Well, Joe, maybe I have a solution. A coworker and his father have a pig farm and they sell "feeder piglets" very reasonably. I am planning on at least two next year but what's one or two more?
Feed is relatively inexpensive and the major expense is butchering. There are several services in the area which will pick up the pig from your dooryard and call you when it is ready to pick up all flash frozen. (They obviouisly keep all the offal and stuff most of us would not use) You specify how you want it processed and it comes packaged and weighed. Sooooo, you could have your ribs, belly and butts cut to your specs as well as hams. They will also cure and smoke hams if you are not up to it.
ORRRR, we could work out a deal to give you more butts and belly or whatever and I would take raw hams for cure and smoke. Still have a fridge to convert which would be excellent for hams. I am about five hours north of your location.
Basically you would participate in the grow out by sending a feed check once in a while. I would do the care and feeding.
The only decision you would have to make would be the type of feed. I would send pictures regularly!
And here is the time schedule; buy piglets in April, send to abbatoir in late September and pick up in first week of October. (Hmmnnn! Fall foliage peak in this neck of the woods!)
Cheers!
Monty
Feed is relatively inexpensive and the major expense is butchering. There are several services in the area which will pick up the pig from your dooryard and call you when it is ready to pick up all flash frozen. (They obviouisly keep all the offal and stuff most of us would not use) You specify how you want it processed and it comes packaged and weighed. Sooooo, you could have your ribs, belly and butts cut to your specs as well as hams. They will also cure and smoke hams if you are not up to it.
ORRRR, we could work out a deal to give you more butts and belly or whatever and I would take raw hams for cure and smoke. Still have a fridge to convert which would be excellent for hams. I am about five hours north of your location.
Basically you would participate in the grow out by sending a feed check once in a while. I would do the care and feeding.
The only decision you would have to make would be the type of feed. I would send pictures regularly!
And here is the time schedule; buy piglets in April, send to abbatoir in late September and pick up in first week of October. (Hmmnnn! Fall foliage peak in this neck of the woods!)
Cheers!
Monty