Bought more than I wanted :)

[SheepGirl]

Yesterday my fiance and I went to the auction looking for a hog to butcher for a party this weekend. Well...we didn't get one, but we came home with six piglets

We ended up buying a lot of 5 white pigs (they look mostly yorkshire), 4 gilts and 1 barrow for $20 each. They averaged 21 lbs a piece. I felt dumb because I thought those were the only pigs coming through since I saw a horse in line next and I didn't let the auctioneer go lower before I started bidding hehe. Then after the horse there were more white and blue butt pigs...these guys were being sold for $12.50 and $15/hd. I should've waited! Oh well. We know better for next time haha. And then a little duroc boar came out, he has registration papers but I need to call the seller for those. I wonder if they will charge me extra? He weighs 30 lbs and we got him for $40.

The plan is to eat the barrow, keep at least 1 or 2 gilts for breeding, and the other 2 to 3 gilts will be bred, eaten, or sold. Just need to weigh them and make some records so I know which one(s) to keep for breeding!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ah, you can never have too many piglets, lol! I like that looks of the red pig!

 

[SheepGirl]

Yep, he's got a nice booty on him. I know the barrow won't fill out as much as him because I think the white pigs are more commercial and he is more of a show pig, but I can't wait to eat some ham!!

 

[NH homesteader]

Wow that duroc is seriously muscular. Totally a show pig stature!

 

[OneFineAcre]

That's a really good price for feeders.

 

[babsbag]

That red one is a muscle butt for sure. Wonder why he was at auction? We paid $40 for pigs about 1/2 the size of your so I think you did ok.

 

[NH homesteader]

I don't want to talk about how much I paid for my pigs! But... Heritage pigs raised on grass by a farmer who gives his pigs belly rubs every day... I'd pay it again! Plus one is our foundation breeder so she'll be around for a while!

In general though, I've never seen such low prices on pigs. I apparently live in the expensive part of the country!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Guess you can have several parties

 

[chiques chicks]

Let's see, yesterday was Tuesday, did you get them locally? Just curious because there is an auction house about ten miles from me that only operates Tuesday, and I'm not horribly far away in PA.

 

[SheepGirl]

Yep, the one in Westminster, MD. Auction went on past 10:30 last night because someone brought 12 rodeo Bulls that took 1.5 to 2 hrs to get through because they kept breaking gates, jumping over fences, etc. The auction isn't set up to handle crazy animals like that haha.

But I found the duroc on a local Farm group on Facebook for sale...apparently his buyer backed out of his purchase and two gilts (who were also at auction). Except they were priced at $100 for non registered and $175 for registered. Same lady the auction told me to call about his papers.

I'm betting in the spring is when pig prices will go up though.