[kate7590]

We have chatted about this a lot recently, and do like the idea of giving it a whirl. However, Iv just worked out the costs tonight and there really isn't a lot in it, is there??

Weaner cost- £50
Cost to feed for 6 1/2 months- £130
Abattoir cost £40 (not including bacon/sausage)

Total- £220
And a whole pig is worth £250 to buy?

Thats not including buying a pig ark, fencing, gates etc

Is it really worth all that work for 6 months, feeding, watering, bedding etc to save £30?  :/

Feeling a bit disappointed now :/

[fsmnutter]

You're right, there's not a lot of money in it.
But is raising pigs that you enjoy having the company of and watching play for six months or so, and knowing where your meat has come from and what has gone into it not worth it?

[knight_family]

I would agree to fsmnutter, its come down not cost saving but getting great quality meet and knowing that yout pigs have had a good life.

Mine go for a run in the evening at a meal / snooze, for that alone its worth doing.

[harmony]

If you are raising pigs for your own freezer the two posts above sum up nicely why people do it. If you are finishing pigs to sell on the margins are tight if there is any margin at all unless you do your maths properly but more importantly charge properly. The difficulty is that so many people under sell their product that you can't get a good price for yours.


It is the same with weaners. Most people are selling at a loss. The argument about what people are willing to pay so therefore that is the value of the market is valid but actually I would say too many pig breeders are just not realistic about their costs.

[sabrina]

Better to raise just for yourself. Well worth the work for taste alone.

[sausagesandcash]

Anything agricultural is only 'profitable' on a large scale.
The only 'profit' from small scale farming is satisfaction! Do it for the taste, if for no other reason. It is well worthwhile if you are doing it for you and yours.

[Caroline1]

Yeah I got similar coatings but the taste and joy of having pigs makes it completely worth it ( in my opinion) 

[Porterlauren]

Pigs. . . . . . only worth really having 2 or 2000.

That pretty much sums it up.

[kate7590]

Thank-you everyone

[hughesy]

Absolutely everyone will tell you there's no money to be made rearing pigs. However there are a good number of businesses doing just that. It's like any other business activity, if you're good at it and you know what you're doing you can make money. If you're not, and you don't, you'll lose.

[Paulie]

I've lost a fair bit on my first pigs but I'm still doing it again next year 

[Victorian Farmer]

I think that if you are organised you can rip the price out of stock. Firstly keep eye on the sales.. This is in  1 month firstly sale ewe lambs 12,month old thainstone £20 to 40pound take 3 or 4 drop of 2 to the abatware. Then  over to dingwall 8 pigs all £50and 1a tenner take it. Monday abatware  whot  a steal no work. 3 weeks later bull caws, £180 again abatware. No feed work etc just sell half  for fuel and cost. ONE DAYS SALE IS BETTER THAN 8 MONTHS VET AND WORK.  I am convinced this is the way forward for smallholders. I go  to  a lot of sales and things are bad. This way you will live but you won't starve.? 

[benkt]

I reckon on turning a 'profit' (not including my time!) of about £50 a pig so your calculation sounds about right to me.

[Porterlauren]

Plenty of people making plenty of money dealing stock!

[Marches Farmer]

Take a look at the bigger picture and spare a thought for rare breeds. They were developed over centuries and have attributes that include docility, long productive life, excellent conformation, easy farrowing and good mothering.  Commercial pigs are put to the boar at around 8 months, the piglets are weaned at three weeks and go to slaughter at around 17 weeks and routinely have teeth and tails clipped to prevent them damaging each other.  The average sow has 2.8 litters before going to slaughter.  Our set up is probably fairly typical for native breeds - our gilts go to the boar at around one year old, piglets are weaned at 8 weeks and go to slaughter at around 24 weeks.  None have teeth or tails clipped and the sows average 11 litters.  Selling excess weaners to folks wanting to raise exceptionally good meat contributes to making it possible for us to keep breeding native breeds for posterity.  With the way things are going in the world the robustness and other attributes of native breeds may become immensely important in the future.