompense - not just feed  - imagine if someone delivers two girls, then says they can't collect because their ground is not reachable due to rain, and you end up housing them for several months, preventing you using him on yours or others, and bedding, water  etc. for girls !  2. if you lend out boars - they say that the boar can't be collected as they are on standstill - actually they're using him for other girls on the quiet.  You can't hire him elsewhere, or miss being able to mate your girls as he's out.
 
Sorry all the above sounds very negative, but go into it with your eyes open you'll be fine, but expect everyone to play ball with you and you'll soon find that they don't!!
 

[Berkshire Boy]

In reality he is worth no more than £20 for his services and that is being generous. as someone said on your original posting you could buy him for £80 or less. The money comes more from what you save in not having to feed him whilst he is away.

[P6te]

I endorse all 3 replies so far ... what I would add is that keeping a boar is not cheap and unless you are wanting weaners throughtout the year and have a number of gilts / sows to keep him company he could become a lonely chap a lot of the time.  By making his services available you are potentially ensuring that he has company when he may otherwise be on his own .... that is assuming you don't keep a barren sow / gilt or castrated boar to keep him company which itself is expensive.

Given that he is a 2 way cross the chances are any litter will be a 3 way, nothing wrong with that for weaners for meat (exactly what our very first ones were) but the demand for his services will be limited.

So, if you are looking to keep a boar my view is that by making his services available you are looking to ensure he has company and hopefully subsidise his upkeep.

Pete