Contract Rearing Pigs

[Muddy Plox]

Looking at this as an option. Could any one give me any advice at all please. Know absolutely nothing about the job but am accessing all options at the moment. TIA

 

[midlandslad]

Location is key, where are you based?

 

[TripleSix]

Big water bill.
Lots of straw needed.

 

[Muddy Plox]

Location is key, where are you based?

sorry I’m based in Hereford.

 

[D14]

Looking at this as an option. Could any one give me any advice at all please. Know absolutely nothing about the job but am accessing all options at the moment. TIA

Looked into this a couple of years ago and decide against it because of the straw requirement and water used. All the figures they give you, assuming this is a franchise type job) are 25% out on both costs and sales. I spent the time travelling to see others doing it under the same banner and whilst they were all ok with the job they all said the figures were wrong on the spreadsheets given to them at the beginning.

 

[4course]

first lot will do marvellous 2nd lot a few problems after that you end up with a water bill building repair costs bedding costs or effluent disposal costs and thats without vet med and the hassle of loading or unloading at 4am in the depths of winter but keep doubling up and youll think your doing fine until !!! ive oft used the phrase grandad said a donkey of your own is worth 1/2 an hoss .On pigs it was you want 2 or 200 and that was 40 years ago ask youself why does the contract outfit want you to have them

 

[t murrr]

I saw a contract a year or so ago 650 pig house no planning needed on slats straw to dear 3.5 batches a year 10.50 a pig house would set you back 135k now concrete etc up but so is the contract price .The processor who is supplying the pigs has houses of his own but would rather leave them empty as problems with nitrates

 

[Rob Holmes]

A friend has been doing the BQP system for a few years now starting with a green field site, he raves about it and says it’s best thing he’s ever done

 

[t murrr]

It's a cash flow that is comming in through the door and small enough risk if you count if you went into a different agri business dairy hens ducks boilers all bigger money to start ,small fire warms ya big fire burns you so my old man always says

 

[Pan mixer]

@snarling bee

 

[snarling bee]

Looked into this a couple of years ago and decide against it because of the straw requirement and water used. All the figures they give you, assuming this is a franchise type job) are 25% out on both costs and sales. I spent the time travelling to see others doing it under the same banner and whilst they were all ok with the job they all said the figures were wrong on the spreadsheets given to them at the beginning.

That's not what we have found. Income is bang on what BQP said, if not a little more. Costs are about what they said.
Our capital costs are a bit higher, but that is our choice of straw shed and loader, rather than the sheds themselves.
The big ones for me are cost of capital and cost of labour. If you have to borrow all the money and employ the labour then I can't see much in it. If you have family labour that you need to keep busy and /or capital to invest then it works. You really also need a supply of straw and land to spread the muck, or a good straw for muck deal.
The job is about as risk free as you can get. I wouldn't want the same amount invested in the stock market at the moment.
We are happy to show people around or discuss further if that is helpful.

 

[deleted user 837354]

That's not what we have found. Income is bang on what BQP said, if not a little more. Costs are about what they said.
Our capital costs are a bit higher, but that is our choice of straw shed and loader, rather than the sheds themselves.
The big ones for me are cost of capital and cost of labour. If you have to borrow all the money and employ the labour then I can't see much in it. If you have family labour that you need to keep busy and /or capital to invest then it works. You really also need a supply of straw and land to spread the muck, or a good straw for muck deal.
The job is about as risk free as you can get. I wouldn't want the same amount invested in the stock market at the moment.
We are happy to show people around or discuss further if that is helpful.

What is the labour commitment daily in time/machines. Do you see this as a good fit for an arable operation that already has a couple of chaps who would look for the money over winter?

 

[teslacoils]

I think the days of arable outfits with chaps free over winter has lost by gone.

Suits someone like me who can do the work after the school run.

 

[snarling bee]

What is the labour commitment daily in time/machines. Do you see this as a good fit for an arable operation that already has a couple of chaps who would look for the money over winter?

It is 2-3 man hours per day per 1000 pigs, plus a quick look around in the evening.
But that includes every spraying/drilling/combining day as well.
My daughter does 2000 pigs on her own, but with help weekends and holidays etc. but she is not really involved in the arable, but has time to help in the office. However if you have a chap that you are struggling to justify for the business, then 1000 pigs might make the difference. You however will probably be doing them Christmas morning?!

 

[4course]

Im of the view that contract pigs are very similar to the chicken job orto being on a input against output deal that many are on with the multi nationals re combinable crops , I fear there are some who dont realise thats where they are. and are living in cloud cuckoo land

 

[4course]

mindst you ive just sown some non contracted spring barley that with no rain forecast for the next week or so could well be classed as cuckoo corn

 

[teslacoils]

mindst you ive just sown some non contracted spring barley that with no rain forecast for the next week or so could well be classed as cuckoo corn

Not sure putting up a building with pretty solid cashflow for six years is a worse plan than planting arable crops tbh.

 

[Mad For Muck]

How much straw do they use roughly?

 

[snarling bee]

one 6 string bale per day per 1000 pigs.

 

[DieselRob]

one 6 string bale per day per 1000 pigs.

How do you bed up? Do you place bales on a catwalk?