What does it cost to Raise Pigs in 2023?

In this video we break down the costs for raising 27 pigs over the last 7 months. We butchered 16 of the pigs in 2 batches. We recently acquired a license to sell cuts of pork and beef from the farm so we talk about the requirements for that as well.

About Sweet Briar Farm
We are a small farm located in Central/Northern Michigan. We farm every inch of our 6 acres. We breed Registered Dairy Goats, Dexter Cattle, and Heritage Hogs. Clean healthy food is important to us and we like to produce the majority of our food on the farm and we grow and raise enough to sell to local customers. Producing our own food also means we forage for wild edibles such as mushrooms and tap our maple trees in the spring to make maple syrup. In 2019 we added honeybees to the farm and have had as many as 30 active hives producing honey for us.

Our goats include Nubian goats, Mini Nubians, Fainting Goats, and Nigerian Dwarf goats.

Our Heritage Hogs include: registered Berkshires, Tamworth, Registered Kune Kune, and Hereford.

Check out more of our farm life and farm animal videos on our YouTube Channel! Hopefully you enjoy and Subscribe to our channel. Thanks for Watching!

SweetbriarfarmMI.com
Facebook: Sweet Briar Farm
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[ranchorey.]

There are a few things that I have learned because I'm on the same boat, so maybe it could benefit you.
1- Educate your potential customers on what separates your pork prices from the one from the stores. Yes, people care about the flavor, but that's not good enough. Tell them about the health benefits, pasture raised, organic, non gmo's, etc. What will be the benefits that will justify them paying more.
2- Advertising your meat on every single platform.
3- Farmers market is a big outlet to get new customers and to move your products, if you can't attend but know a friend who have a stand at the farmers market, tell them to sell your meat for you and give them a small percentage or commission.
4- Cost cuts: Have you spoken with the possessor to work a better rate since you're taking them a good amount of pigs?
Grain, if you buy the grain directly from the farmer, can you grind it and mix it yourself? Right now, you're paying 19.5 cents per pound. If you make your own mix, I think it comes down to 14 cents a pound.
5- Can you get the lard and organs back from the possessor to make soaps, candles, and lotions? And the organs to sell as raw food for LGDs in your area?
6- Have you thought about selling registered stock as seedstock? Also, selling registered piglets for 4H and FFA? Let the ag teachers know that you can provide their students with pigs.
I know two gentlemen who sell their pork direct to restaurants, and the other rents a little space on a butcher store where he sells his sausages.
Hope it helps my friend, excellent video as always, and thank you for keeping it real, a no BS channel. 👍👍👍

[janetlavoie]

I do wish i lived closer..i would buy a whole pig every year!

[denisebrady]

I wish I could buy from a Local Farmer here but living in a city we don't have any that are close to us. Australia is a huge expanse of land & people are surprised how far places are away. I think the health benefits alone would sway me. Cheers Denise- Australia

[tonyaegan]

We buy a whole hog every year from our local farmer. Yes, taste is far above store meat. We also buy 1/2 beef every year and a half. Love our local hard working farmers.

[murraydelawski]

I have 50 some running around maybe more .I just don't worry about making money I got lots of food .and food it going up.

[murraydelawski]

In Canada we are 4.50 a lb and going up .

[rustyford]

100% agree home raised anything does not compare to store bought. We to are in the same boat as you. Mainly just raise for ourselves, family and friends. Bonus tho, kids are learning about life/work.. Great channel!!

[janetmiller]

I need to come get some sausage and bacon from you!!! Keep up the awesome work!

[kyliepierson]

Yeah it's pretty crazy people want everything for nothing Good luck in your future business I'm sure it's gonna take off word of mouth will go far & as soon as you find a solid location & customer base it will sell it self! build it they will come! till next time You safe have fun Godbless

[murraydelawski]

We have a big family and eat 1 pig a month and really don't care if we sell anything. Good luck you guys sell to the cities.

[GWPHomestead]

Oh I love math! Great breakdown of the numbers. We have friends down here in Kentucky that are in the freezer beef and pork business. And of course we do just a little bit as well but it’s not anywhere close to the scale you guys are on. Something I’ve learned as I go is the people who are looking for Walmart prices aren’t your customer. Your meat is better and therefore it costs more. There’s a lot of marketing that needs to take place to make people understand why what you’re offering is a better product. Best of luck to y’all! I’m pulling for you.

[minifarmwife]

You mentioned $12 bacon. I know in our area before we started growing our own pigs for pork, so 2019 or so, there was $12-$14 bacon packs in the grocery store.

[redlanternhomesteadcathym]

I bought a half a hog last summer, way more expensive than anything available commercially or outside the NY metro area for that matter. I will NEVER eat commercially raised pork again. I don't care how much the bacon costs, it's worth it!!! If I lived close I would be totally diving in your freezer!

[stevemench]

I guess I missed something..
I didn't realize that we needed a license to sell out of the freezer in michigan.
I sell beef from the freezer processed by the same USDA processor.
All word of mouth.

[kittyrichards]

$3.00 per pound on halves and whole is low if it includes processing in my opinion. That's what we pay for sausage. Bacon, chops, tenderloin, everything is higher.

[davidd]

Glad you guys did the video, good content. Not sure how close you are to big college towns. I find that people close by me (in the country) tend to under value heritage meat. Maybe up the price of half and wholes and market too the city people who are not able too grow food.

[wildfyrefarmlife]

We are scaling back and doing half's and wholes. Like 12 for the year. Then raising for our own meat. We make more money on goats and sheep. It is just killer to feed over the winter for us.

[diannemiller]

Do we need to make an appointment to purchase pork from the freezer?
Thanks for sharing your cost and loss video. I recently bought beef freezer from a farm in Harrison.
Will you be doing freezer beef also?
I feel it is so important to buy local farm raised meats. I like knowing what goes into the animals.
Thanks so much for sharing.

[ISpiTrvth]

Curious why you raised 27 pigs over the winter? Feed is nearly free during spring/summer/fall months. If you prepare in advance and plant accordingly. You can let your farm provide it for you. I would think delivering your litters march/April, and then selling them off or harvesting them by late fall would solve that issue? Am I wrong? (which I am assuming I am). What am I missing? Honest question. Love your content. Never owned pigs so please don’t assume I’m trying to be rude. (This is also my plan for the future) so PLEASE let me know what I am missing here. Thankyou

[tcook]

Some other things maybe cut out some product. Maybe do less brats the labeling is expensive. Also you have figured every pig you own in your costs. If they are not producing then it's not fair to say you aren't making money as you are feeding extra mouths. You mentions you sold the one boar. That's good. Ask your self what your kune kune pigs are producing 6 mouths to feed is not cheap. 5 liters of pigs and only selling 17 piglets seems low to me if you kept 10 feeders that's 27 piglets between what you sold and kept. That figures 5.4 pigs per litter. This number seems low. Look for breeds that will produce 8-10 per liter. Same sow feed consumption more pigs to sell.
Pigs have always been considered to be farm mortgage lifters . They really are und the right conditions. It was mention above raise your pigs in summer months. This will cut consumption on feed drastically. They have to eat in winter to survive, summer they eat and grow fast.

I enjoyed you video and look forward to being able to get back into a farmstead. So to some uncontrolled bs we had to sell and move, but our pigs always made money. My Moto has always been to keep it simple.

In no way are my comments meant to be negative you are doing awesome, you had mentioned that you revisit how to make more money each time you do this. These are just meant as ideas. Food for thought!