Daydream thread continues.....

COOLTRIKERCHICK

RAS wrote: »

Worth reading stoney http://stoneheadcroft.com/2012/09/10/herds-culled-as-feed-prices-rise/

His BIG issue is that he cannot get them to a slaughterhouse a reasonable distance away or get them butchered and returned because of his location but worth a read anyway.

this has been in the news/papers for the last few days...

I think there might be a wave of low priced meat, because of the glutt of meat ( due to the mass cull), but then the the prices will rise due to the lack of meat to feed the demand..

We are extremely luck as me have a family run abotoir the other side of swansea...so we dont have to travel a long way..at the moment a kill and cut is £52..

I think this is hitting the big commercial boys the worst as they are tied in to supermarket contracts who dictate the prices..

Plus the EU rules on housing pigs etc has changed/changing and they cant afford the upgrade

Rummer

Hello everyone :wave: I have not been posting but I have been reading.

Thank you everyone that commented on and shared their experience of solar panels. I read the links and info that were given and it is not the right thing for us to pursue at the moment but we can look into it in the future.

Alfie glad to hear that Mabel is picking up and it sounds as if a remodel of her home might entice her to explore more.

LIR the house is making great progress and I am looking for ward to hearing more about your new family member.

Dave I love hydrangeas and have been adding them gradually into my garden.

Choille try to be kind to yourself

CTC I love the idea of a community pig rearing project for those who would love their own but don't have the space or ability to raise them. Knowing that the meat you are eating came from a happy pig would be great.

As for here our thoughts have turned to the house which needs a lot of cosmetic work done on it. We are half way through painting the hall and are looking for the right colour for the dining room. We are doing the bathroom in stages and the next bit is the sink which we are hoping to get put in in the next few weeks then we need to start saving for the bath!

alfie_1

was going to say good morning but after reading all posts its now afternoon...:D

CTC... i think you will do well even putting up a notice [albeit if people are squeemish :eek: ] saying the price of half a pig , nearer the time, and take a deposit from people, just to test the waters ?? also contact a local organic butchers/local poshish hotel and ask what they would pay..
i think ,like you say, they are visible so when people know they have had a happy pre life ,you could well build up your own clientel. if you had up to 6 piggies at a time [my friend had 10 and struggled after selling 6 locally] you could have a managable situation. i know i love my pig [to extreme] but buying happy meat is very important to me and its difficult to judge the truth in the claims of some ...:o

MABEL IS UP AND OUT :j:j:j

she had me worried ...but when she saw me pulling away at fencing etc she got so cross she launched herself from her "sick" bed..;) :rotfl::rotfl:
she was obviously a man in a previous life with "man flu"..:rotfl::rotfl:

im waiting for my coat i bought monday to be posted to me...:mad:
im giving them the benefit of the doubt that theyve just not ticked the dispatched box ?? ive messaged them asking if they HAVE posted yet but no reply...:(

sun is out, mabel is out and now ive got to go out....:D

Itismehonest

The lovely Rhiw & Mrs Rhiw have left ...... in one piece...... well, if we don't count Rhiw's poor back.
I told them I would let you all know because I refuse to take responsibility for their disappearance in the event of their satnav going doolally tap :rotfl: People have got lost in these lanes for hours on end :eek:
Thought we should turn the CH on so they didn't sit & shiver. Well it is October now so it's considered OK.
Heating on outside of Oct-April is looked on as something for soft townies by the neighbours around here :rotfl: Glad we don't live oop north :eek:

CTC - I think the law which has just changed is the crate law which we've followed in the UK for some years already.
It's the European producers that are now having to comply by not keeping their sows in crates.

Itismehonest

Glad to hear Mabel's out & about, alfie.
Crafty burgers pigs. Once they get a taste for the 'peel me a grape' life it'can be hard to train them out of it.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Itismehonest wrote: »

The lovely Rhiw & Mrs Rhiw have left ...... in one piece...... well, if we don't count Rhiw's poor back.
I told them I would let you all know because I refuse to take responsibility for their disappearance in the event of their satnav going doolally tap :rotfl: People have got lost in these lanes for hours on end :eek:

CTC - I think the law which has just changed is the crate law which we've followed in the UK for some years already.
It's the European producers that are now having to comply by not keeping their sows in crates.

Our Mr & Mrs Rhiwie are lovely... so glad you met them too..

I think a huge portion of our pork is imprted from Europe, so this explains a lot...

I have been trying to word a sign to put on the pig paddock post....

here goes..

Primrose Pork.
orders now taken
min 1/2 pig
Deposit required with orders
£.... per kg

Tel....0123456789

what do you think?

or can you think of anything better? or something I should add?

I wasnt going to put free range etc, as they can see for themselves, ( a few people go and smooth them)

Itismehonest

Around here the farmers who send their odd sheep/cattle off to the abattoir usually have a few locals who buy from them so they never use signs. I'm not even sure what the law on it is.

Is the abattoir also a butcher? Will they not only cut & clean but also do the sausages, black pudding etc.?
I ask because a half pig is actually quite a lot of meat for some people - particularly if they don't have a large family. People may also imagine that you literally mean a complete side of piggie - chainsaw down the spine job - which isn't the easiest thing to store unless you have a proper, sizeable freezer.
If what you are actually offering is a jointed half + all the gubbins of liver, kidney, head, trotters etc. then you may be better to itemise the complete package & give an overall price for the lot.

RAS

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Our Mr & Mrs Rhiwie are lovely... so glad you met them too..

I think a huge portion of our pork is imprted from Europe, so this explains a lot...

I have been trying to word a sign to put on the pig paddock post....

here goes..

Primrose Pork.
orders now taken
min 1/2 pig
Deposit required with orders
£.... per kg

Tel....0123456789

what do you think?

or can you think of anything better? or something I should add?

I wasnt going to put free range etc, as they can see for themselves, ( a few people go and smooth them)

CTC

Set up a web-page or Facebook page and refer people to that rather than asking them to ring. Give them an e-mail address initially.

You need different sized packs - full side - half side front and half side back for a start. A couple or small household will struggle with a full half side.

Then some piccies of what a quarter and a half pig looks like ready for the freezer (ask stoney if you can nick his pics and he may agree).

We occasionally took a half pig when I was younger. We even got tail. It took time to sort out the freezer space.

lostinrates

Yep jointed half (and sausages in lieu of head and trotters in most cases)is the norm where I have been. Some times people will throw in the trotters for free.


Free range.....its back to the fact that's a sale of goods term....be very careful. Perhaps instead put an arrow towards piggies or say you are happy to show peopel the conditions.

I like a half pig/animal. I buy beef in approx thirty kilo boxes, and half lamb(or hoggit mutton when I can get it.

You can also keep names of people who want quarters and say if anyone else wants a quarter you can match them up. Obviously it will not be an equal box, but can be a box of equal worth.

rhiwfield

Just got back from seeing Itsme & Mr Itsme, lovely welcome and best coffee I've had for ages.

Satnav nearly had us over a cliff on the way and gave up entirely after we left

Interesting early Victorian hotel in town we found later, almost expected Poirrot to appear, he would have recognised the original carpeting :cool:

Back to Wales tomorrow, thanks for the hospitality peeps and I expect the sun to appear for you now!