[Tweedle]

This sunday is going to be a very busy day for us here. We have our preg sows coming this sunday afternoon and the two growers going off to the butchers that morning...  two in two out, with more to come!

[Francis Bacon]

Sounds like fun  , Hope all goes well 

[pigsatlesrues]

Good luck!  Our first two pigs were both pregnant on arrival.  The first litter was born withing a week so we really were thrown in at the deep end!

Let us know how it goes!

Kate 

[Tweedle]

What a day yesterday turned out to be! My brother was supposed to help me load up my little guys to take them off to the butchers, But it turned out to be a whole family affair.  We had to drop off the boys at 9am, and the new girls were coming in at 11 am... cutting it close but we figured we could make it. We got up and at'em at 5:30 so we could get a good meal in before trying to coax the boys into my truck, and set out to work. As luck would have it we were in the midst of a thunderstorm   The previously muddy ground was now about a foot deep with muck and trying to suck my boots right off my feet, and the boys were not at all pleased to be running about in the rain. after about a half hour the rain had passed and they we coaxed them out into the chute and up the ramp into the truck.  Then the fun began. I usually have a crate to put them in but it is my neighbors and it had recently been stolen from his house... so no crate.  I have gated panels on the sides of my truck, which turns out, are the correct spacing for a hog to use as a ladder.    after much scrambling we found some scrap wood and screws and made a top  (not pretty but workable). Then off we went an hour early! After arriving at the butchers to find nobody there we toured the countryside for an hour, giving the boys one last hurrah (and a bit of frozen yogurt).
  Unloading went much smother as they are set up to handle live animals. The only problem came when I went into the makeshift crate to scoot them out and my face was wedged between the pig’s wonderfully scented back side and the makeshift top we had placed on the truck as they stood up and one shoved the other back wards. Not the best positioning on my part I will admit.
  The girls were delivered around 1 in the afternoon as the also had a bit of a problem with the loading up. They went out of the trailer straight into the pen and began testing my fencing abilities. (So far so good on that note) they are wonderfully, very laid back spotted floppy eared girls. They love a good scratch and pet.  They are (Tamworth X Duroc) X (Yorkshire X Hampshire).  There were plenty of people on hand to take pictures so if anyone wants to see I can post them.
 

[Rosemary]

Of COURSE we want to see them!

[Hilarysmum]

Ah so now you have joined my husband in sporting that oh so designer aftershave/cologne  essence of pig!!!

[Francis Bacon]

my face was wedged between the pig’s wonderfully scented back side and the makeshift top we had placed on the truck as they stood up and one shoved the other back wards. Not the best positioning on my part I will admit.

Sorry just had to chuckle, could just picture it 

[Tweedle]

here are some pic's of us loading up the boys to leave.

My wife is taking pictures  my brother is in the white shirt and I'm in the brown shirt.  (the pigs are wearing pink  )

[Rosemary]

I wish there had been one of you with pig's bottom!!

[Tweedle]

well lucky for me they were to busy holding there sides in to grab the camera. lol

[Hilarysmum]

Nice pigs!

[Tweedle]

We got our boys back today and got our hanging weight and meat weights. Does anyone here keep track of their feed cost and amounts and track there feed convertion ratio or cost of the meat vs. averge retail price?  I figured mine out  just for kicks, as it turns out i was pretty close... hmmm (saving money Defanatly isn't my reason for raising them) I was just wondering

[Rosemary]

I kept a note of costs last year and have this year. It's on the website somewhere. I think we got a whole pig for £120 or similar.

[Hilarysmum]

If you bought the equivalent in good organic free range pork, it would cost a lot, lot more than £120.

And you KNOW its good!!!!!

[Farmer Giles]

We got our boys back today and got our hanging weight and meat weights. Does anyone here keep track of their feed cost and amounts and track there feed convertion ratio or cost of the meat vs. averge retail price?  I figured mine out  just for kicks, as it turns out i was pretty close... hmmm (saving money Defanatly isn't my reason for raising them) I was just wondering

Hi Tweedle

Yep, know where you are coming from on the feed costs, slaughter + butchering costs to returns gained. We worked out that by the time we have added and subtracted then divided and got a balance overall we are 36 euros up per pig, that doesn't take into account our time and the loss of land yield per acre should we grow grain!!! But 36 euros for what we achieve and the fact we are happy with our lot, the fun factor, our friends and not to mention we have a ball with our pigs it's worth every centime!!