[CharingPorkPantry]

Hi all 

I am about to send my Large Black Defender boar out for hire in a week or so and I'm wondering about what people charge?

He's a young lad but he's produced 2 good litters for me. He is going to stay with them.

Rebecca 

[Cosmore]

I currently have a large black x pietrain boar we've hired to serve our two gilts, he came on the 24th June. He has served both gilts so he will be staying with us until it's confirmed the girls don't return to service in 21 days by the 26th of July.
The owner charged us £40 including delivery and collection.
He's currently enjoying a relaxing lazy holiday, full board and lodging, paddock and wallow included!

[CharingPorkPantry]

Hi Cosmore,

Sounds lovely! I hope my boy has such a luxurious stay!

They are collecting and delivering so I guess if they feed him as well just a token £20 for his services? To be honest I'm not too fussy on the money front as it gives my girls a break from his pestering (they are all hopefully in pig).

R

[Cosmore]

Hi Rebecca,
Well, as your boar has fathered two litters he has proven fertility and is 'experienced'. This is important for the prospective hirers as they want a positive result. You didn't say if the 'girl/s' he going to are gilt/s or sow/s - if they are gilts it's best that they are served by an experienced boar, i.e. no 'fumbling around' getting nowhere !
From your point of view, distance for delivery and collection is a cost to be considered be it petrol or diesel, neither cheap these days. So, I would think that bearing in mind all the foregoing, a charge of around £40 (dependent on total round trip travelling) would be reasonable.
After all, getting an AI kit and semen from Deer Park Ireland costs £20 per pig, unless you are already an expert at AI (especially in gilts) it's perhaps not a good idea.
So don't overcharge but don't undervalue either, see how the hirers think about it, the money always comes in handy for routine veterinary services, feed, etc., etc.,!
If your boar was a pure bred of show champion quality and had won prizes and was going to serve pigs of similar qualities it would be a different ball game, the service charges would increase accordingly.

[SophieLeeds]

I charge £25 per sow/gilt for my large white boars.

£1 a head a day if the girls come to stay with us.

You don't get much because the idea is that you won't have to feed him for a minimum of three weeks.

P.S - consider what could happen to him whilst he is away and discuss with people beforehand. I had a boar that died whilst he was out to stud, and whilst it was confirmed as not being anyone elses fault it can make situations very uncomfortable! Worth considering if he gets damaged by a sow, or damages someone elses sow etc.

[JedM]

I hired a young tamworth boar to serve one of my gilts.  I collected him, fed him for 4 weeks and returned him, and the owner charged £50.  I think that was a bit expensive especially as he had only ever served 2 gilts before.

[hughesy]

People can charge what they want. You either accept it or you don't. The crucial part is that the whole deal is agreed up front. Think about it. 50 quid, 100 quid, even 200 quid is cheaper than keeping your own boar for a year.

[CharingPorkPantry]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the replies. Well he is a pedigree but never shown or anything so maybe I will increase his fee a little. I am now thinking £30 or £35 for the service with them keeping him and collecting/ delivering.

He is also a lovely little boar to keep, very polite with the ladies and friendly to everyone else!

R

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

If someone borrows one of our boars we don't charge if they collect and deliver back. They are feeding him and we're not so we don't bother with a fee. If pigs come to us it is £1 a day keep and £50 service, if more than one pig we charge £40 each service.

[hughesy]

Something else to consider. Our boar is a very important part of the herd. Crucial in fact. For that reason I wouldn't even think about letting him near any sows from another herd. I know there's only a small chance he could pick up a serious infection but he could easily come back with bugs that would then be spread into my herd.

[Marches Farmer]

The main thing I'd be concerned about is erysipelas.  I do hire out our boar to smallholders who have bought breeding stock from me in the past - I think it keeps him fit and happy!  I think they're unlikely to get any of the ghastly diseases found on big commercial units.  We have a strict quarantine regime which involves worming and three weeks' isolation ina DEFRA-approved isolation facility.

[Azzdodd]

I hire one if I collect an deliver him back it's free of charge but I always get them a little something us smallholders have to look after each other were possible :-)

[Cosmore]

Our pigs are vaccinated against Porcine Parvovirus and Erisipelas and wormed on a regular basis. We always check that the visiting boar is also currently vaccinated and wormed, we also insist on everyone entering and leaving the paddock using a footbath - so far no problems.