[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Pigs 2011 (Page 3 of 4)
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Ozzie and Cedric mere quickly and peacefully dispatched and dressed today. Wife hired a guy to do it. A few things learned from this batch are that I am not going to buy pigs from hobby farmers again as neither was castrated properly, one had suffered pneumonia which is why he was stunted compared to the other one, and I need more space for them with better drainage. One had white spots on his liver too. Not quite the milky spots that I have seen in pics of pigs with worms, but little starry spots. Not sure what that means as there are several causes. I wormed them a while back but I guess they can come back.
The butcher guessed Cedric was roughly 260, and that Ozzie was 240, so they were not too small. Both had a good fat layer on them. |
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I am not going to buy pigs from hobby farmers again Honestly? It's hit-or-miss no matter where you buy them. You can most definitely get shoddy pigs from commercial outfits as well. The trick is finding a good source whether it's off a hobby farm or a commercial operation. Personally, I like pigs that come off hobby farms as I like pigs with tails. 
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We closed the book on this year's pigs.......hauled them over to the butcher last evening. Had our easiest pig-hauling yet, so we must be doing something right. I'm sad to see them go as these were a mannerly bunch. Gonna do the full write up with price per pound? Medication, etc? The growth rate of your domestics vs the feral hog that I raised is still remarkable. TRG |
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Gonna do the full write up with price per pound? Medication, etc? The growth rate of your domestics vs the feral hog that I raised is still remarkable. They really do grow quickly. I'm always shocked by how fast they grow. I have to sit down with my feed receipts and tally things up. I'll post some follow-up after I do that. |
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I am not going to buy pigs from hobby farmers again Honestly? It's hit-or-miss no matter where you buy them. You can most definitely get shoddy pigs from commercial outfits as well. The trick is finding a good source whether it's off a hobby farm or a commercial operation. Personally, I like pigs that come off hobby farms as I like pigs with tails.
I am certain if I had some way of getting them a check up I would have had a better time and may have been able to ward off some of the issues, but there does not appear to be a farm animal vet in the area. I just tend to be critical of everything all the time and really had to point out the various points where I thought things could go better. Still, both of them having a ball each wasn't an ideal situation. The butcher said that they were still young enough that it would not have been a problem. I'll find out for sure when I get to try some pork chops later this week. Still, we ended up with 307 pounds of meat from pigs we got in May. Rough cost after we have 1/2 the meat turned into smoked hams and bacon should be an average of $4 a pound or so. That also includes having a guy dispatch, dress, and butcher them. I am pretty happy with that. My kids got to watch that process (voluntarily) and were happy to learn how pigs were kinda like chickens on the inside with similar parts. My 8 year old son was able to point out the heart, liver and lungs and other parts, which was kind of cool since he'd never seen the inside of a pig before. My kids are so much cooler with this stuff than I am. |
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OK, here are some numbers for anyone interested.
We got hanging weights of 159, 139, 139 and 138 pounds. Small for market hogs, but that's OK as these weren't market hogs. Those numbers correspond to ballpark live weights of 230 pounds for the bigger one and roughly 200 pounds for the other three. If my math is right, that translates to feed conversion of about 2.5:1 which is pretty darn stellar. We fed 1700 pounds of feed at a rough cost of $480. Acquired the pigs for $300. Sold two pigs for $2 a pound hanging weight and one for cost. Combined revenue there basically paid for all the pigs which leaves us to pick up the charges for the butcher. We splurged on the butcher's services and I'm expecting a bill of about $130 which should make this year's pork come in at about $1 a pound, maybe a little more. The one thing to keep in mind with these numbers is we're not figuring in our time, fuel or equipment costs. |
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The one thing to keep in mind with these numbers is we're not figuring in our time, fuel or equipment costs. Ah, but it's a labor of love, isn't it? And they are adding productivity to the soil for you. 
Went to the auction last night: poor pigs and high, at least to me, prices. And some REALLY poor bull calves: few went for $15-$17! (50-75#) Scours, dehydrated.  Betting they were pulled off momma a day or two before.
MAY grab a HEALTHY one next year, and bottle feed it goat milk for a while. We're skipping hogs this winter anyway. Have only eaten one of last winter's two so far. Thanks again feral:always enjoy seeing how other folks do it/make out. You done good! |
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I share to if anyone cares....
I raised my first hogs (6) this year. I ended up with hanging weights of 181, 180, 175, 172, 168, and 165. I feed 2600 lbs of feed plus about 250 lbs of "freebie" horse feed. I paid $460 for the feed (brother-in-law has a grainery ). The piglets were $390.00. I sold them all at cost (to family). Now I am just waiting to get all my smoked goodness back!
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OK, here are some numbers for anyone interested. We got hanging weights of 159, 139, 139 and 138 pounds. Small for market hogs, but that's OK as these weren't market hogs. Those numbers correspond to ballpark live weights of 230 pounds for the bigger one and roughly 200 pounds for the other three. If my math is right, that translates to feed conversion of about 2.5:1 which is pretty darn stellar. We fed 1700 pounds of feed at a rough cost of $480. Acquired the pigs for $300. Sold two pigs for $2 a pound hanging weight and one for cost. Combined revenue there basically paid for all the pigs which leaves us to pick up the charges for the butcher. We splurged on the butcher's services and I'm expecting a bill of about $130 which should make this year's pork come in at about $1 a pound, maybe a little more. The one thing to keep in mind with these numbers is we're not figuring in our time, fuel or equipment costs. |
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The one thing to keep in mind with these numbers is we're not figuring in our time, fuel or equipment costs. Ah, but it's a labor of love, isn't it? And they are adding productivity to the soil for you.
Yep....I'd raise pigs whether I was selling them or not. Just didn't want anybody to think that raising a few backyard swine was a sound business model. 
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We closed the book on this year's pigs.......hauled them over to the butcher last evening. Had our easiest pig-hauling yet, so we must be doing something right. I'm sad to see them go as these were a mannerly bunch. 
Your pig threads are something I've come to look forward to. Interesting how difficult it is to see them go. Like a story I've watched unfold...with characters I hate to lose. Glad you and Mrs. Feral, kiddies and GardenDog remain constant. 
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OK, here are some numbers for anyone interested. We got hanging weights of 159, 139, 139 and 138 pounds. Small for market hogs, but that's OK as these weren't market hogs. Those numbers correspond to ballpark live weights of 230 pounds for the bigger one and roughly 200 pounds for the other three. If my math is right, that translates to feed conversion of about 2.5:1 which is pretty darn stellar. We fed 1700 pounds of feed at a rough cost of $480. Acquired the pigs for $300. Sold two pigs for $2 a pound hanging weight and one for cost. Combined revenue there basically paid for all the pigs which leaves us to pick up the charges for the butcher. We splurged on the butcher's services and I'm expecting a bill of about $130 which should make this year's pork come in at about $1 a pound, maybe a little more. The one thing to keep in mind with these numbers is we're not figuring in our time, fuel or equipment costs. Farmers never do. That cost kind of balances out the good that you get from the lifestyle––and the learning for your kids...I think.
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My wife got a couple pics right before their departure..this is one of the better ones. We had a roast for dinner. It was good. More flavor than from the store bought stuff. What's the breeding of the spotted one? Crossbred of some sort? The one on the left lookks like he's entertaining notions of a possible chicken snack.
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No idea of breed. Wife got them from friends with a hobby farm. THey were supposed to be from the same litter.
They had lots of chicken this summer. (and 5 ducklings that squeezed in the pen and were not fast enough) They would not mess with the healthy ones, but the dead and/or dying or gimpy ones were consumed mightily. It was pretty handy actually. Lost a few cornish, and it sucked just chucking them into the compost pit as that attracted eagles. Pigs would make them disappear, and our chickens didn't goto waste. We even slaughtered them around the pigpen this year. Heads and legs went right into the pen, entrails etc went into a big pot and was cooked up before given to the piggies. Worked out slick. I am going to miss having my little garbage disposals. What they didn't eat they tilled into the ground. |
| One other anecdote...THe butcher had hung up one of the pigs and started with the belly cut and the innards fell out and my 8 year old son was watching this. I am pretty sure he wanted to be there just so he could say "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside." I about died laughing. |
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One other anecdote...THe butcher had hung up one of the pigs and started with the belly cut and the innards fell out and my 8 year old son was watching this. I am pretty sure he wanted to be there just so he could say "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside." I about died laughing. I always stop feeding mine at LEAST 24 hours before I kill them ,usually winds up being 36, (they do have access to water) and I have never noticed any bad smell. But then, I've been known to sniff skunks, so who am I to say?
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http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/796/cimg0077wu.jpg My first breakfast with my home raised pork! Thanks Feral for all the great post. You made me "man up" and give it a try (and it was well worth it). 
We're chowing on ours too.
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A modest breakfast. Steel cut oats with cream and brown sugar as an appetizer before the breakfast links and bacon. 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/FredFeral/Pigs2011/IMG_1992.jpg Feral, do you guys like your Jenn Air cook top? I have a Jenn air slide in, but the downdraft vent on top makes it impossible to actually center large pots on the (old-style electric) burners. I have some really big skillets, and it makes me nuts. I had decided against a Jenn Air when I replace it, but I see your solid surface and I wonder if that's any better? Thanks, Kitties |
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I have a Jenn air slide in, but the downdraft vent on top makes it impossible to actually center large pots on the (old-style electric) burners. I have some really big skillets, and it makes me nuts. I had decided against a Jenn Air when I replace it, but I see your solid surface and I wonder if that's any better? That's actually a failing on this unit too. Plus if you put a big skillet on the main front right burner and have a sauce pan going on the small back right burner, the control for the back burner is awkward to operate because of the proximity to the big skillet in front. One thing about this top that works well is the downdraft vent. It really does pull cooking odors into the vent. The only problem with that is I rarely cook food that stinks and so I hardly ever use the vent! 
I don't think you'd be any less frustrated with this cooktop than the one you have now. |
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I am frying eggs every morning in rendered lard from "Pickles" the pig I slaughtered back in the winter. Eggs produced by my own hens now. Did you get lard from your hogs, Feral? TRG My wife was remarking to me last night that she thought Cedric and Osgood would approve of their fat being used to deep fry up some potatoes. |
| Just killed the first one. It was 270ish and 188 hanging. Sold it for $2 a pound, that has more than paid for my feed thus far. I have 9 left ranging from 240 - 80 lbs. My next 2 biggest are sows, I was planning on keeping 2-3 to breed back. I am not sure why some have out performed the others. I believe I did not do the right thing by not starting them on a starter. I will do a test next year on a couple different sets to see if it does definitely make a difference. |
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Just killed the first one. It was 270ish and 188 hanging. Sold it for $2 a pound, that has more than paid for my feed thus far. I have 9 left ranging from 240 - 80 lbs. My next 2 biggest are sows, I was planning on keeping 2-3 to breed back. I am not sure why some have out performed the others. I believe I did not do the right thing by not starting them on a starter. I will do a test next year on a couple different sets to see if it does definitely make a difference. $2 a pound seems to work well for us as well. It doesn't make for "cheap meat" for folks, but it seems fair for custom pork. |
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One other anecdote...THe butcher had hung up one of the pigs and started with the belly cut and the innards fell out and my 8 year old son was watching this. I am pretty sure he wanted to be there just so he could say "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside." I about died laughing. Its good for 'em. I was aroundpigs being butchered since I was about 7. wish I had the time and space to raise them now. Hopefully next year I'll be out of this hellhole, and into some property. |
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Took another one in yesterday. A extra fat sow, that hated people. I didn't believe she would make a good breeder nor did I think she would go as heavy as she did. Hung at 209# I was a little shocked and pleasantly surprised.
It leaves me with 8 ranging from 100-230 lbs and $375 to the good. I think I've done well being into the remaining -$45 ea. 
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Love this video. Most folks don't want to think about the process at all. Who here would have ordered MORE when you found out how fresh it was?
Oh man that was funny! I'd love to do that in Madison! |
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Love this video. Most folks don't want to think about the process at all. Who here would have ordered MORE when you found out how fresh it was?
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Am I to take from this that raising pigs is profitable? How do you find a buyer? You can make money but you won't pay the mortgage raising a few swine. Can make your own pork cheaper though.
Our pork customers are word-of-mouth only thus far. We talk to folks about what we're doing and how the product is superior to confinement-raised industrial pork. |