Raising shoats or finishing out

[spur]

I haven't had hogs in a while and want to get some. I need some thoughts on the best way to go. I originally thought about getting some weaned shoats and raising them from about March to November. On a whim yesterday I checked the report ( Monday, February 2nd, Greencastle ,Pa. )from the local auction barn. I was astounded at the price market hogs were bringing. The price for butcher hogs 200-240 lbs. was 57.5 per pound. There is where my dilemma arises. For a 200 lb. hog that would only be $115. There is no way possible you can buy all your feed and raise a hog for that money. Around here 40 to 60 pound weaned shoats are bringing between 60 and 80 dollars, some even 100 dollars a piece. At 80 dollars as the midpoint your sure not going to put much weight on a pig for another 35 dollars. The way I'm leaning now is to go to the auction, buy a couple pigs around 200 lbs., and feed them for about two months and kill them. I'm thinking that if I feed them for two months most of the chemicals should be gone or at least minimalized.
From reading on here I know a lot of you folks have gone both ways. I would appreciate some of your experiences before I make up my mind which way to go. By the way I'm not opposed to the effort of raising the shoats, I kind of like having hogs around.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Sounds like a plan. We like hogs and pork but I always warn everyone that it is dependant on the market. I pulled the trigger (literally) a little early on a nice berkshire a few years ago because feed was up over $24/100 due to the drought.

[oregon woodsmok]

For the price of a 25 pound undersized weaner pig, I can buy a 100 pound pig. There's no point in raising a pig from a baby.

It's a mystery how the folks with pig farms make a living at it.

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

For the price of a 25 pound undersized weaner pig, I can buy a 100 pound pig. There's no point in raising a pig from a baby.

It's a mystery how the folks with pig farms make a living at it.

Yes when I get ready to feed my own home grown feed I will buy the biggest ones I can for as low as I can then breed them and grow my own shoats before I butcher the sow. That way I get my own pure shoats quicker.
When I have my own shoats I will be looking for someone to swap males with.
Then I can grow up and keep two of my sows and have a boar from a different family to breed them. Any other shoats I get from that first sow will just go into the freezer.

[FarmboyBill]

Is shoats a eastern term. I have heard of it, I suppose, tho I don't remember when, and have seen the word in print but again I don't remember when. I always just thought it was a generalized term for swine, like we say hogs out here, meaning any adult swine of either sex. Then boars and sows for male and female, and bars for boars that been cut. Gilts for young female pigs

[geo in mi]

"Shoat" has always meant a young pig that has been recently weaned and is ready for feeding. Can be male or female. At least in Indiana where we raised pigs (or hogs, or swine, or porkers....)

Back when lots of farmers raised pigs for market, there was the old saw that: "You could buy the pigs and feed them your own grain; or, you could raise the pigs and buy the grain, but not both." Then, as world markets came into play, that adage was no longer true--it really depended on the price of corn. Then along came soybean meal and confinement growing from farrowing to finish--and none of the old sayings hold true--the individual simply can't compete with twice a year farrowing, five month maturity at market, and vertically integrated systems which purchase grains and supplements in worldwide, company owned markets.

But a homesteader/smallholder can concentrate on quality and taste, and if he/she is willing to utilize the whole hog, it might be a good homestead operation, from farrowing, to raising, to home butchering and curing and preserving, making use of the lard and fertilizer. And maybe by growing slower maturing animals that can use pasture forage as well as corn, potatoes, pumpkins, excess cow milk, some wheat, corn stover, and other home grown foods. Then the equation wouldn't be just in terms of dollars and cents.

I've seen shoats on Craigslist here for $85--$100 too, and have wondered.....

Just spouting off my opinion....

geo

[FarmboyBill]

Thanks Geo. They used to be called The Great Mortgage Lifters, but, as you say, no more. Okies round here at 100/175lbs for BBQs. There getting hard to find here.

[spur]

Thanks to the ones that replied. I think I'll buy a couple 200 pound hogs for this year and see how that pans out before I raise any smaller pigs.