Buying a pig

Rotafixa

Hi there,
I was wondering whether its possible to buy an alive pig somewhere near Dublin. What would be the price? who can i contact? thank you very much!

Daithi BC

Hi. There should be no problem getting a pig - do you know what type you are looking for?

You'll need a pig registration number from the Department of Agriculture. If you go into your local District Veterinary Office (DVO), they can sort you out for that. They should come and inspect you to make sure your facilities are ok, and then they'll give you your number.

Rotafixa

we just want to buy it to eat it for a party and not to raise, do we still need to do all the process that you explained??
where can i find the farmers that sell them anyway, i am also prepared to go through all that process!
thank you very much

I know in certain countries (Romania is springing to mind) it is traditional to kill a pig before Christmas and to butcher it yourself but that is not done all that much around here anymore.

I doubt that even if it is for your own consumption the requirements on the way you keep it before it is slaughtered and the way you slaughter it are any easier than if you were going to sell it in the market.

Edit: You could always ask an abattoir to quote you a price for a pig.

brianthebard

Yeah talk to a butcher, meat factory or piggery, unless its for some weird cultish party you are better off buying a half a carcass or full slaughtered pig rather than a live one.

Daithi BC

Rotafixa wrote: »

we just want to buy it to eat it for a party and not to raise, do we still need to do all the process that you explained??
where can i find the farmers that sell them anyway, i am also prepared to go through all that process!
thank you very much

No need for all the paperwork if you're just looking for a pig to eat.

I'd recommend getting in touch with your local butcher, or if you're looking for a free range pig and want to pick it before you eat it, you could try one of the people on this list: http://sallygardens.freeforums.org/pig-breeders-in-ireland-please-add-your-details-t173.html

Peewee_lane

Hi Daithi, thanks for the sally garden link, I have been on UK Poultry forums and am delighted to find some irish heads on Sallys Garden!

Daithi BC

Peewee_lane wrote: »

Hi Daithi, thanks for the sally garden link, I have been on UK Poultry forums and am delighted to find some irish heads on Sallys Garden!

You're very welcome! There aren't that many of us selling free range pigs, but there are enough that you should be able to find what you're looking for.

kravist

Daithi BC wrote: »

Hi. There should be no problem getting a pig - do you know what type you are looking for?

You'll need a pig registration number from the Department of Agriculture. If you go into your local District Veterinary Office (DVO), they can sort you out for that. They should come and inspect you to make sure your facilities are ok, and then they'll give you your number.

and on that subject.....
I was thinking of going down the same road. Not necassarily to slaughter the pig before Christmas, but eventually for our own comsumption.

Does anyone have any sample plans of facilities? ie: designs of buildings,food stores etc
Also their implications in terms of planning permission.
How much ground is required for a pig or two....free range (if the term applies)?
Also, what would constitute as adequate fencing?

basically, all you need to know as a person from a non farming background.

CJhaughey

You don't need any special buildings to keep pigs or pig food etc.
I had two saddleback's until march this year.
Electric fence, plastic ark, plastic feeding trough, water bucket made of a blue plastic barrel cut down and stuck into a truck tyre.
and about 200m2 of land that could be dug up.
Rare breed pigs are hardier for outdoor rearing , the commercial breeds like landrace tend to be more suited for indoors.
I did go through about 400kg of organic food for them.
In retrospect I think 3 months from getting the 8wk old weaners would be plenty for good porkers.
You are better keeping 2 pigs they fatten better.

Daithi BC

CJhaughey wrote: »

You are better keeping 2 pigs they fatten better.

You'll definitely need at least two pigs - they're very sociable animals and would be very lonely on their own.

Whizzo

Rotafixa,
I have done this twice before. I went to my local butcher and enquired. Worked out about €120 for a 30kg pig which I bbq'd. Theres alot of meat on a pig! All good

I'm interested in the rearing side. Some of you have good experience. When it came to slaughter, what way was it done - big abbatoir, local butcher? If it was a big abbatoir, how did youknow it was your pig at the end?

Daithi BC

I get mine killed at O'Gorman's abattoir in Castledermot. There aren't that many places will kill pigs, and I've always found them very good, so I keep going back.

In my case, I have Tamworth free range pigs, and there's a layer of fat 2-3cm thick on them, so there's no chance of them being swapped for anything else!

Pighead

Pigs cannot be bought. They are proud and noble creatures.

emmemm

CJhaughey wrote: »

You don't need any special buildings to keep pigs or pig food etc.
I had two saddleback's until march this year.
Electric fence, plastic ark, plastic feeding trough, water bucket made of a blue plastic barrel cut down and stuck into a truck tyre.
and about 200m2 of land that could be dug up.
Rare breed pigs are hardier for outdoor rearing , the commercial breeds like landrace tend to be more suited for indoors.
I did go through about 400kg of organic food for them.
In retrospect I think 3 months from getting the 8wk old weaners would be plenty for good porkers.
You are better keeping 2 pigs they fatten better.

this should leave the plot well manured and ,I imagine, grubbed up ready for cultivation. what do you do with the land after the pigs? more pigs?
and did you make any money ?

CJhaughey

I didn't do it to make anything, I just wanted some nice pork.
And to be honest the pork that I got from them was probably the nicest I have eaten.
I sold some to friends that wanted organic pork, mainly because I didn't have room for two pigs in my freezer, but I just charged €9 per Kg as I didn't know what the market rate was for Organic pork.
Next time I will be better prepared and have some more time organised for sausages and hams etc.
I made about 20lbs of sausages and a lot of pork chops and I still have two big hams to brine for xmas.
The ground is pretty healthy where the pigs were, I left it fallow for the summer and will get two more in March next year.

Daithi BC

emmemm wrote: »

this should leave the plot well manured and ,I imagine, grubbed up ready for cultivation. what do you do with the land after the pigs? more pigs?
and did you make any money ?

For me, most of the land was back into more pigs after a bit of a break, but I did plant a few veg in some of it, and they did very well.

Didn't make any money out of them, but if I counted the cost of buying all the pork/ham/sausages I got, then I saved a whole heap of money, and the meat is so much better than anything you can buy in a supermarket.

cipiatone

Im moving into a new house that has about an acre of long grass land that will be the lawn, Im thinking of putting a couple of pigs on it to dig up the land and fetalise the graound before the lawn goes in. How long will it take the pigs to tear that land to bits? Is it a good idea?

itsallaboutheL

cipiatone wrote: »

Im moving into a new house that has about an acre of long grass land that will be the lawn, Im thinking of putting a couple of pigs on it to dig up the land and fetalise the graound before the lawn goes in. How long will it take the pigs to tear that land to bits? Is it a good idea?

I have a special breed of pig just for that job.... i call 'em rotavators:)

cipiatone

Leek and Rotovator suasages just wouldnt go down too well!

reilig

cipiatone wrote: »

Im moving into a new house that has about an acre of long grass land that will be the lawn, Im thinking of putting a couple of pigs on it to dig up the land and fetalise the graound before the lawn goes in. How long will it take the pigs to tear that land to bits? Is it a good idea?

A pig will dig an acre in about a week. He will keep rooting for worms and grub through the soil. He will dig a little pond for himself to keep cool and keep the flies off his back. The smell around the house will be terrible. You will want to have the field really well fenced cause if he gets a chance at all he will break out and dig your neighbours gardens for them - he will especially love flower beds.

Only solution to stop a pig digging is to ring him. Don't know if you can still buy pig rings??

At the end of the day, a pig is for life, not just a digging holiday.

cipiatone

reilig wrote: »

At the end of the day, a pig is for life, not just a digging holiday.

I'm thinking a pig is for sausages after a wee digging holiday where I provide them with the best of care possible.

sausagesandcash

If anyone is interested in buying a free range, purebred Tamworth pigs or weaners, they can visit us at http://www.homefarm.ie/