Ep150:Protect your pastured pork operation from falling pork prices

In this video, we discuss the recent drop in commodity pork prices and how that does or does not affect pastured pork operations regardless of the size. We also talk about 5 keys to insulate your pastured pork operation from volatile markets.
Reference article: www.bloomberg....
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[@lonnieporter8566]

You're full of it, all right -- full of truth. Your five points? Exactly how my wife and I grew our kennel.

[@SarahPerine]

Your craft beer analogy was very helpful to me. Your videos are top-notch!

[@Clarinda787]

I raised 3 pastured pigs several years ago. Cattle farmers tried to tell me they would destroy my pasture, but the pasture thrived along with the pigs, horses, and cattle that ran together on that pasture. I'm currently looking for a few pigs to put out there this year.

[@ChaceAlford]

I really enjoy watching your Channel and now also subscribed i know this is an older video but I am using you and other channels as part of my research on how to be a homesteader and make a living doing what I enjoy and also including my kids I’ve spent the last 10 years in a oilfield career that’s been 6 to 7 days a week 12-14hrs a day and have missed out on a lot of family and being around there for my kids I grew up on a farm and have raised and shown alot of animals in 4H and FFA and wanna get back to a better family based life but as you know I need to have a source of income to support my family so thanks for giving me inspiration and wisdom on how to build a homestead business this is my first comment on KZbin ever

[@petruzzovichi]

I guess your voice and manner put your pigs at ease so much so they went to sleep! Thank you for your videos and your professionalism. You are a GREAT educator with a wonderful, delightful wife and family. All the best, from Northern Idaho

[@RedToolHouse]

Thanks so much! I think I put my kids to sleep when I talk them too.

[@jimpetersen8900]

You have the most contented Hogs I have ever seen

[@RedToolHouse]

They listen to a lot of light jazz...

[@bevlower6793]

yea James Petersen...I think when some people think "pasture" their talkin about the buffalo plains that couldn't feed a large family of mice let alone hogs. the quality of the "pasture" or forest or outback makes all the difference. ask da'pigs.

[@bootmender]

Love this video. On my farm we don’t raise pigs, but your theology is the same on cattle, chickens, rabbit, goats, or what ever you are trying to raise for a better and humane product. People are always asking me why don’t I go big sense I have so much land? And I tell them I started this just for my table. Now I sell or giveaway more than 70% of what we raise here on the farm. We are a poor Community here in the Ozark’s with a population of about 40% over 60 so this little Church that I attend are missionaries to our County. This is not what I had in mind when I started this farm, but I have never been so happy. God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. Most of my money comes from gas well royalties.

[@RedToolHouse]

Sounds awesome, Terry. You are being the hands and feet of Jesus by donating the fruits of your labor.

[@em55527]

Thank you for being a true Christian. Although I am not from the area, I love to hear how people take care of others. You are truly a blessing.

[@em55527]

I watched a few of your videos a while back, and I am still amazed at your delivery. You provide excellent and honest content, and your information is easy on the beginner's ear.

[@KC-jq9kw]

Exactly. I worked on a confinement operation growing up, and they are just so much happier on pasture.

[@poodledaddles1091]

good info!

[@thomasschmitthomesteadproj6025]

I continue to be able to learn from you and after watching you and others and a ton of research this spring I went and got 4 piglets that are now ready for freezer camp and two of them paid for every thing I needed so now that I did this I am continuing to due more .....Thanks for sharing. ...

[@RedToolHouse]

That is the way to do it!

[@danalafell366]

I saw a video where a guy actually said pigs can't digest grass because they only have one stomach...lol...

[@ilenastarbreeze4978]

Has he heard of horses ... :p

[@AutoCrete]

You nailed it! 50 years ago we did basically the same thing on the family farm. We did send some cows to auction and got used to top price of the day on one or more type of beef if we sent 5 or 6 head in for auction. Our free range chickens never had a chance to see public sale, they were sold before we even bought the chicks. Your beer analogy was dead on!

[@deanbarr5740]

Thanks RTH appreciate this info. I'm thinking of going small. Wanting to get a couple this coming Spring. Your animals are looking good during these Dog Days of Summer. 👍👍👍

[@RedToolHouse]

Small equals agile. Pigs are doing great as we have had a very wet summer.

[@markd5625]

Awesome green screen you have there.

[@RedToolHouse]

Seems so real, doesn't it?

[@EriktionEBW]

So much effort to disguise those robot-pigs

[@garymccoy2888]

You explain Marketing 101 very well. You advice applies to all small businesses.

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

Thank you for another great info-video! I'm just starting to raise your favorite animal (goats, lol), and I intend to follow this strategy. Wish me luck!

[@RedToolHouse]

Good luck! I will have to live vicariously through your goat efforts

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

As I, through your porcine endeavors!

[@4philipp]

I think I want to add yet another point. And this one in defense of commodity producers or at least some of them. One, they usually operate in areas with lots of land, few people and even fewer job opportunities. Small scale doesn’t work for them because their local market is too small. The easy solution is to scale up and become a commodity producer and providing important jobs for the local community. It only takes a few bad years (weather, disease, low prices) to fall into the trap of scaling up to be more competitive and in many cases save the 5 generation family farm from total collapse. Yes, you could argue that no one forced them to take out expensive loans for farm buildings, tractors, processing facilities and infrastructure- but let’s be fair, up until not that long ago not only was that acceptable practice but often the only available option (can’t sell to a market that doesn’t exist). So, while I do not blame small pasture based operations on the hard times the big guys go through, we can sympathize with their plight and collectively think of ways to innovate that particular sector.

[@turkeyhollowfarm1866]

Hahahaha I wrote my post and submitted just seconds prior to your craft beer explanation! I’m with ya

[@RedToolHouse]

Yes, I think craft beer is a perfect example of how the consumer drives the supply even when there are huge corporate giants in the industry.

[@margaretborne5918]

23:30 So funny! Do your hogs also sleep outside under your window at night? They seem to like you.

[@RedToolHouse]

We have to set boundaries around here... :)

[@albertod4161]

Lol robot pigs I think Mr Bryan is a KFO farmer 🚜

[@randyforrister312]

What are the advantages of keeping pigs for breeding VS just buying piglets. At what point is it more beneficial to raise your own instead of buying piglets ? With keeping sows year round you have the cost of feed and up keep for the sows. We are raising pigs this year for the first time. We have 3 and already have one sold. Next year we may do 4 or 5 depending how the numbers work out after this first year. Not enough to justify keeping a sow but the information may help later on if we grow our operation.

[@RedToolHouse]

Randy, there are several reasons we decided to breed our own. 1) I wanted to control my genetics line so I could cross breed to get confirmation characteristics I liked. 2) Availability was an issue around here as I would have to travel hours to find reputable breeders 3) It allows me to have a closed loop farm. I have had nearly zero disease or infestation issues. I see so many people dealing with health issues their purchased pigs brought with them to the farm. 4) Easier to set start and finish dates since we AI our sows. I can schedule when my pigs will be ready to process. As far as the cost of keeping sows, it costs me $1.44 per day to keep 4 sows. That is $526 per year which isn't that bad when you consider that a sow could give you 10 piglets on average (unless you have the crappy year like I did this year). If all four sows had 10 piglets, that's $13 per piglet (not including AI which could add another $7). Not bad cost in the long run plus the benefits I mentioned. There are some downsides to of course. But you haven't had awesome bacon until you have had extra wide 600lbs sow bacon!

[@randyforrister312]

Thanks for the information. I was expecting the cost to be much higher than that. Guess i was figuring a sow to eat a huge amount of feed per day. Mine are eating 50 lbs per week for 3 pigs at almost 5 months old. They also have access to grazing in a small padock. Do you ration your pigs or have an all you can eat feeder ? Great job on the videos Thanks again

[@RedToolHouse]

The way I select a new breeder is I watch how all of them do as they growing out for processing. I select the one or two that meet the characteristics I am looking for and they get to stay behind after processing day. At that point, they join the other sows and just get a ratio per day. You don't want your sows to be fat for breeding. It can cause birthing issues.

[@Starry2000]

I have to admit, as a big liberal, that this trade war that Trump started has been very beneficial and revealing to us. I am disappointed to learn how much food is grown here and sold overseas, and how much land farmers appropriate to it. All of the nutritional value, and natural resources, is shipped away and never returns. We could be focusing on growing food here at home.

[@RedToolHouse]

globalization has changed everything.

[@jbaker4900]

Specifically your pig business. Looking ahead, what are the short term and long term goals for RTH?

[@RedToolHouse]

That is several videos in itself! Looking to open more pasture for even more rotation opportunities. Get a system in place for rotating two herds of 25 piglets through the pastures in one year at 6 month intervals. I would like to have a spring processing and a fall processing.

[@thomaslinden7598]

i have just this talk with a local butcher, he is having a time finding local grazed hogs ,he drove over and saw what i was doing and sold 5 at 600 each ( 200# hog ) people want good meat. now SIR i am hooked on your teachings. THANK YOU AGAIN.

[@RedToolHouse]

Good deal! That makes the hard work worth it, doesn't it? Thanks for watching.

[@EdwardRSauer]

That's a great idea. Thank you.

[@nancyfahey7518]

You have happy pigs. That says a lot.

[@ravenridgehomestead4596]

Thanks for the tip... planting peanuts in future pig paddocks

[@RedToolHouse]

That would be a great treat!

[@truth959]

That guy that got hot n bothered is probly a commercial pig farmer who is pissed that u are gaining some market share with your natural pork. It always comes down to money. Thanks for giving us a choice Red. A happy pig is a tasty pig.

[@RedToolHouse]

That is what I always say. I can almost taste the sunshine!

[@4philipp]

I think I laughed for a solid 15 minutes when you said :anyone who took basic business class in high school...” - most places do not teach anything even remotely to basic business.

[@MrVailtown]

Well spoken Troy. During the summer months what weed, plant, brush would you say your pigs search out first ?

[@RedToolHouse]

Any of the broad leaf plants. Brassicas and any tuber. They love pig weed!

[@4philipp]

You left out the most important point: Do not participate in the commodity market production. Once you are in it, your margins become so small, that any disruption can lead to bankruptcy unless you have crop/livestock Indurance - and that is not a sustainable business model.

[@shawncockrell6007]

Outstanding video...… The last of it sums it up well, and even if the trend did end, I would still be raising it for myself. If others want to buy some, then great, if not, well that's fine too. I am not looking to be a business in any way, supplemental income is great, but not mandatory when it comes to this.……

[@RedToolHouse]

Agreed. Without a ton of overhead, you could get out of the business without bleeding...

[@joescott3393]

I am so glad that you had this video after all a pig is a brand new animal. They have not been around for thousands of years living off of the land long before they were domesticated. Or did God come down and reap the grain to feed to the pigs twice a day in some gigantic CAFO. Where ever do these people get these stupid ideas like pigs can not be raised on pasture. Great video and great ideas. Always remember you can easily go back to those 3 pigs until the market improves. God Bless Joe

[@RedToolHouse]

Yes, when pigs are put into pasture, they spontaneously combust...

[@thomasg4324]

*It's about youtube views, rather than ACTUAL pig farming.* Both are right. And both are wrong.

[@ravenrealestateservices9519]

"I just wont talk to you anymore". Classic

[@RedToolHouse]

Have to draw the line somewhere :)

[@800oaksfarmandranch6]

Do you have a problem with a the feral pig population in your area? I live in Oklahoma, we are not as bad as Texas but do have a pig problem in certain areas. Can this have a negative impact on your operation or sales?

[@davelawson2564]

shoot the feral pigs and sell them or eat them

[@800oaksfarmandranch6]

Dave Lawson, someone will buy dead feral hogs?

[@davelawson2564]

shoot them , clean, cut and freeze them. sell it to buyers who can buy within your area/town/store. If you don;t know how to do it , either learn how to or have someone who can come over at short notice of few hours to do it. Or set up feral hog trap to catch them live and feed them till you get someone to do the butchering. sell it as pasture raised pigs ! which they are.

[@RedToolHouse]

Ryan, we do not have a feral pig issue here yet. They are further south in our state but man do our hunters keep them in check!

[@MFKR696]

I personally think pork is disgusting, and not for any religious reasons. When I stopped eating it, my health improved exponentially. Having said that, I have no problems with your operation. If you ask me, you're one of the few people that get animal husbandry right. Better this than an industrial CAFO, if you ask me. There is no end to my dislike for millionaire industrial farmers, and you're pretty much the opposite of that, and I respect you for it. At least the pigs have a more than decent life while they're with you.

[@em55527]

INF1D3L010 are you talking about pasteurized or commercial pork?

[@MFKR696]

Estelle MCKNIGHT Does it matter? I think it's fairly obvious that I'm talking about pork in general.

[@em55527]

INF1D3L010, , there are the health benefit for not eating processed foods. Other than that, its interesting that anyone would discuss their disdain for the animal on this page. Perhaps it adds value for some.

[@bevlower6793]

yea...you're full of it! GOOD INFORMATION that is! Excellent video! like I said before, you can talk this marketing stuff all day & i'll still be hanging on every word! thank you. looking forward to Fridays video. PS love the porker backdrop.

[@RedToolHouse]

Good Deal! Yes, I had to pay those actors extra to look so satisfied on the pasture.

[@sissydewoody8717]

RTH...Ditto other comments about well-organized, informative, respectful to the needs of the viewer videos. The name-calling, angry commenter is blinded by misinformation. His loss. i particularly enjoy the vids on history of homesteading practices. Thanks from the Ozarks

[@RedToolHouse]

Thanks for watching from the beautiful Ozarks!

[@tylerkimble715]

Love the reply you gave as to how you sleep at night lol. Im seriously debating getting more pigs and giving something like this a shot next year. Finding a solid customer base slightly concerns me because of where we live its quantity over quality but i think it is do able. My biggest concern is finding a processor. I do everything for our consumption on my own because of what ive been quoted and they want it skinned or scalded before delivery which, in my mind if im doing that much ill just do all myself. Anyway, to get to my question, what is important to look for in a processor and what is the best way to locate them?

[@joellennation3756]

Tyler Kimble I would like to know the answer to that question as well !! We are in ohio so not sure what the price difference would be elsewhere ?

[@RedToolHouse]

A good processor is very important. I would start with an online search for a USDA inspected facility. Once you have narrowed those down, go see them and ask to take a tour of their facility. If they won't give you a tour, then that is a big red flag. Ask them for the contact info of some of the people that process for so you can get references. I drive an hour and a half one way to my processor. It is worth the drive to get a good processor.

[@turkeyhollowfarm1866]

Sounds to me like he’s worried Troy! We appreciate your videos but just as craft beer carry’s a higher price our pasture raised craft meats carry a higher price! Thanks brother

[@KaleidoscopeJunkie]

Gucci Kroger? HaHa.. Here in Atlanta we have - Disco Kroger - Geriatric Kroger - Murder Kroger - Kosher Kroger - Gay Kroger- Hipster Kroger - Ghetto Kroger.

[@RedToolHouse]

Sounds like you have an eclectic collection of Krogers. How is it that the Disco Kroger and Gay Kroger are not the same?

[@oldtimeengineer26]

Everyone needs to chill out. The prices will come back after Trump does his thing and gets tariffs down

[@bevlower6793]

art of the deal...like that crazy N.Korea chatter?

[@rochrich1223]

Quite right, there's no good reason to assume bad will on the part of others. Now that the EU has agreed to negotiate, it's just a matter of time before the other trade partners do to. However, it's entirely possible to be driven out of business by even short term market drops. Closing down a business is very tough emotionally. Let's wish no one faces that task.

[@johnmcclish2735]

N Korea is not changing. They can not test because their nuke testing site collapsed in a earthquake. It will take a year to restart testing according to RUSI and up to 18 months says Janes. They are playing Trump just as every Admin. Trump was a fool to meet with him Made Kim a Rockstar in Asia and gave him legitimacy.

[@johnmcclish2735]

You think China is folding you is a fool. They maintain a 1 year stockpile of Soybeans and are already cutting deals with Brazil, Argentina and Canada to avoid the USA farmer now. It will take a year to come online As the head of US Soybean Farmers says the China market will not come back once lost. That is how China does business. All the China counter tariffs are targeting generally states Trump won (and he is a Indiana Trump voter) I do not think he is too happy with his vote looking at his business now. China has not hit Boeing yet but 300 ordered airliners canceled will cause the Stock market to stop trading for the day! Boeing is still big in WA and IL smaller in KS and NC. IL is already getting hit on the soybeans

[@Starry2000]

@@johnmcclish2735 Good. We had no business sectioning so fucking much of our farmland to soybeans. We need to pull back on the finite resources and supplies that we're shipping to everyone else on the planet.

[@robertbrowning496]

The american farmer has been getting screwed for for decades now, somewhere along the line someone convinced them that producing quantity was more important than quality. If you only use this equipment of this fertilizer or this GMO seed you will be rich! One salesman after another comes along and promises grandeur, the complete utopia of farming and raising animals. I have a friend that won an award for having the most protein in his Soy crop for the state of KY. Sad thing is though he did not get one dime more for his at the mill that the guy that had the lowest protein in the state. In the end for commodity farmers, some guy in Chicago decides what your crop is worth, you have no say, it does not mater what sweat blood and tears went into what you produced. The system is rigged against the family farm, if you don't have 10 or 15 thousand acres you cant break free in that system. Now don't misunderstand me, I am free market guy, but I make my own market, I sell to folks who care about quality and pay for that quality, its a free market transaction between individuals with out the Chicago middleman controlling the pricing. It can be done even on a large scale you just have to work at it. I have a brother in law who sells his corn directly to tortilla chip company, they agree on a price for a quality product both parties win!

[@RedToolHouse]

Good deal. I like the idea of selling corn direct. that is how it should be.

[@paulawilkerson8312]

hahaha you're hilarious, some ppl just won't believe.

[@kendude8089]

That Fella givin ya a Hard time is a Government Stooge

[@LearningAllICan]

Hate to say this ... but Brian is not a pork farmer. He is a sad, desperate man who spends all of his waking hours shooting anyone down that does not agree with his version of reality. He will argue black and blue pulling any article that will back what his version is to try and solidify his stand. One minute he argues for, the next on another vloggers page he's against. I certainly wouldn't take anything that he types as being anything other than the rantings of an addled wannabe homesteader.

[@davewygonowski984]

Just ignore the trolls. What a waste of time. Obvious this person has no clue. Clown must be from the factory farm pork producers. :() Regardless of who this person is, he is still a clueless troll and shouldn't be venting on operations like yours. They should revert back to the style of raising critters they way they should be raised, naturally, and stop complaining about the choice(s) he made.

[@CliffsideStables]

Dave Wygonowski: You know how the song goes... “clowns to your left and jokers to your right”.

[@davewygonowski984]

What are you spewing? You must be a part time clueless troll, who only happens here once in a while... Learn how to write and know what the hell you are talking / writing about before you start your non sense, because it makes you look quite ignorant.