Price of piglets

[Patrick]

I realize that it fluctuates, but what is the average price of weaned feeder piglets in your area, and what breeds are popular?

Here in NH, its been running between $60 and $70 lately, cut, wormed and iron injections. Most popular seem to be Landrace X Yorkshire, but Duroc, Tamworth and Hamp are often available. Spots too. Most are crosses. When I was a kid, Herefords were unknown, but now there are a few around, and they seem to spike in popularity every few years. Most producers are small operations. Commercial type pig barns are almost unknown here.

[Neil E. Grassbaugh]

Originally Posted by Patrick

I realize that it fluctuates, but what is the average price of weaned feeder piglets in your area,Last week 40# pigs in lots of less than a thousand traded at $32.00 a head here n the eastern cornbelt.and what breeds are popular?PICs, Newshams,Like m etc.Like meat hickens there are no "breeds" utilized much anymore in industrial production. However the sire lines of the terminal crosses are generally non white and trace their ancestrey back to those breeds. The mother line is generally a white animal that traces her lineage back to the white breeds.

Here in NH, its been running between $60 and $70 lately, cut, wormed and iron injections. Most popular seem to be Landrace X Yorkshire, but Duroc, Tamworth and Hamp are often available. Spots too. Most are crosses. When I was a kid, Herefords were unknown, but now there are a few around, and they seem to spike in popularity every few years. Most producers are small operations. Commercial type pig barns are almost unknown here.I'll be happy to whip you up a couple of "quads" That would be 8,000 hd one time capacity. Probably get you into productions for oh in New Hampshire Maybe $920,000 for the buildings. Let me know how many you want.

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[Patrick]

I was aware of the commercial strains, but didn't realize that none of the traditional breeds are used at all anymore, commercially. I'm also surprised about the colored sire lines. With the exception of Holsteins, I thought that all commercial animals of every species were white. I imagine that the pig breeds then could be in worse trouble than our chickens. Any idiot with a few bucks can keep some obscur strain going, and then we do have the hatcheries, but who is going to keep the pure pigs just for nostalgia?

You mean that they breed these animals without any intent for the poor baby piggies to grow up and lead normal happy lives? That's an outrage. Something needs to be done about that. Doesn't anyone know that this is going on? Who can I call? Next thing you know, they'll be doing it to chickens and turkeys.

Now I know where all the money is in farming. Neil's splitting it with the feed companies.

[HunterFarmer]

Originally Posted by Patrick

I was aware of the commercial strains, but didn't realize that none of the traditional breeds are used at all anymore, commercially. I'm also surprised about the colored sire lines. With the exception of Holsteins, I thought that all commercial animals of every species were white. I imagine that the pig breeds then could be in worse trouble than our chickens. Any idiot with a few bucks can keep some obscur strain going, and then we do have the hatcheries, but who is going to keep the pure pigs just for nostalgia?

You mean that they breed these animals without any intent for the poor baby piggies to grow up and lead normal happy lives? That's an outrage. Something needs to be done about that. Doesn't anyone know that this is going on? Who can I call? Next thing you know, they'll be doing it to chickens and turkeys.

Now I know where all the money is in farming. Neil's splitting it with the feed companies.

Just like broiler houses, egg batteries, etc, industrial swine are raised in very small pens indoors with no access to sunshine, mud space, etc. Probably fed less than stellar feeds as well. I raised four piglets this past year and sold half of one. The rest went into my freezer at various ages. They were black landrace type, got to root, make mud, pig pile, bask in the sun, eat good stuff... Now I am eating them. I slaughter and package my own as well. The beasts never had an ounce of stress ever while alive.

I do my own chickens, ducks and turkeys as well. The very reason I got into raising my own, contaminated industrial foods, polluted, stressed, and mistreated animals are just wrong. I do my best to avoid industrial fruit and vegetables, they are just as bad!

[goosedragon]

Originally Posted by HunterFarmer

Just like broiler houses, egg batteries, etc, industrial swine are raised in very small pens indoors with no access to sunshine, mud space, etc. Probably fed less than stellar feeds as well. I raised four piglets this past year and sold half of one. The rest went into my freezer at various ages. They were black landrace type, got to root, make mud, pig pile, bask in the sun, eat good stuff... Now I am eating them. I slaughter and package my own as well. The beasts never had an ounce of stress ever while alive.

I do my own chickens, ducks and turkeys as well. The very reason I got into raising my own, contaminated industrial foods, polluted, stressed, and mistreated animals are just wrong. I do my best to avoid industrial fruit and vegetables, they are just as bad!

As one who spent his teen years on a fair sized fruit farm, I wonder what you mean by "industrial fruit"? and how you tell it from other fruit? Both the small producers and the huge producers would haul fruit to the regional market where a packer would make an offer for the load. Worked my senior year at a packing house where the fruit would be sized, graded, washed and in some cases waxed and polished before being packed in crates, boxes, or trays. I couldn't tell between small and big farm product, so how do you?

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by HunterFarmer

Just like broiler houses, egg batteries, etc, industrial swine are raised in very small pens indoors with no access to sunshine, mud space, etc. Probably fed less than stellar feeds as well.

Wow! They're probably pumped full of hormones and antibiotics too.

[Neil E. Grassbaugh]

Originally Posted by HunterFarmer

Just like broiler houses, egg batteries, etc, industrial swine are raised in very small pens indoors with no access to sunshine, mud space, etc. Probably fed less than stellar feeds as well.BS, BS, BS I raised four piglets this past year and sold half of one. The rest went into my freezer at various ages. GOOD FOR YOU, I DO SOME OF THE SAME MYSELF, ENJOY THE HELL OUT OF IT. They were black landrace type,?????? got to root, make mud, pig pile, bask in the sun, eat good stuff... Now I am eating them. I slaughter and package my own as well. AGAIN, GOOD FOR YOU The beasts never had an ounce of stress ever while alive. BS

I do my own chickens, ducks and turkeys as well. The very reason I got into raising my own, contaminated industrial foods, WITH WHAT? polluted, WITH WHAT? stressed, HOW BAD? and mistreated animals HOW? are just wrong. ANTHROMORPHISM? I do my best to avoid industrial fruit and vegetables, they are just as bad!

This ain't BYC = 'Buse Yer Chickens.

[prairiechicken]

Our hog breeds are definately in danger, though I've known a number of larger hog producers who in the last years have introduced some purebred blood like spots or hamps into their herds which had hitherto been closed. Like all things, however, what do we do when we no longer have the purebreds?
We consider this a tragedy, but if we were to practice this same "preservation" when it comes to human beings, then we wouldn't we be known as racists, bigots, be accused of something just short of ethnic cleansing?
Just some thoughts. I know my grandparents never forgave my father for not marrying into "our own people" and marrying a girl of a different Eruopean background.