Buying and Starting with Pigs

The benefits of acquiring registered stock

• Traceability – if you intend to buy a pure-bred, there is no guarantee that it actually is a pure-bred, unless you can trace it back. Ensure the pig and the breeder are both registered.
• Financial reward – buying stock that it is registered breeding stock means you can ask for more money when selling the piglets on.
• Disease exemption – having registered pedigree pigs will allow you to qualify for exemptions should there be a disease outbreak.
• Conservation – buying a pure-bred will ensure the conservation of traditional breeds - so they do not die out.
• Meat-marketing schemes – some countries have meat-marketing schemes that are available to producers of registered pure-bred pigs and they enable producers to sell their registered carcases to butchers who have also chosen to be part of the scheme. EG Rare Breeds Survival Trust has a Traditional Meat Marketing Scheme.

Checklist for buying pigs

Use the internet, agricultural newspapers and publications and specialist smallholder magazines for pig contacts. Here are a few tips when buying pigs;

• Try to buy in early or late spring.
• Where possible, buy from a breeder - avoid buying at auction, livestock markets or simply ‘over the telephone’.
• Try to view litters before too many of the piglets have been sold.
• Assess the current environment of the pigs / piglets.
• Check for good health and temperament.
• Check the pigs’ earmarks, documentation and registration.
• Go with your initial impression when selecting your pigs.
• Apply for a Country Parish Holding (CPH) number from the Rural Payments Agency (Click here)