[Fowgill Farm]

I have posted a similar post on the GOS website which i know some of you won't be able to access so i'm repeating it here.
I have noticed recently the growing number of pigs that are for sale on various piggy & smallholding websites including whole herds, some are community farm herds that have had their funding cut and some are because people's circumsatnces have changed and they can no longer keep their pigs and that can't be helped either. None of us have a crystal ball or can see into the future.
The reason i've posted is to remind people about the committment you're taking on and to research your market thoroughly before taking the plunge, better to buy in a few weaners to fatten than plough into breeding your own and be left with a dozen of so weaners to feed. The marketplace is saturated with pigs at the present time and with the economic downturn showing no let up is likely to continue to be so. I myself have two litters to sell and have no takers despite advertising in the last ten days so it looks like we'll be eating lots of pork this year!
So just a friendly reminder to think about what you can take on comfortably and what will happen if your circumstances change.
Sorry for being doom & gloom but thought it was time to comment.
 
Mandy 

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[JulieS]

I completely agree Mandy 

[Beewyched]

Hear hear Mandy - too right 

Now folks are starting to wake-up from the "micro-pig" nightmare I have had them contacting me GIVING AWAY "breeding trios" that they no-longer want.  In a lot of these cases 1 or 2 & sometimes all have not been registered. There does seem to be a pattern with some of them - the pigs were not all bred in Scotland & the sellers moved here not long after we did 

Biggest problem with the KKs is that many folks can't face eating them - even the ones who'd rather give them away.  They obviously didn't think about reality before they paid silly money - it really seems that someone's been making a fast fistfull out of all this misery!

 

[chickenfeed]

we took some weaners to market the other week (just 3 to test the water) our were the last lot of weaners ...... the auction kicked off with the sows boarrs and then the porkers at last the weaners first pen of X's reached £3 each then the next few pens £2 - £4 each a litter of berskshire £17 pounds each then a litter of GOS £5 each our hearts were in our mouths by then ours reached £35 each thank goodness as we had not set a reserve.

our friend then came over looking rather glum his GOS and her litter of 8 fetched £108 he was gutted pedigree pig registered etc etc.

then on talking to the auctioneer he told us any pig that has colour is hard to sell as everyone wants the white pig atm.

this was the first time we had taken any to market we were just testing the water but in future any that are not sold at weaning will be off to market.

[tizaala]

I was talking to one of the auctioneers at Hereford market this morning , he told me that a trio of kunes made £10 for the 3 three weeks ago,  but my Gos x pietrain Breeding sows should make about £150/£160 each.

[Beewyched]

I think part of it is time of year/whether it's a weekend market or in the week/where you are in the country  . 

I really feel for your friend C'feed, that sow was worth at least 3 times that in weight - someone had a bargain there, the piglets would have covered the purchase price alone    What's the craze with white pigs I wonder? Most of the rare breeds are coloured, they're easier to keep & their meat is amazing.

I think the market is saturated with lots of poor examples of KKs atm too - so I guess it's up to us to promote the quality herds, of all pig breeds.

I for one have been shy of taking any of my stock to a market, I'd rather hang onto them & sell them privately or put them in the freezer.  I've been to a few  markets to watch - you couldn't even get the cost of covering their feed the prices some are going for.  At the same time I realise that if we don't start putting quality stock in the markets, the folk looking for something will either be put-off by what they see or end-up with sub-standard stock - it's a big catch 22 atm 

 

[robert waddell]

we were asked today if we wanted 70 weaners of all sizes plus adults
he had bought two for the children and just a population explosion       saddelback cross large whites
breeding is not something to be considered lightly and people round on you when you tell them to reconcider If they should breed
selling pedigree pigs at even £35 you are not making any money
also  there is market value for sows  and it is not £300 per pig OK if you can get that  but not every body can punt 150-200 kilos of pork
there will always be poor examples of every breed  it should only be the best that is breed from not an entire litter  quality stock does not even sell just look at the BPA show and sale
the only reason for wanting white pigs is they are not so hairy and easier to scrape and the white hairs don't show the same

[windymiller]

its interesting you post this mandy, i was thinking the same the other day, pork prices realistically need to rise for pigs to become viable in reality, that said i treat it as a hobby and the 3 i've got to pick up from the butchers tomorrow is a nice extra, we loose money hand over fist in honesty but we're lucky had the space, sheds etc so its nice and i'd rather eat stuff i know where its come from.
we do quite a bit of work at shugbrough hall farm (on the water mill) all the staff there are being made redundant (council cuts) as of april 1st, and the pigs went there last month, zack the farm manager said that £9 a pop for the kunes and berkshires, the magalitzas made around 20, very sad. i suspect its the tip of the ice berg.
untill the illigally produced pork from europe is banned we'll struggle, and even then rare breed, free range is a premium product and in this ecconomic climate folks can't afford to feed/ spend on pigs/ pork.

[chickenfeed]

your right robert the pigs are worth more but around here its about the mark unless they are breeding quality registered etc etc the rest of the litter will be split for pork and a trio have been kept for the shows and hopefully someone is looking into buying a boar (for more than £35 i hasten to add  ) so all in all we are pleased with the result.

the breeding side is a hobby to get the show team the meat side has to make money its all a side line for us and the love of the breed that spurs us on.

[Fowgill Farm]

we were asked today if we wanted 70 weaners of all sizes plus adults
he had bought two for the children and just a population explodonsion     
breeding is not something to be considered lightly and people round on you when you tell them to reconcider If they should breed

Robert this is exactly what i mean, people don't realise those two lady pigs they bought can produce 24+ piglets each a year, its a lot of pork to shift and i too have been had a go at when mentioning perhaps breeding might not for them, its all about consequences and people just don't look any further forward than their nose ends!
i fear its going to get worse before it gets better!
Mandy

[oldhinton]

There used to be a lot of attention 40yrs ago to what was known as the 'pig cycle', this was taught avidly at Agricultural Colleges, because of the short breeding period, at times of high prices, people would jump on the 'bandwagon' cause over-production and lower prices. The subsequent bankrupts would then cause a shortage and higher prices, and so on. This was always a pitfall with pigs.

[TheCaptain]

There used to be a lot of attention 40yrs ago to what was known as the 'pig cycle', this was taught avidly at Agricultural Colleges, because of the short breeding period, at times of high prices, people would jump on the 'bandwagon' cause over-production and lower prices. The subsequent bankrupts would then cause a shortage and higher prices, and so on. This was always a pitfall with pigs.

Still taught in Economics as the corn-hog cycle and has been around since the 19th century!

[princesspiggy]

if the price of live pigs is poor, is the price of meat still high?

[TheCaptain]

In a nutshell...

The cycle consists of massive fluctuations in pig numbers caused by overreactions to changes in market prices of pigs and feedstuff. When the price of feedstuff rises (Stage I), the financial position of most pig farmers goes sharply negative and they cut the number of pigs they rear. In the next stage (II), the large fall in pork and bacon availability leads to price rises, which restore the viability of pig breeding and rearing. In Stage III, improved profitability leads to a large jump in pig numbers, causing prices to moderate or fall. Stages IV-onwards, either consist of continual yo-yoing of prices and pork supply (let's call this stable instability) or everybody learning from recent experience, the fluctuations becoming smaller and increasingly the industry achieves greater degrees of price stability and stable supply (let's call this incremental stability through learning).

[Beewyched]

simply ...

Human nature - folks always want what they can't get/afford.  If there's plenty of something, no-one pays it much attention!