Tales from the Home Farm by Michael Kelly

Author:Michael Kelly [Michael Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781847174451
Publisher: O'Brien Press
Published: 2012-01-19T16:00:00+00:00

two piglets €120

approximate grain costs €140

slaughter €100

butchering / processing €80

total: €440

cost per pig: €220

A few comments on these piggynomics. These are very much guideline costs – there can be a good deal of variation in the cost of the initial pig, for starters. I have heard of producers looking for €150 for a piglet, which is absolutely scandalous to my mind – search around for value and get your order in early. Most of the good breeders will have a list of longterm clients to look after and may be sold out early in the season. There is also a good deal of fluctuation in the cost of grain, and the amount that you need could be reduced, depending on the quantity of kitchen scraps you can provide your pigs with. You could also save a good deal of money each year if you opted to butcher the meat yourself (the abattoir does the actual slaughtering – by law – and returns two halves of a pig to you for processing) and doing it that way you would have more flexibility, with the option to process the meat into higher-value cuts as well as making your own sausages, salami, chorizo, parma ham. I haven’t done that yet, but, armed with the knowledge from my pig-butchery course, I am gearing up to it one of these years.

So, if it costs €220 to rear each pig, how much meat are you getting? That’s a tough one to calculate, given the different options that you have in terms of processing cuts and the wide variation in meat prices. But we estimate that each pig is worth about €350 in meat, which means that on two of them we make a ‘profit’ of €260, which is a really good return. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that it is virtually impossible to get free-range pork these days, and it’s therefore hard to put a value on the fact that our pigs have a nice (though short) life, space to roam around in and we have complete control over what they are fed. Not only is it cheaper than buying pork and bacon at the supermarket, you are also eating a far superior product, and you know exactly what went into making it. It’s also worth remembering that you will get a very significant quantity of farmyard manure from your pigs to help return nutrients and fertility to the Home Farm soil. Despite (or perhaps because of) our rudimentary grasp of the economics of the situation, I still think we would keep a few pigs each year even if it was costing us money – we just love having them around. They are a charming, wonderful addition to our year.

A final word: if you are thinking about rearing animals, my advice is to tread carefully. Don’t just dive right into the muck, tempting and all as that might be. Start small, perhaps with some laying hens, and try and get used to the routine involved with them before moving onto pigs, which are a lot more complex.

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