Opportunities in pigs

[Herdsman12]

Are there opportunities for new entrants in the pig sector, particularly outdoor pigs? Would like to go out and farm on my own. Got a lot of experience with cows and currently work as a herd manager but always had an interest in pigs, worked with them a bit when I was a lot younger and have kept a few for the freezer from time to time. Always found them fascinating. I suppose the obvious thing would be to go dairying but not many opportunities to rent a equipped dairy farm. Are there many people share farming in the pig sector or anything like that?

 

[JP1]

@Suffolk Serf

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Are there opportunities for new entrants in the pig sector, particularly outdoor pigs? Would like to go out and farm on my own. Got a lot of experience with cows and currently work as a herd manager but always had an interest in pigs, worked with them a bit when I was a lot younger and have kept a few for the freezer from time to time. Always found them fascinating. I suppose the obvious thing would be to go dairying but not many opportunities to rent a equipped dairy farm. Are there many people share farming in the pig sector or anything like that?

Yes. A common arrangement is "Adjistment" (might not be spelt correctly!) where a large pig company owns the pigs and provides feed and vet/med and generally monitors production and the adjistor supplies land (rented), labour, equipment and is generally paid per pig weaned. There are plenty of people doing very well at this.
A good start is your experience with dairy cows, a lot of the skills will be very transferrable.
As with everything, it is all about contacts and location. If you like East Anglia, BQP would be a good firm to contact, if you prefer Scotland, it would be Karro.
You would probably have to go and work for an adjistor first to prove yourself.

 

[Nukemall]

Stockcroft would be worth approaching for the South West I believe.

 

[Herdsman12]

Yes. A common arrangement is "Adjistment" (might not be spelt correctly!) where a large pig company owns the pigs and provides feed and vet/med and generally monitors production and the adjistor supplies land (rented), labour, equipment and is generally paid per pig weaned. There are plenty of people doing very well at this.
A good start is your experience with dairy cows, a lot of the skills will be very transferrable.
As with everything, it is all about contacts and location. If you like East Anglia, BQP would be a good firm to contact, if you prefer Scotland, it would be Karro.
You would probably have to go and work for an adjistor first to prove yourself.

Thanks. I was hoping my skills would be transferable!

Yes. A common arrangement is "Adjistment" (might not be spelt correctly!) where a large pig company owns the pigs and provides feed and vet/med and generally monitors production and the adjistor supplies land (rented), labour, equipment and is generally paid per pig weaned. There are plenty of people doing very well at this.
A good start is your experience with dairy cows, a lot of the skills will be very transferrable.
As with everything, it is all about contacts and location. If you like East Anglia, BQP would be a good firm to contact, if you prefer Scotland, it would be Karro.
You would probably have to go and work for an adjistor first to prove yourself.

Thanks. I hoped my skills would be transferable!