[Connor]

I am thinking of getting a sow which has piglets at foot or is in pig.... would i make more money selling the piglets or fattening them up an bringing them to the factory?

also would things will i need for a sow and her piglets?

[shygirl]

i read in a pig husbandry book " the first profit is the best profit" ie sell them as weaners if you can, as the profit / labour is better than fattening them etc.
you do need to have enough money available to finish/kill/butcher the weaners before you receive any money in sales.
theres not alot of money in pigs but im guessing you have friends and family who will buy pork from you. even if you dont make alot of pennies, the experience will teach you alot. especially in marketing - make a (free) website so you have a waiting list for the weaners.

what breed are you going for?

[Fowgill Farm]

I am thinking of getting a sow which has piglets at foot or is in pig.... would i make more money selling the piglets or fattening them up an bringing them to the factory?

also would things will i need for a sow and her piglets?

These very sentences put the fear of GOD into me! YOU need to do some serious research before embarking on such an enterprise.  See www.gospbc.co.uk pig mangement tab. YOU need your eyes opening to what its all about. YOU will not make money at selling piglets or pork you will at the very least break even and have your freezer full of pork. It is a very foolish person who thinks they can make profit without cutting corners or quality. So do your reading first and think very carefully before you go into this.
Mandy

[hughesy]

To sell weaners succesfully and consistently you need to spend some serious time gaining a reputation as a breeder of quality stock. It ain't easy and pigs you haven't sold are very expensive to feed. To raise pigs for meat and then sell that meat is a whole different ball game. You need to do some serious research into your potential markets and have a plan for what you'll do if plan A goes tits up, which it invariably will. The livestock markets are full of pigs that fetch peanuts and hoping to offload your pork to butchers etc is a great way to make a loss.

[The Woodsiders]

Great comments Fowgill and Hughesy,

[Marches Farmer]

Please do your research before getting any class of livestock - talk to other keepers, help them out to gain experience if you can and read, read, read.  Pigs are intelligent, funny and characterful and deserve the very best of care - which is also a legal requirement.

[benkt]

If you want to sell for pork, I think the worst thing to do is start with a sow and piglets. There's so much more work and uncertainty. Much better to get in four weaners in spring which will go off in early autumn and see how you go. You will need to build a market for the pork and that's much easier to do if you grow slowly from small numbers. You'll then have the benefit of experience come this time next year and you'll know if you can shift the end product and are ready to take on the extra challenges of farrowing and keeping the breeding stock in condition over winter.

[HappyHippy]

If you're doing it purely as a way to make money, DON'T, for all the reasons listed above !
Keeping pigs is a BIG undertaking, breeding even more so - it's not the money that has you sitting with a sow as she farrows in the middle of the night, in the midst of a storm in the winter time 

[Daisys Mum]

"Is there money in pigs."? Mmmmm yes it goes in one end and we all know what comes out the other
I know youu are a bit far from Lanark but I have seen weaners going there for a fiver!

[hughesy]

I reckon it costs me a bit over 100 quid to raise a pig to slaughter weight. That doesn't take into account the cost of transport, housing or any unforseeable stuff like vet's bills, just the feeding really. If you buy a sow with say 10 piglets at foot, you're looking at substantial costs from the word go. It really is not easy to make any money from pigs and even if you find a ready market for your meat it's very seasonal there are times when it's very hard to sell much at all but the pigs still need feeding. Do your homework. Start off very slowly and learn all you can along the way. Don't be put off by all the negative advice but you can't just dive in and expect to make money at it.

[Rosemary]

i read in a pig husbandry book " the first profit is the best profit" ie sell them as weaners if you can, as the profit / labour is better than fattening them etc.
you do need to have enough money available to finish/kill/butcher the weaners before you receive any money in sales.

I'd echo what others have said. The weaner market is relatively small compared to how many weaners you might produce in a year - most smallholders want weaners in spring. But to make money, you have to have your sow producing as often as possible (you're feeding her anyway) so you will inevitably have autumn / winter litters.

You can't rely on selling all piglets as weaners - if you can, at a reasonable price, fine - but you have to have a Plan B which involves taking them through to killing and selling the pork / bacon / sausages. Otherwise, you end up selling them for a fiver at the market. Someone might make money, but it won't be you.

Adding value - ie processing - makes more money BUT if you have to pay a butcher to make your bacon and sausages, that eats into the profit big time.

Not very positive, I'm afraid :-(

[shygirl]

for a 16 yr old boy though, i think it would be a fantastic learning curve. i presume connor has a good network of family and friends behind him to help him along his way. and be there to pay the feed bill if required. 
its good to see enthusiasm in farming at such a young age.

but i agree, start with a few weaners.
what are the selling prices in n,ireland for weaners and pork, connor?

[Fowgill Farm]

for a 16 yr old boy though, i think it would be a fantastic learning curve. i presume connor has a good network of family and friends behind him to help him along his way. and be there to pay the feed bill if required. 
its good to see enthusiasm in farming at such a young age.

but i agree, start with a few weaners.
what are the selling prices in n,ireland for weaners and pork, connor?

Ah didn't know OP was a youngster, explains it a little but agree if he's going into it he needs the support of a parent especially on the costs front (I have an eversuffering OH who bails out the piggy account when cash flow drys up! )  there are quite a few good rare breed herds in NI and the BPA would be a good place make enquiries, there are GOS pigs in NI and their contact details can be found on the GOS website, members directory.
We don't mean to be negative just making you see the pitfalls, best of luck whatever you decide.
mandy

[devonlad]

By the look of it the message is  clear by now.  I agree completely.  If we get a clear run with no unforeseen costs then we might almost break even as long as we don't include set up costs.  We dont make much on our sheep either.  Too many costs per head at our small scale.  I was once told on here by some clever soul that the best way to make a bit of money from your land was to let it grow and sell the hay.  We made more from selling half our hay we made last year than the previous 3 years sheep and pig's income put together.  Our heart not in watching grass grow so we'll keep losing on the animals.  Still cheaper than some hobbies though. Good luck with whatever you decide

[fiestyredhead331]

There would be money in pigs if I got a pound everytime someone asked me if there is money in pigs