Hogs VS Cattle on raising for a profit and for home?

[Katy]

Quote:
What you do is name them pork chop or bacon.....I always have named the calves we hold back to butcher things like hamburger, t-bone, etc.......constant reminder to not get too attached.

 

[geepy]

I have raised feeder pigs, also. We have a pet pig that we will never eat, But I look at it this way, As long as my animals are fed good and have good shelter I think I'm doing a good thing. After all we are on top of the food chain. lol
Once you have home raised pork or beef you are hooked.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
What you do is name them pork chop or bacon.....I always have named the calves we hold back to butcher things like hamburger, t-bone, etc.......constant reminder to not get too attached.

LOL..good advice. I actually think i could keep myself distant from them...
I wonder if its too late in the year to have them up here though?..I think i did see piglets for sale on craigslist..
How long (old) until you butcher them?

 

[miss_thenorth]

My uncle, who is a recently retired pig farmer, said he's glad he's out. You can buy a feeder pig (by the truckload) for $2 a wiener. They finish out at 250# and the farmer gets $95 for it. He says there is no money left in pig farming anymore. I have no info on cattle.

Mind you these are canadian prices,-don't kow how it translates to he US.

 

[chicks for better health]

I have been raising pigs for a few years.

I am able to sell piglets for $75 each at 8 weeks without a problem.

I sell meat by the 1/4, 1/2, or whole. I deliver to the butcher, customer gives instructions and pays butcher. Pricing from $2.75-$3.50 per pound hanging weight.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I've been considering doing a pig or two for a year, now - have yet to jump into that, I got bottle baby holsteins instead.

Whomever (can't recall, sorry) said that one or two cows won't make you any money was right - you have to do at least 10 or more of them to make any real profit.

I'm buying bottle baby holstein calves at 75 bucks each (2-3 days old) and they are selling right now at about 500 pounds, for around a buck a pound. If you keep them til they are larger, your profit margin goes down. I estimate (if the prices don't tank) that my profit per cow is gonna be right around 300 per head - so it pays to do more of them at once. More profit, for not much more work into them. It is cheaper to do cows if you have more land and can put them on good forage pasture.

Just going by the time frame and your land area, I'd say pigs are probably your best bet. A pig will be ready to go to butcher sooner, I believe, and like many have pointed out, you can feed them scraps to offset feed costs.

I also have one holstein heiffer who is staying on the farm. I plan to breed her next spring and put her own baby, plus three others on her - will save me in bottle milk costs. I'd love to have three more heiffers, but they are hard to find right now. I got lucky with Camille, and got her for only 200 dollars at 250 pounds. The farmer who had her said the little bump on her back bugged him to look at her

.

She is beautiful and has grown out of the bump almost totally. (he had her checked by a vet, no problem with milking or breeding/birthing he just didn't like that bump). Her mother had stepped on her shortly after she was born, that is why she had the little bump. He has one of the largest herds in Central Kentucky, so he didn't mind selling her cheap, I guess.

well, I started to ramble, didn't I? sorry, I love my cows.

meri

 

[sweber19]

Quote from cherokeegirl
Hi everyone,

After getting chickens (and loving it!

), my family has decided to have our land work for us more. We have four acres, and are considering raising hogs and or cattle to sell and keep. I've done some research, but can't really find any specific numbers for how much things cost and how much you can make per hog, cow ect.

We have a friend who raises cattle and rotates them through local people's pastures. She has agreed to help us if we want to- but I really want to get some opinions on the pros and cons of both. My Dad is a carpenter so wood, shelter and fencing for both aren't really a problem. My parents have lived with hogs and cattle before and know the basics, but have never raised them personally.

So here's some of my questions-

How much can you buy a piglet for?
It depends on what the seller is going by-his own price or what the market price is

How much do they sell for?
Go by market price- It can vary quite a bit usually

Do you sell them directly to a butcher or auction them off?
You can do it both ways it just depends on what you want to do

Someone told me acorns are poisonous to pigs. Is this true because we have a LOT of oak trees!
No

How bad is the smell really with only one or two of each animal?
For pigs it might stink at first but you eventually get used to it...but even then you get a whiff of it it can be pretty bad...

Can you feed pigs table scraps? I've been told both yes and no on this.
Of course!- they will literally eat anything

Thanks for putting up with my newbie questions!

I really like the idea of raising our own food and possibly making a little money on the side. I'm not thinking it will be a hugely profitable venture, I just want something my little brother (11 years) and I (15) can work at to make a little bit of money.

Thank you!

-Sam