pig keeping

[EastTyrone 2]

considering keeping around 10 sows and a boar to rear piglets in a small holding, anyone do this? any tips? is it economcially viable with the price of meal? the pigs will be free range btw

[Paid 935]

If feeding jus pig nuts it isn't really economically viable, but still worth it.

 

I keep 3 at a time and butcher them every 6 to 8 months, I live next to a big fruit farm though, and have them registered on both sites, and rotate them on both sites, so I can feed them the farms by products, making it a lot more viable.

 

One thing i will def say for them, they are far easier to keep than I was imagining. Once you invest in the right electric fencing ect, the costs are minimal.

[chimp 299]

If feeding jus pig nuts it isn't really economically viable, but still worth it.

 

I keep 3 at a time and butcher them every 6 to 8 months, I live next to a big fruit farm though, and have them registered on both sites, and rotate them on both sites, so I can feed them the farms by products, making it a lot more viable.

 

One thing i will def say for them, they are far easier to keep than I was imagining. Once you invest in the right electric fencing ect, the costs are minimal.

 

£500 a ton for meal aint cheap tho , talking to someone who keeps 5 at a time and they eat nearly 2 tonnes of meal up to slaughter

[Paid 935]

Agreed, you really need another food source to be economically viable, and do the butchering yourself helps keep cost down too.

[chimp 299]

Agreed, you really need another food source to be economically viable, and do the butchering yourself helps keep cost down too.

 

what else can be fed now swill is a no go ? i was told veg etc doesnt really help put weight on the animals

[cheeseboard 2]

but they are what they eat,and the taste of the pork reflects on what you feed them,so swill and shit is out,but pigs like foraging and if you have the land grass and roots subsidise a lot,

[Paid 935]

Like I said, I'm lucky to live next to a farm that has by product all year. I still have to buy in pig nuts though for the protein, but I would say only half what I would otherwise, so thats enough to make it a viable project.

Defra have made if difficult to use by products from further afield. Otherwise, it would be a lot more viable. Shame we have to pay to have our bins emptied, when 20 years ago tons of food that ends up in landfill feeding gulls

was once upon a time turned into tasty pork based snacks.

Stupid world at times.

[chimp 299]

Like I said, I'm lucky to live next to a farm that has by product all year. I still have to buy in pig nuts though for the protein, but I would say only half what I would otherwise, so thats enough to make it a viable project.

Defra have made if difficult to use by products from further afield. Otherwise, it would be a lot more viable. Shame we have to pay to have our bins emptied, when 20 years ago tons of food that ends up in landfill feeding gulls

was once upon a time turned into tasty pork based snacks.

Stupid world at times.

 

 

your not wrong there , all the waste big supermarkets throw out is shocking aswell

[fat man 4,740]

I kept 2 last year and fed them for very little.I was geting all the left overs from a bakery and also loads of carrots that were graded and under size.I was also lucky in that a piggery just a few mile away was closing up and he gave me the meal left in the silo which was almost ton and half for free.They killed out at 15 stone at just over 5 months old.I could not keep them any longer as i needed the space they were in.They cost me 180euro to get killed and ready for the freezer,so not bad as i filled a huge freezer aswell as giving plenty away to friends and family.There is a hell of a lot of meat on them.

[CO CHISE 270]

i work on an indoor unit, a sow will average around 24 pigs per year, you wean at 25/28 days at around 7kg, they should get to around 30kg at 10wks old and 100kg with in 6mth, we kill out around 105kg so they should weigh around 83kg dead weight,(minus bone/guts),

a sow eats around 1.25 tons per yr at a cost of £125/£160 a ton

weaner feed at £250/£270 a ton and fat feed from £160/£190 a ton

it will differ on breed of pig you'll keep and if you keep them outside,

if you look through the farmers weekly, it tells you what price per kilo pork/bacon is making but changes each wk,

atb if you decide to do it,

[patterdale88 16]

ive in keeping pigs and killing pig most of my life and meal prices are at all time high and prices for pig are down if u were going to do it buy the pig in at 40kg and feed them as much they want u will turn them round in 10 weeks if u get the right breed

[CO CHISE 270]

bump for ldeation

[Ideation 8,216]

Cheers matey