Porkers

[Levi]

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I am amazed no one has commented on Pigs. They are generally easy to raise and have a high cost to yield ratio. Here is a good way to decide if the cost of raising one is worth it. Piglets is around $25 - $30 a piglet. Feed is around $15 to $20 a month (this is a protein and grain suppliment). The vet bill to get the right vaccination is around $25 every three months. I built my pen and shed using old wood pallets and lined the bottom at 6" and 9" an with electric fence powered by a small solar panel that I already had to stop them from escaping. It usually takes 8 months for your piglet to mature to 250 which is about perfect for slaughter. Any bigger and all your get is alot more fat and less meat. The yield of meat and other products should be 190 pounds. So here are the totals and these are for my area and maybe less or higher in other areas.

Piglet - $ 30
Feed - $160
Vet - $ 75
265/190 = $1.3947 per pound

This is approximate and it will cost more if you carry your porker to a butcher shop. If you can get a good butchering book on Pork then you can see how to do the cuts yourself and save that amount of money. I usually do my own butchering so my final cost of the pork is $1.3947 per pound and i have better tasting, healthier pork in the freezer.

[myakka]

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Truthfully, the best food is food that grows itself. So piggies are good food to me. (Not to farm though.) There are enough wild hogs around here I can just go find one when I want one and costs me nothin but a shell (and not even that with the crossbow.)

[Oscar Wilde]

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Great info Levi, thanks. Neighbors are too close to enjoy the four legged kind ....

O.W.

[Levi]

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My granddad was a traveling salesman and he always said "smell the money" when he passed a place with pigs. I'm not sure what money smelt like back then but it smells better now! LOL