average price for piglet?

[dwbonfire]

im looking into berkshires, i have an opporunity to get some supposed full blood berkshires, the piglets are $125 each. i also found some berkshire crosses for about $55 each. does this sound like a fair price? i know it depends on the area but just generally speaking, what is an average price for berkshire piglets?

 

[Royd Wood]

Yes its not far off and the crosses are a great price but winter is coming so unless you can keep little ones warm they tend to eat lots and only grow a little until spring. If it was me buying I would go for the crosses at $55 unless your serious about breeding berks.

 

[dwbonfire]

well i would like to try my hand at breeding, and pure would probably be the way to go right? im just looking to make a little profit while supplying my own meat for my family. im new at pigs tho, so please let me know if im off track. im hoping to keep two females to breed, and keep a pig or two for meat and sell the rest of the piglets. im not sure if this is one of those "you'll never make any money" kind of deals, or if it is possible to make some money off the piglets.. if my plan is to sell piglets, would purebreds be more marketable than crosses? is it worth keeping and feeding two sows full time and selling piglets, or is it better to just get a pig or two to raise for meat and thats all?
and also while i have your ear, i am trying to put together plans for a pig pen, and i'd like to know how big of a pen i can get by with say 4 pigs max. im unable to pasture raise them, so i do need to make sure the breed i pick is tolerant of confinement. i picked berks because i think i read they arent quite as big as other breeds, and they are docile and have great meat. but again, im new to pigs so there may be a better breed for my plans/situation?

thanks a ton for your reply, its been tough getting answers to my pig questions and im just trying to gather as much info as possible before diving into this adventure!

 

[Royd Wood]

Hey no probs

Berks can and do get big as I delivered my Large Black boar to sire 5 Berks at a friends place and there wasnt much in size diff. My LBs are more friendly than their Berks thats for sure
Here in Canada you can get good prices for heritage breed piglets as long as they are good bloodlines, registered and come with paperwork

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Here a nice baby goes for around $75 if it is pure. You can buy crosses for $35 to $50.

 

[Hillsvale]

around here 80. in the fall and winter and 100. spring and summer... I have a pure tamworth sow and a 3/4 tam 1/4 berk boar.

As for wintering piglets I haven't notices them not gaining much weight... they grow the same as the ones I raised in the relative "warmth", mine sleep in an open door hut with lots of hay and they do like to bury themselves...

 

[blaineiac]

I'm new here, but I would get 3 of the crossbreds, and if you like raising hogs keep a gilt. Find some fullblood stock and buy a pair. You'll have breeding stock to sell and crosses for meat. Worst case is that you sold 1 pig, ate one, and then have eat another a little bigger than expected. I love really long bacon and hamsteaks that won't fit in the skillet. Good luck. Blaine