How Much Does It Cost to Start a Pig Farm as a Beginner? Starting a pig farm is fairly easy. Pigs are low-maintenance creatures that bring high profits. Here are some of the estimated costs of starting a pig farm in 2023.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Pig Farm as a Beginner? Cost of starting a pig farm
The minimum cost of starting a pig farm is $12 and the maximum could be $37,876 depending on the size of your farm. The average is $19,815.
The exact cost of how much your farm would cost you is dependent on many factors. The biggest expense would be your place of rent. If you own the place, then your farm would cost significantly less. Renting an area to rear your pigs is also dependent on the location. While a lease in the heart of Manhattan would cost $80,000 per month, a storefront lease in Florida or Tennessee would cost less than $1000 per month.
Once you have your space, you would need to build a strong shelter and adequate fencing for the pigs. You might spend an average of $3000 in preparing your land and construction.
Then there is the cost of buying piglets, feeding and slaughtering them. the total cost for all would be an average of $750 per pig. So your costs incurred would depend on the number of pigs you intend to raise.
In addition, having a pig farm requires certain equipment for cleaning, feeding, and maintaining them. These could cost you a minimum of $65.
For an efficient and productive pig farm, you would also need the necessary software. Automating certain parts of your business would help save time and energy. Software and technology are crucial in any farm to help you keep a tab on your expenses and profit. You would also have to have an inventory system.
Additional costs include spending money on advertising and marketing. It’s worth spending some money on setting up your website however small your farm is.
So the total cost of starting a farm varies. Sometimes you may not be interested in having software or spending money on advertising since your farm is still small. Then your cost will include only the land, construction of shelter, and of course, buying pigs and feeding them.
The number of pigs
The number of pigs you choose to raise also depends on various factors. How much time and money are you willing to dedicate to this business? What is your land size? These factors are concerning economics, but there is also another reason that should impact the number of pigs you purchase. Pigs are social animals. They live in herds. So it would be cruel to raise one lone pig on your farm. Your pig herd must contain a minimum of two pigs at a time.
Cost of pigs.
The cost of the pig would depend on the age of the pig and the region where you live. If you are raising pigs for meat which is the most likely option, you would probably be purchasing weaned piglets of 2-3 months of age. A weaned meat-breed piglet would cost from $50- $150. So a pair would cost $100-$300.
Cost of pig shelter and fencing
Light-colored pigs are sensitive to sunburn so must be provided shade at all times. Pigs also need shelter from wind, rain, and snow. You could build a barn, shed, or three-sided shelter. Material for a simple shelter will cost $1000.
Pig fencing and shelter must be pretty strong comprising of bricks and mortar as pigs are strong creatures and can easily topple weak constructions. Pigs are both strong and intelligent which means they can escape easily. Fencing will also depend on the size of your space. You may reinforce your fencing with an electric wire. The fencing is the most expensive part of a pig farm and could easily cost you a few hundred dollars.
Pig maintenance
Pigs are fairly easy creatures to maintain. But they have some simple needs. Pigs need their hooves trimmed every six months or so. And pigs are very likely to investigate and manipulate their surroundings, you would find that their water and feeding buckets are knocked over very often. To prevent this, you can install an automatic water feeder that is bolted to a post. This would cost about $50. A large heavy water trough would cost $350. The same applies to your feed trough which must be heavy enough to withstand uprooting. A sufficient hog feeder would cost around $250.
In addition, your pigs may also need a heat lamp. Placing a heat lamp near the rear of your sow can decrease pig mortality. A heat lamp would cost you about $20.
Cost of feeding pigs
Pigs will eat a lot, so expect to spend a lot on their food. They will consume about 4-6 pounds of feed per day. If you raise them from weaning to 300 pounds, and you process them at 6 months of age then you might be sending about 900 pounds in feed. A fifty-pound bag of feed would cost $20. So this is a total cost of $150 per month to feed two pigs or a total of $720 from weaning to processing for a pair of pigs.
Cost of butchering
You have to consider how you want to have your pig processed. If you are unable to do it on your farm, then taking it to a butcher would cost about $60-$100 to slaughter. And it would cost an additional $1.35 per pound to butcher and wrap. This would be a total of $300 per pig and $600 for two pigs.
Additional costs
Pigs are usually sturdy and healthy creatures, but in the instance that you need to take your pigs to a vet, it may cost you $100-$200 for a farm visit. De-worming pigs can cost $20 for the medication.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Pig Farm as a Beginner?Summary
The price of starting a simple pig farm would vary depending on many factors like the size of your farm, the number of piglets, how much you are willing to invest, and your location. The initial pig cost including buying a pair of pigs, fencing and shelter, and food and water equipment would cost $3600. And $720 for maintenance per pair. The total including butchering two pigs would cost you $3000-$5000. So, determine how much profit you expect per pig in your location to get your estimated profit rate.
An important aspect to consider when starting a pig farm is being sustainable as possible due to environmental pollution from pig waste. Please read this article for more information on the effects of pig waste on the environment.
