Herefordcross
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Bez+
Well-known member
Herefordcross":2ktwwieb said:
If I might make a suggestion - perhaps you should start with a few small guys - let the kids raise them and then sell / eat them.
If they are still interested then go from there.
Piglets are cute. A bred sow can be a royal pain.
Start slow and save yourself some money and potential trouble until you have the kids "no kidding" interested.
I think I know who will be doing the work if they lose interest.
8)
Otherwise this guy knows as much about pigs as I do about electrical engineering.
If you have already done the above, then you are on your own - I can be of no help.
Good luck,
Bez+
I did a search and found this forum for pigs.
http://www.thepigsite.com/forums/
And the "Homesteading" group has a pig forum:
http://homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29
http://www.thepigsite.com/forums/
And the "Homesteading" group has a pig forum:
http://homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Started one of the kids out in the Hog business early this year.Got 3 Sows, and a Boar, and 9 Pigs thrown in with the deal.(they were just about free) Sows all had Pigs within 3 days of each other, and all lived, and are now weaned.Ready to sell, and come out in the paper this week!!The Pigs that were thrown in with the deal, are now meat Hog sized and ready for our freezer, and everyone else we know.
Now let's get down to the real science.
They are a heck of a lot of work.
They are an aggravation.
They have cost me a bundle in Feed.
They all busted out one day.
They stink like all get out.
Hopefully we'll somehow break even. :shock:
Now let's get down to the real science.
They are a heck of a lot of work.
They are an aggravation.
They have cost me a bundle in Feed.
They all busted out one day.
They stink like all get out.
Hopefully we'll somehow break even. :shock:
Bez+
Well-known member
Herefordcross":3g2avd6p said:
Why did you delete this?
Bez+
hillsdown
Well-known member
I am curious too.I wanted to know if your kids wanted to AI the sow and everything or if they wanted it bred naturally. This is a very interesting post as I have no hands on experience with piggies except that our ex partners were pig farmers and they managed to embezzle a crap load of money from us.But that is another story.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
hi,
I agree with Bez, I think it was him, who said start small and see if they like it.
As with anything there is a learning curve. If something were to happen and they get sick or loose quite a few it would be not only discouraging but down right expensive.
I know this is off the topic but it applies to this.
My husband wanted to get into honey bees. For years (3 0r4) he talked about it and i wanted no part of it. Any how three years ago we were presented with a 50 hive op at a good price. I wanted to do it and my husband said "hold on there buck"
Start small, two hives and see if we like it. If we do increase, if not easy to get out and the two hive would be the learning curve. He was right...so hard to admit. There was lots to learn and if we sunk in that much dough and messed up it would have been a mess. Now three years later we have 36 and a good side business.
I think this would apply to pigs as well.
Good luck
I agree with Bez, I think it was him, who said start small and see if they like it.
As with anything there is a learning curve. If something were to happen and they get sick or loose quite a few it would be not only discouraging but down right expensive.
I know this is off the topic but it applies to this.
My husband wanted to get into honey bees. For years (3 0r4) he talked about it and i wanted no part of it. Any how three years ago we were presented with a 50 hive op at a good price. I wanted to do it and my husband said "hold on there buck"
Start small, two hives and see if we like it. If we do increase, if not easy to get out and the two hive would be the learning curve. He was right...so hard to admit. There was lots to learn and if we sunk in that much dough and messed up it would have been a mess. Now three years later we have 36 and a good side business.
I think this would apply to pigs as well.
Good luck
I luv herfrds
Well-known member
Do start out small and get a customer base going.
I raised pigs til the second kid came along. We raised our own barley and I would soak 2 five gallon buckets of that each day and feed it to the 6 I had. All were sold right away.
They need a place to cool down at if they have no dirt or mud to roll in. To keep the costs down raised our own feed and rarely bought any commercial feed.
2 pigs is a good number to start with since they don't like to be alone. Get weaners and spend just that summer doing it.
Got chased by a sow at a place where I was buying pigs from luckily they had hot wire around the pen.
A boar my husband had years ago tore up the cement floor of the hog pen he was in.
JMO.
I raised pigs til the second kid came along. We raised our own barley and I would soak 2 five gallon buckets of that each day and feed it to the 6 I had. All were sold right away.
They need a place to cool down at if they have no dirt or mud to roll in. To keep the costs down raised our own feed and rarely bought any commercial feed.
2 pigs is a good number to start with since they don't like to be alone. Get weaners and spend just that summer doing it.
Got chased by a sow at a place where I was buying pigs from luckily they had hot wire around the pen.
A boar my husband had years ago tore up the cement floor of the hog pen he was in.
JMO.
millstreaminn
Well-known member
I raised two barrows last year and had good luck with them. So far this year I've raised and sold 15 butcher hogs and currently have one bred guilt, two replacement guilts and 10 feeders.
I know it's a lot easier and probably cheaper to buy piglets at 30-40 pounds than to keep a sow and farrow her. I've built a farrowing crate and am in the process of building a heated farrowing room for the sows as well. I have over 1,200 in lumber for the pens as well as over 3,000 in concrete. Kinda reminds me of the money I have spent on my 14 beef cows. :lol: :shock:
Honestly, I've found that the hogs are no more of a problem to feed, house, vet and sell than any of my cows.
I know it's a lot easier and probably cheaper to buy piglets at 30-40 pounds than to keep a sow and farrow her. I've built a farrowing crate and am in the process of building a heated farrowing room for the sows as well. I have over 1,200 in lumber for the pens as well as over 3,000 in concrete. Kinda reminds me of the money I have spent on my 14 beef cows. :lol: :shock:
Honestly, I've found that the hogs are no more of a problem to feed, house, vet and sell than any of my cows.
