Pig People-Is this a good deal?

fin29 · #1 02/19/04, 08:44 AM

2 Gilts for sale, York/Duroc Hamp crosses. 150lbs, 300lbs. 150lb gilt $100, 300lbs gilt $150 or both for $200 Trade goats? Calves?-

Considering 10 week old piglets are going for $65 each, how can I go wrong with that? I'm thinking go pick them up, drop them off at the slaughterhouse, and pick them up in plastic a few days later. What questions should I ask or what should I worry about?

agmantoo · #2 02/19/04, 10:59 AM

If the gilts are as represented, then the 2 at $200 is a fair price. The caution is that most people cannot judge the weight of a live hog and I doubt that they have been on a set of scales. Additionally we do not know the condition of the gilts. They could be well fed or they could be starved. Certainly you want a well cared for animal to slaughter. Ask if the gilts are bred, if so, you may want to keep them until they farrow and possibly sell most of the pigs and then decide the fate of the sows.

fin29 · #3 02/19/04, 11:25 AM

You're right agmantoo, I don't know the condition of them or the environment in which they were raised, so I decided to take a pass. I just can't believe that I could raise 450 lbs. (live weight) of pig for less than $200-and that's with lots of dumpster diving...

SHELBY · #4 02/19/04, 11:31 AM

If you are wondering about their condition go check them out. You can measure them and get an approx weight

joan from zone six · #5 02/19/04, 11:33 AM

there's just gotta be a more flattering moniker than "pig people" - sounds like something out of orwell

agmantoo · #6 02/19/04, 11:46 AM

Shelby
You obviously have never attempted to measure a hog. The smaller of the 2 would be a near impossibilty without a restraining chute and the 300 pounder would just knock the average person aside provided you could get close enough to put the tape on it.

pig person previously, beef person now. Bovine manure does not smell nearly as bad!

fin29 · #7 02/19/04, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joan from zone six

there's just gotta be a more flattering moniker than "pig people" - sounds like something out of orwell

Got your attention, though, didn't it? :haha:

cowgirlone · #8 02/19/04, 01:27 PM

Oink, Oink! I'm a pig person.

That is a pretty good price, If you decide to get them, the slaughter house will inspect the meat.
If you aren't picky about what they've had to eat or what medicines they have been on they should be alright.
Not much different than buying from a sale barn.

uncle Will in In. · #9 02/19/04, 01:38 PM

Personaly I always prefered Pig people to Lard Butts.

Wanda · #10 02/19/04, 04:33 PM

Bad deal, The hogs are the wrong size for the price the 150pounder would bring 25 cents a pound if you were lucky. The 300 pounder being 40 pounds over market wt. would bring about 30 cents per pound. That is the facts of the market place if you pay more you are paying a premium for what?

agmantoo · #11 02/19/04, 05:21 PM

So.St.Paul, MN Thu Feb 19, 2004 USDA Market News
Barrows and Gilts:
290-300 lbs 36.50-37.50

Raleigh, NC Wednesday February 18, 2004 USDA-NC Dept of Ag Market
100-130 lbs 52.00

The 300 lb would have brought $111
The 150lb would have brought $ 78
Total market price $189

The 2 hogs with a 50% yield made into whole hog sausage will generate approximately 225 lbs of sausage. Current sausage price is $2.19 and would gross $493. The yield would be greater than the example and the price is for a cheaper product than the hams and loins in order not to over state the value of the animals.

Appears that if a person had the need then there would be good value in the purchase.

bumpus · #12 02/19/04, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanda

Bad deal, The hogs are the wrong size for the price the 150pounder would bring 25 cents a pound if you were lucky. The 300 pounder being 40 pounds over market wt. would bring about 30 cents per pound. That is the facts of the market place if you pay more you are paying a premium for what?

Sounds like this is closer to the price they would be worth:

Sow is to big $300.00 x .30 = $ 90.00
Gilt is to small $150.00 x .25 = $ 37.50
Total Value = $ 127.59 Maybe. It all depends on what
state you are buying in.

If the older Sow shows that she is still in milk after raising pigs she could sell for as little as .15-.20 lb.

Tango · #13 02/19/04, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Shelby
You obviously have never attempted to measure a hog. The smaller of the 2 would be a near impossibilty without a restraining chute and the 300 pounder would just knock the average person aside provided you could get close enough to put the tape on it.

pig person previously, beef person now. Bovine manure does not smell nearly as bad!

Not so- depends on the pigs. I taped both my sows that are on the barter board by myself (Ai'd them by myself as well). My girls are about 4 ft. long also but they're used to handling and didn't put up a fuss. Clean pigs kept in a clean area don't smell.

Tango · #14 02/19/04, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tango

Not so- depends on the pigs. I taped both my sows that are on the barter board by myself (Ai'd them by myself as well). My girls are about 4 ft. long also but they're used to handling and didn't put up a fuss. Clean pigs kept in a clean area don't smell.

oh, and they taped at about 450 lbs. each.

SHELBY · #15 02/20/04, 04:45 AM

Thank you for the support Tango. We had a 500 lb sow that we could just go in and do amything with. The last group of pigs we had were a little more wild but if you have a stratigically placed apple you can get anything done

Tango · #16 02/20/04, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHELBY

Thank you for the support Tango. We had a 500 lb sow that we could just go in and do amything with. The last group of pigs we had were a little more wild but if you have a stratigically placed apple you can get anything done

Don't mention it. I work with 10 pigs on a daily basis by myself, including a razorback boar that is at least 250 pounds. Working with them is the key to everything for me. And apples ain't bad either

As for the deal - I can't take a good guess. There is a lot left unknown. Best to take a look for yourself. I'm not sure the market price has anything to do with your decision, unless you can regularly buy pigs at the auction block for that price for your freezer. If you can, then obviously you can take advantage of those lower prices instead.

Wanda · #17 02/20/04, 06:27 AM

Tango
It does make sense that prices will change by area but he asked the board for an opinion and got it!!Here in the hog belt I had to laugh at the prices he quoted.If butcher hogs don't fit a small window on size they will discount price untill the seller bleeds.Hog production is a lot like poultry they want few producers and a very uniform product withy a very small perunit return to producers :no:

Tango · #18 02/20/04, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanda

Tango
It does make sense that prices will change by area but he asked the board for an opinion and got it!!Here in the hog belt I had to laugh at the prices he quoted.If butcher hogs don't fit a small window on size they will discount price untill the seller bleeds.Hog production is a lot like poultry they want few producers and a very uniform product withy a very small perunit return to producers :no:

What does :no: mean? Did I write something that bothers you? I know he asked for an opinion; I gave mine. It is a no brainer that if he can find a cheaper pig at that weight he should get it- all else being equal. I gave my opinion based on my opinion, what else? I don't raise hogs for auction or pork sales in general. I raise them for my own freezer. It is not cheap but it is infintely more humane and has much more quality control in the end product. I doubt we see this from the same perspective but I sure ain't shaking my head at you for voicing an opinion.

cowgirlone · #19 02/20/04, 12:27 PM

We get $1.00 per lb for pork "on the hoof". We have buyers that return every year. Once you get a reputation of having good pigs, it's easy to charge that much.
Sounds like the pig owner might have gotten tired of them, and wants to try a different animal. In fact from the looks of the ad, maybe it was a homesteader ready to try raising goats or beef.

Laura Workman · #20 02/22/04, 04:46 PM

Hey Tango,
Lots of helpful input from you. Thanks. Regarding Wanda, do you think it might just be possible that she was shaking her head about the "very small perunit return to producers" and not about your input? With so much of the non-verbal communication left out of written text, it's frequently a good idea to give people the benefit of the doubt. If it seems they're being really rude, there's at least some chance that you're reading it wrong.