My son who is 7 has decided he wants some pigs so was thinking a couple to start with so thinking buying weaners and finishing and getting killed at local butchers then selling to family neighbors etc. Any ideas of best breed how much we should pay what to feed (can I make feed myself we have cereals and soya etc in stock. How long will they take to fat what weight to kill at is there anything else we need to sell meat. He is very keen to make a profit
Pig keeping advice for amateurs
- Thread starter tr250
- Start date
£40 to buy at 7kg
They will fatten in 20-25 weeks and eat £75 ish of feed kill at 105kg
What breed/type is that based on
Danish landrace
first up wait a while till the weather is a bit better.last year we bought five at 30kg for 30 quid each they were oxford sandy blacks crossed with a welsh white.kept them 14weeks and they turned out at around 85 kgs.that was from august 10th to nov 10th ish,a good time of year as plenty of food around {acorns ,apples etc}i bought 20 bags of feed costing 120,
Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Consider rare breeds - they are slower growing so make better meat in my opinion. They are more resiliant to disease and there is a slight premium for the meat.
Chose something with flop ears - they dont go shoving things to get out as much.
Consider a darker coloured pig as they dont get sunburn. Rare breeds will also have more hair which protects them.
Think if you can stick them out (secure pen!) as rare breed outside pork has a bigger premium and they will be happier pigs.
Get male pigs and you will not be tempted to keep them. You can grow females longer without the risk of taint, but they do find a way to worm themselves into your heart!
Handle them a lot from the word go. The quicker you can get them to flop down at a touch the better (you can check them all over with a gentle hand).
Charge your camera. A lad of 7 with two piggie friends make lovely photos.
Chose something with flop ears - they dont go shoving things to get out as much.
Consider a darker coloured pig as they dont get sunburn. Rare breeds will also have more hair which protects them.
Think if you can stick them out (secure pen!) as rare breed outside pork has a bigger premium and they will be happier pigs.
Get male pigs and you will not be tempted to keep them. You can grow females longer without the risk of taint, but they do find a way to worm themselves into your heart!
Handle them a lot from the word go. The quicker you can get them to flop down at a touch the better (you can check them all over with a gentle hand).
Charge your camera. A lad of 7 with two piggie friends make lovely photos.
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
Aren’t we all
He fancys saddlebacks would these do the job. We are thinking putting them outside in electric fence and being able to run into a cattle yard which I will put a few straw bales to make a pen in the corner. I'm sure I will end up feeding when he's at school etc but he's very enthusiastic and will certainly be a stockman of some kind
Ha yes of course we do but the profitably thing was his idea not mine
Feed twice a day ,once in morning and afternoon
Would I need to buy feed or could I make something out of rolled barley and soya and minerals
Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
They tend to run to fat on barley, but if you bought a few bags of feed and stretched it with barley it would be OK. I found I could taste the soya in the meat so never used it.
Had 5 last year with all the app!es and acorns only bought 20 bags ,my 1 1/2came free plus swapped 1/2for beef local.the rest i sold to freinds,
thats a good idea
The hen bandit
Member
Hi I had 2 saddle backs and 3 kunie/ Berkshire all girls kept them oor long but by Christ they taste brilliant! They are Affa things to get attached to characters, mine started breaking out all over the country side and local quarry to wallow in the railing and goor at the quarry they was fair chuffed me not so much having to come home, but be money to be made for local bogside butcher to do mine and priced it so worked at £400 a pig retail price, good luck to your son!
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I do a couple every year, pure Durocs. They stay indoors, whilst the sheds are unused in the summer, and have pretty well ad-lib pig pellets (just about cleared up twice a day). I don't turn them out as I don't want to trash a field. Durocs don't run to fat like some of the heritage breeds, which ultimately aren't commonly used for a reason, and grow soooo much faster. Being a terminal sire breed, they are incredibly well fleshed.
We have one in our freezer and sell the other one to friends at the cost of rearing & butchering it. I'm sure we could easily sell a few at a bit of a margin, but would rather just do it as a favour to friends. Everyone that tastes it, raves about it, and personally I much prefer it to the pork from some of the rare breeds I've tasted. It has a bit more fat (& less water!) than any supermarket meat, but not an inch or so to trim off and chuck away.
We have one in our freezer and sell the other one to friends at the cost of rearing & butchering it. I'm sure we could easily sell a few at a bit of a margin, but would rather just do it as a favour to friends. Everyone that tastes it, raves about it, and personally I much prefer it to the pork from some of the rare breeds I've tasted. It has a bit more fat (& less water!) than any supermarket meat, but not an inch or so to trim off and chuck away.
Castle Farm
Member
First get yourself a market.
foobar
Member
- Location
- South Wales
I had saddlebacks as my first pig, very easy to deal with, had them behind two strands of leccy tape no bother. Hardest part was finding a drinker that they couldn't tip over - went with a belfast sink in the end. Agree get a breed with floppy ears (easier to sneak up on if you need to). Keep them outdoors, they will be happier and it makes it more fun 
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