[verdifish]

Our sow is due to pig in the next few days and having had a BBQ at the weekend one of the guests and a workmate of mine have both expressed an interest in maybe. Having kune,s what would be a fair price? The Piglets could be registered(gilts only as they are our 1st litter) we didn't pay much for the sow as she was rescued by a freind so what should I be asking for the piglets??? Cherers Verdi

[Fowgill Farm]

Regular pedigree piglets go for around £40-£50 each so i'd use that as your guide, don't know about KK's but HH will be along to advise i'm sure.
Or you could check the kune kune website for more info.
HTH
mandy

[verdifish]

Thanks mandy , I take it HH is a kk guru?

[HappyHippy]

Guru    Just a keen enthusiast 
 
Our Kunekune piglets sell for between £90 and £150. They're all birth notified to the BKKPS, wormed and fully vaccinated for erysipelas (2 jags) before they leave here. We normally wean them at 8 weeks and keep them here for an extra 2 weeks just to be sure they're doing fine without mum.

Meat weaners go for £90 (unregistered) usually sub-breeding standard gilts or boars which haven't been castrated due to hernia risk (if uncastrated boars are being sold for pork I never mix the sexes  )

Breeding boars (if there are any good enough) are £150 and breeding gilts are £125 - these are registered with the BKKPS.
Most of our boars are castrated by the vet between 3 and 6 weeks old (closed castration) and these tend to be the ones that go to outdoor 'pet' homes (never indoors or singly with disillusioned owners  ) because of the cost of castration they are £125 each. Castrated boars are really the best option for 'pet' pigs - they don't have any of the hormones or urges that uncastrated boars and gilts have  Piggy PMT is not to be underestimated  But castrates just follow you around like big, mucky dogs waiting for a treat or a belly rub 
We also run some on for pork, so by having all the boars castrated, we know we can run them all together in one big family herd and we'll not have any little accidents.

If you've not already, join the BKKPS (only £14 per year  ) without membership you'll not be able to birth notify or register any offspring. The website and forum are packed full of useful information and there's a newsletter sent out quarterly with lots of information too.
http://www.britishkunekunesociety.org.uk/
HTH
Karen 

[fsmnutter]

Thanks Karen,
I have already read quite a few of your posts before and since we've got the kune kunes, my OH is just a little slower on the uptake, particularly where technology is concerned!
I have joined us up to the BKKPS and have the details etc to be able to birth notify, and I have read quite a few bits on there, it's a very useful website.
Still no piglets yet, but I think it'll be within the next week, verdifish had been hoping they would be there for the barbecue we had at the weekend, but I didn't think she was far enough on.
We got her from a friend of a friend, through this forum, who had rescued them from England and was told one sow was in pig, but all were running with the boar!
They were at least 7 weeks separated from the boar when we got her at the beginning of July, and looked well in pig.
I thought probably mid to end of August would be most likely, so any time for now, and with udders filling up, and increasing nesting and lying around outside, she seems to be getting ready for it, no doubt will happen when noone is looking!
I agree with you with piggy hormones, the pregnant sow is quite a grump with me, is fine most of the time, then occasionally charges, and bit once. Since she got a smack on the nose and a firm 'no' she seems to be a bit better, and does come to me for cuddles on her terms.
The young gilt is obviously not quite sexually mature, and is a much happier camper, plays and gives kisses!
They are good fun to have around, and we are looking forward to bringing up the wee ones!

[Ladygrey]

Hi there 

We sell all of our piglets for £100 each, no matter if they are castrated or registered or not.

I just find it easyer that way, but I used to charge £150 for some good girls

I always have to turn people away from each litter as I can never have enough piglets, however it defo depends on the time of the year, I have kept back 4 for the freezer this time and for the first time two are lovely gilts, however if I sold them then I wouldnt have what I want for the freezer..

[verdifish]

Tis true I am just getting used to this technology malarky but I will get there. I only wish I knew where THERE was!!!

[Bodger]

Blimey   You folks get good money for your piglets, how do you manage it?

[oaklandspigs]

Blimey   You folks get good money for your piglets, how do you manage it?

They all stick together, and no-one severely undercuts. Therefore the KK market works !
Unlike the rest of the market, where you can buy cheap, so no-one dares buck the trend !
When feed process go up, pig prices stay the same.
 
 

[Bodger]

I know that I'll struggle to get anything like half the price  for my pedigree GOS piglets when they arrive.

[HappyHippy]

You've got to be confident with your pricing - we're trying to make a viable business from breeding pigs (2 years in and no sniff of profit  ) so we need to factor in costs of medicines, cost of keeping the sows and extra feeding/bedding etc for when the piglets come along.

Our big breed weaners this year (cross bred from pedigree parents - so all for the freezer) will be selling for £60 each. They'll be wormed and vaccinated against ery before they leave and once they're weaned they stay here for at least a week before leaving to make sure they're 100% okay and coping without mum.

We are (in my eyes at least) good breeders who provide the best care and welfare standards to our pigs and unfortunately it all comes at a cost. By the time we factor in all the costs, we're lucky if there's any 'profit' per piglet (which, if we were paying ourselves a wage wouldn't even cover the time we spend looking after them every day)

We're not cash rich so need to make the pigs pay for themselves if they're to stay (and I really want to keep them here as we've got one of the rarest lines of Large Black) we're lucky that people who buy weaners from us understand the struggle and can see the quality of the stock & the care we give them - if it wasn't for the continued support of our customers we wouldn't be breeding.

Pig feed prices are at their highest, so it follows that the price of weaners has to go up (unless you'd rather give folk your hard earned cash ?) by underselling/undervaluing your stock you're not doing yourself any favours in the long term and might upset other breeders in your area if you (as a relitively new breeder) are selling your piglets for a lot less then theirs. So do your sums and make sure they all add up 
(Sorry, this sounds a bit negative - not my intention but I'm rushed.....always in a rush lately  )
Karen 

[hughesy]

Speaking as someone who rears pigs for meat, the price of Kune Kune makes no sense. I can understand people paying a lot for a cute pet type pig but for a meat pig? All the kune kune carcasses I've seen at the abattoir were the subject of much mirth among the staff there due to their odd shape and incredible fat content. Does anyone seriously rear them for meat? Don't they take a long time to finish? Spose they'd make a decent sausage.

[verdifish]

I would think location also plays a big part in your piglet priceing stratagy,living up in banff it will be interesting to see what a realistic price really is . From this litter we will sell what we sell and the rest are going for sausages. Next year we will be able to alter our sales\pricing stratagy using  this years experiences as a starting block.

[Bodger]

I must admit to a degree of amazement when I saw the prices. I've been to numerous markets when Kune Kune piglets haven't attracted so much as a bid and if they did, then they've been sold for next to nothing.

[verdifish]

For us the attraction came with their  adaptabillity and being great for 1st timers and making great pets and meat aside this will allways make them popular!