"You're better off just not figuring your labor... you figure in your labor you'll just get depressed and quit doing it." Subscribed. That's honesty right there.
I wanted to come on here and sing this man’s praises! We had a little pig go down hard yesterday. We had no idea what was wrong! My husband has been watching Chris for a while as we have just really gotten into hog raising. Chris not only emailed Michael back, but he spoke with my husband on the phone last night for well over an hour. He pointed us in a direction we hadn’t thought about to really help our piglet. She is not out of the woods yet, but she made it through the night. This RUclipsr deserves millions of followers. He’s an amazingly nice guy that genuinely loves hogs. Thank you Chris! Love, the Vinson family- Woodruff, SC
@r.j.english8088 I was just making light of the hard work it takes. Your right. It's a labor of love. I don't want to rely on the gov and Corperations for my family meals and energy.
Most of them RUclips channels are pushing their Amazon affiliate links and selling crap you Don need to farm. Thank you for your honest channel and I’ll never stop watching. Lol you know you are sick when you farm all day and wind down by watching farmers on RUclips after supper.
Started last year with three and learned a lot from you , a lot of other RUclipsrs have good advice but they tend to leave out the bad and dark side of it, I knew it wasn't going to be easy by watching your videos and that actually help me out during the process
Thanks for the honesty and knowledge you shared on this video. We started raising AGH pigs two years ago. We are about to process two on our own in the next month. We have considered getting into it as a business but there are for sure many variables. So many videos sugar coating the business end. I really like how you broke it down! New subscriber now!
I really enjoy your content. I have been running my homestead full time for 9 yrs now. You really hit the nail on the head about cash flow. Cash flow keeps the lights on, and the herd fed.
Glad to see you guys back I've been following you for a little while now I love the information I raise quite a few feeder pigs up here in the state of Maryland keep up the great work thanks
Chris rocks! Glad I found his channel. He is the real deal and the coolest guy and farmer I've seen that knows his stuff and gives it to you straight. The world needs more people like Chris. I've subscribed.
Appreciate the honesty. Due to your videos I’m getting 4 feeder pigs to raise ourselves to feed the immediate family. They will be on the farm in mid March.
Great video…what you said about paying yourself back is something I was taught by my father and as some of the most sound financial advice that anyone could give. Probably the best thing I’ve ever seen in video on financial advice.
Chris, we’ve been away for a while, personal reasons. Coming back to RUclips and you and are the first channel we want to catch up with. Loved your truths as always! Your friend, James from Georgia
I enjoyed it as always. Glad to see a new video. I for one appreciate the honesty and the fact that you are not in it for the views but just to share some knowledge and help others. God bless you.
Topping pigs look great Chris. As long as I'm physically able we will always do Farrow to finish. It's real work but worth it. Glad to see you doing well.
Grew up on a dairy/hog farm..went to school smelling that way many times. Now I'm retiring very soon from trucking and plan to go back to my roots and restart hog and beef raising. Lots changed in 50 years. Including the amount odd land i have to raise my animal feed etc. Im starting with 5 good brood sows and a few black Angus cross. They're are actually been gifted to me from relation when they found out on getting back into the business. Keep doing what your doing. Love the straight forward. Like My dad was when i was a kid. 👍🐷
I’ve spent the past several days watching 4yrs of Chris-Homesteading the Hardway , explaining his way of raising hogs. I haven’t raised any since we were kids and my Daddy raised a few, so I’ve forgotten everything I knew except what I’ve picked up from friends. That being said, My wife and I decided to get a couple of Old Spot/Hampshire crosses and these videos have been a great crash refresher and good new ideas since I’ve done it. We live mostly on wild game except the pork and chicken we buy and we decided we’d rather grow our own. Appreciate the honesty. I relate way better to a good ole country boy than I do a new age homesteader. Not that I don’t root them on, I just don’t relate. Subbed and following along.
Another great video with plenty of information. Thanks for the video. Also didn't know that these homestead videos are mostly fake but not surprised thanks again
Glad to do these videos. Don't know if it's most but it's more than it should be but it explains why the same false information keeps getting repeated. They just copy what's getting views
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay you’re definitely speaking to me! I’ve always been a city girl but this world has gotten crazy! So we’re moving away from the city and grow our own food. Videos like yours have helped me in my researching and preparing. You got a new sub! 😄
Sir, thank you for keeping it honest and real. I had not seriously considered the RUclips channel being the primary ‘business’… Best wishes to you and the Missus.
Good morning, Chris like everyone else the honesty in this particular video was extremely informative. I am new to farming and like you suggested I did a tremendous amount of research on the market in my area, and also went with a heritage-style breed of pig which has been received well by the locals in my area.with that being said like you had mentioned by the time you pay for feed ,processing and break down all the hours that you have worked to achieve the product you're basically really not making much money on that pig. But it's something that I absolutely enjoy doing with my grandson thank you for the information,the brutal honesty keep doing what you're doing and keeping those of us that still have a lot to learn informed
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay this is very true I am trying a different route with a specialty type pig I have the Manglitsa from Hungaria the Meishans pig, there lineage can be traced back 5000 years in China and a Idaho Pastor Pig. I am a small farm trying to find a niche were I can work my way into the market. Thank you again for the knowledge you are passing on.
New subscriber here. Almost two years in with large whites. No experience prior but I am fully into learning. This animal is truly amazing. I want lessons from a true farming family. Glad to have found you. Thanks for teaching and keeping it real.
Thank you an honest youtuber...been farming for 40 years and I've seen all the stories...and been wondering where I have been going wrong !!! Maybe it's because I have indoor plumbing ?? Again thank you
Hi Chris, really enjoy your channel watching your videos on hogs ! Brings back a lot of good memories in the 70s and early 80s when we raised hogs we had Hampshire sows and Duroc Boars And in the late 80s and 90s had Landrace sows with a Yorkshire boars.🐖 Raise hogs for a long time , Had cattle too. really enjoyed it ! now I have Nigerian dwarf goats 🐐me and my grandson we enjoy Raising them ! You right on the 🚜 farm all you need is a 30-30 ,12-gauge shotgun and a .22 rifle ! Your videos are GREAT 👍 God-bless you and your family and hope 🙏 all's well !
Enjoyed your video. I'm a retired farmer in mid-Missouri. I helped my dad on the farm until he passed, then I built a central farrowing house and operated with 55 sows - farrow to finish. Lots of work but also lots of fun. I made a decent living including raising 125 acres of crops and a 45 cow herd. I enjoy being retired.
Hey Chris thanks for all the tips. They really helped. I Did 5 this last year and they turned out great. We’re not going to get quite those prices here in central Kansas that you were mentioning about but they are still doing decent here. Thanks again
Good video. Your analysis is right on. Around me the price of feed went up 60-75% in 2022. That hurts when you are feeding out hogs. Fortunately the price of pork in the store has help to justify small scale local operations. One challenge I have faced with the customer base is that lots of folks are interested until they figure out they are into if for $800+ for a whole hog. Building a consistent customer base is a big deal.
I was lucky I have a lot of friends that were farmers. It didn't take me long to realize you have to have realistic goals and expectations. I had people who were experienced at raising beef and pork or "Truckbed Farmers" all the way up to college educated commercial farmers, they helped me to understand from the beginning that you're not gonna become financially independent raising livestock, you do it for the joy of it and for a side hustle to put some extra money in your pocket during the good times. Unfortunately for every good day there are two bad ones, but if you are smart, humble and play within your capabilities you can do enough in most years to make it worth it to continue. If you want to start up, listen to every word this gentlemen is telling you because he is telling you like it is. It looks like this guy has a beautiful set up and yet he is telling you that your not gonna get rich....that is nothing but truth and some of the best advice you will ever get.
Chris, looks like you expanded your hog operation, where a garden bed once was. I'm glad to see you was able to do it and things seem to be going well for you, hogwise... Blessings to both You and Darlene!🙏
They're doing pretty good right now but you know that can change. I'm going to expand a little more need to make 30k a year clear off the farm . Not sure it can be done but between produce,hogs,eggs,chicks and selling beef I might can make it happen . Diversification is going to be the key
Good evening and lots of love from Ohio! I ain't even about to jump into pig farming, but I've got me some heritage feeder pigs coming close to weaning age that I'll be raising. A neighbor asked me to raise one for them and in exchange they will by half the feed I need for all 4. I had only planned on 3 so, sound d like a good deal to me, saves me half the cost of feeding mine. I've learned what to feed and how the pens need to be from you. Valuable information that you're giving for free. I know that steer feed out you told me about worked great and would have been great had someone not cut my fence and stole my steer. So that's a start over. Thank you so much, you are appreciated. Have a great evening and God bless.
I just figure the profit is what I get for my labor. Then the numbers look better. We're just starting out though and appreciate your videos. I hope this year goes well for you!
Chris, I rarely post comments on RUclips but I thought you might benefit from hearing what I have to say. I really appreciate you taking the time to share the information and experience you have gained over the years. I recently found myself as the owner of what was supposed to be a "slaughter' ready pig. I had agreed to buy the pig to help out a family member. Well the pig was far from ready for slaughter. In fact it weighed less than 100 pounds. By watching your videos and using the information you provided I was able to put over 200 pounds on the pig in about 3 months and now have a freezer full of high quality pork. I realize it takes a lot of time and effort to make these videos and you may sometimes wonder if it's makes any difference. In my case it certainly did. Thank you for the help and keep up the good work.
Just starting to build my pen for a few feeders. I've learned so many valuable lessons from this channel it's crazy. My figuring is, if I can grow my own pork and break even on cost in the long run by selling one or 2 here and there is a winning game. If profit were to come, even better.
Glad to see you posting videos again. Just found your channel a couple months ago. Nice to see someone telling it how it is. We have a few sows ourselves as well as cattle in NB Canada. Have a great day
I agree ive been at this all my life and im still learning. There is alot of info out there that like you say isnt anywhere near realistic as far how to raise hogs or what you can make or lose. Your doing a great service to those that will listen. You have some great lookin hogs ive just got a new duroc boar myself after seeing yours i wanted to try some.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay thats what im hoping. I have no access to old line duroc but have bred a pure Tamworth sow ai to a modern duroc and plan to use this boar the same way. May be best of both worlds or worse of both. Wont know for a couple months
@@tomtompkins5856 that's usually not a bad cross , hopefully the old Tamworth will put some fat on that moden Duroc . Something in the middle would be perfect
Best thing I ever done was get setup to make our own feed, it's expensive to get the equipment and a little work to do . It saves me 6k a year on the feed bill easy
Agreed with everything you say. And beware of following tips and tricks from some of these channels. They put up some click bait titles and try to tell you how to be 'successful like them', but when you put pencil to paper those folks are profiting maybe just a few thousand dollars a year at most and have only been raising livestock for a year or two.
Hi Chris. I just found y'all's videos a couple days ago. Have started to go back and watch them. I enjoyed the ones I have seen. Y'all stay safe and God bless. Look forward to seeing more videos.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay we raised pigs when I was in high school. But when I became a US Marine he got rid of them cause no one to help him with them. I had to retire a few years ago cause of kidney failure and having to do dialysis. I am getting back to farming now that things have settled down some with my health. Thanks again for the videos.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay thank you. Both my grandfather's where farmers and I was raised on a farm. Both my grandfather's logged and farmed. They used to tell me no one is poorer than a farmer.
@@richardhicks7946 I grew up farming and logging in the winter . Daddy bought small tracts nobody else would mess with . Did it just so we could work the farm hands all year TBH
Excellent lecture Chris. Economics and Accounting. Can't do much analysis without it. Looks like you nailed it to me. Cash flow is key. I happened to be lucky enough to know Ralph Ketner well for many years. Worked for his business school while he was still living. Wise man indeed. First, he locked himself in a hotel room in Charlotte to run numbers on Food Town (which turned into Food Lion) and discovered they were actually broke. Cash flow issue. His solution is what saved and made Food Lion. Volume and small margins. Second, he had a saying. If you watch your pennies your dollars add up. ;) Wise words for anyone in farming. Be blessed.
WOW, thanks for the brutal honesty. That's why so many farmers diversify in produce besides livestock to help offset feed for humans and livestock consumption. Be safe and be true.
Don’t buy your hogs from the stockyard unless you know about them. I got some and was buying antibiotics of the start. Couldn’t find a butcher during Covid. You have some great knowledge thank you..and those RUclipsrs are making money on views from people wanting to get rich quick
We raise 10-15 feeders a year and we barley cover the cost of the 2 that we put in our freezer. I’m half tempted to make a trip down south and get a some breeding stock from you Chris. Your pigs are healthy as can be and I know you know your stuff! Glad to see a video hopefully you can keep them coming. Stay well my friend
Took a long time to get exactly what I wanted and it's a struggle to keep them that way . It's tough to build a market, I used to be glad to just break even on our pork
Thank you for speaking the hard truth! Subbed for whatever is worth. I think there is another subset of these small hobby farms if you will who are fine with break even or small loss in order to be raising their own food. Selling into the market is just about mitigation TCO.
If you're just trying to grow your own food selling any surplus to cover expenses is an excellent and realistic goal . Most of the time you can at least get close for example you'll probably never pay for the coup or hens selling extra eggs but you might pay for the feed , I consider that a win. Just a different way of saying the same thing loss mitigation
We make 400 on average pig pig selling them how you described. We’ve lost our ass in the start but we learned a lot from your videos. We make spreadsheets, keep receipts and buy frugal, never cheap. Cheers y’all.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I'm fairly new to this channel, do you have a how-to video regarding mixing your own feed? appreciate your time and knowledge.
Thanks for the videos! Best most informative Info I’ve found on pig farming . Could you do a video on what you look for in “type” when choosing pigs for breeding stock?
I have been talking to my brothers about going in together raising a few hogs on my land. Not to sell. Just to eat. We could put in the work to build a proper pen and shelter. Then we could buy what we want to put into the freezer that year. Then we can split the cost of feeding and upkeep. I’m the only one who has the land, space, time, and the zoning to raise them. Then at the end of the year we can have them all processed. Or we can keep a breeding pair to get piglets once a year. I have 7 siblings.
I keep 20 Berkshire sows in central va. Thank you for putting your truth out there. I struggle with modern marketing.We have hit a wall over the last year with feeder pig sales . Dead stop. You said I’ve seen it when you couldn’t get rid of them. So true. This to shall pass
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay pre Covid I had a waiting list and making 400 piglets a year. Every place and every pig works different. Your truth is much closer truth. I to have grown them about every way . Feed source , genetics , climate, and countless other differences separate every grower. Thanks for the video
@@jacobdavis1752 good points , only advantage I have I think is most of my customers are buying pigs to feed out to sell cuts and we sell breeding stock to the co op but I'm still nervous
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay same here. I had 3 growers buying big groups of weened feeders and folks traveling for breeding stock. My 3 growers have had processing issues and stoped. Good job on marketing I’m sure utube doesn’t hurt
@@jacobdavis1752 we had some minor processing issues last year but not horrible wait times . Most of my sales are local , I have people contact me that saw us up here wanting pigs but they're always from far away and wanting me to ship occasionally we'll have someone drive in but it's rare
I have a couple years worth of food walking around my property. Good peace of mind. I probably brake even but I’m a cheapskate. I appreciate your videos!
Nothing wrong with breaking even . When I was just trying to grow what we ate that was my goal if I could sell enough extra to cover input cost feed,seed,fuel I was happy
Thanks, glad to see someone telling the truth. I'm about to start farming soon and all I notice is youtubers who make youtube money and buy expensive unrealistic things. I doubt they make any money farming. It's all from youtube and selling us false dreams, ad revenue, and whatever sponsor.
I believe the small farm can make a come back , the market is changing and opening doors . It's not easy I've struggled for years and I was already established. I wish you success and you're going to have to know how it really works if you're going to make it.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Same here. So many moved to our area over the last few years. They watched video's and thought they could support 5-10 acres selling eggs. Until they found out that everyone had chickens and gave eggs away.
@@backachershomestead same thing here , every other house has a few chickens and a garden . Started plants and biddies sell good though so do young hens . We sold every barnyard mix biddie we could hatch last year in less than an hour
this is the best advice i have heard on the subject.. i think most people should focus on getting a hog in the freezer for free after selling a couple to cover the feed .. enclosures.. supplies and other expenses.. but just cut your losses on the labor and eat high on the hog
That's what I did for several years , if we could break even on our pork I was happy . That's not too hard if you buy feeders it gets a lot harder if you keep breeding stock .
"You're better off just not figuring your labor... you figure in your labor you'll just get depressed and quit doing it." Subscribed. That's honesty right there.
I wanted to come on here and sing this man’s praises! We had a little pig go down hard yesterday. We had no idea what was wrong! My husband has been watching Chris for a while as we have just really gotten into hog raising. Chris not only emailed Michael back, but he spoke with my husband on the phone last night for well over an hour. He pointed us in a direction we hadn’t thought about to really help our piglet. She is not out of the woods yet, but she made it through the night. This RUclipsr deserves millions of followers. He’s an amazingly nice guy that genuinely loves hogs. Thank you Chris! Love, the Vinson family- Woodruff, SC
I'm glad to help if I can . Call anytime
Based on this comment alone, I subbed. We need to support good people.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWaythanks for helping these people. You got a good heart
Got a new subscriber just from this comment looking forward to watching you sir
"Better not figure the labor or you'll get so depressed you'll wanna quit" couldn't stop laughing.
An old man told me ( infrastructure or labor) I hear his voice 40 years later when I’m doing something manually for the 100th time
@@jacobdavis1752 problem is most of the labor is in building infrastructure around here
It'll break your heart. You gotta love it to kinda make it. Your back and knees arent covered.
@r.j.english8088 I was just making light of the hard work it takes. Your right. It's a labor of love. I don't want to rely on the gov and Corperations for my family meals and energy.
@@fulcrumswacademy8892
Amen. I'm right with ya.
We're on the same page.
I've rased hogs for awhile and he is 100% right
Best PIG VID i saw on youtube. RUclips is the Homesteaders' business not the Homestead. thanks Chris.
I figured out their business plan . It's the same as the guy saying I made millions on real estate and if you take my class buy my book you can to
Most of them RUclips channels are pushing their Amazon affiliate links and selling crap you Don need to farm. Thank you for your honest channel and I’ll never stop watching. Lol you know you are sick when you farm all day and wind down by watching farmers on RUclips after supper.
Started last year with three and learned a lot from you , a lot of other RUclipsrs have good advice but they tend to leave out the bad and dark side of it, I knew it wasn't going to be easy by watching your videos and that actually help me out during the process
Glad to help , knowing what you're up against makes a big difference
I hope you keep spreading the good information man really help having it as a young guy with no experience with pigs just cattle
Thanks for all the hard work and all you do! You help a lot of people!
I'm glad to help
I just found your channel. I really enjoy it so far. I appreciate you just telling it like it is with no bs.
Hope it helps, a lot of people don't want to hear it
Glad to see you up again, don’t over do it. As always thanks for keeping it real talk.
I moving slow but I'm moving lol
Thanks for the honesty and knowledge you shared on this video. We started raising AGH pigs two years ago. We are about to process two on our own in the next month. We have considered getting into it as a business but there are for sure many variables. So many videos sugar coating the business end. I really like how you broke it down! New subscriber now!
Glad to help
Jeegus, thats first 8 second stare at the beginning is priceless. Im bettin that man dont let no strangers wander onto his land.
Your honesty and “farm economics” is what made me subscribe. Thank you.
Thank you for the support, means a lot
So good to see you & miss Darlene back doing videos. Them sure are some good looking durocs.
Hopefully I'll get a few more up soon
Thank you, I love how you get myself and others to really look at the issues and think about them. It is so good to see you and your wife again❣️
I'm going to try to get more videos up from now on. Money is always the biggest problem on a farm especially now days
This is the first video of yours that I have watched. I just wanted to say Thank You for your honesty.
Hope it helps
I really enjoy your content. I have been running my homestead full time for 9 yrs now. You really hit the nail on the head about cash flow. Cash flow keeps the lights on, and the herd fed.
I wish more people understood that
Your Dad was a great man!! Thanks for the old school teaching about the pigs. My God bless y’all
He was . Glad too hope it helps
Glad to see you guys back I've been following you for a little while now I love the information I raise quite a few feeder pigs up here in the state of Maryland keep up the great work thanks
Thanks for watching, I'm glad to help
Chris rocks! Glad I found his channel. He is the real deal and the coolest guy and farmer I've seen that knows his stuff and gives it to you straight. The world needs more people like Chris. I've subscribed.
Thank you for the support
Good to see you coming back my friends! I hope all is well. We need all the truth and honesty we can get.
You can accomplish almost anything if you know what you're really up against
Appreciate the honesty. Due to your videos I’m getting 4 feeder pigs to raise ourselves to feed the immediate family. They will be on the farm in mid March.
Glad to hear that!
Brother that was the realist pig farmin video I ever saw. Spot on. Thanks for sharing
Glad to , hope it helps folks out
Great video…what you said about paying yourself back is something I was taught by my father and as some of the most sound financial advice that anyone could give. Probably the best thing I’ve ever seen in video on financial advice.
I want people to succeed, if the money won't work the farm won't work
Man you have the best Pig info on youtube. keep it up
Thank you
Keep up the honest great work you put into the videos. Great content and advice
I'm glad to do it .
Chris thanks for being so brutally honest. Good advise and you are so right to forward and not with your head in the sand
Knowing what you're really up against can make all the difference
Chris, we’ve been away for a while, personal reasons. Coming back to RUclips and you and are the first channel we want to catch up with. Loved your truths as always! Your friend, James from Georgia
I enjoyed it as always. Glad to see a new video. I for one appreciate the honesty and the fact that you are not in it for the views but just to share some knowledge and help others. God bless you.
I want people to succeed, someone has to tell them the truth if they're gonna make it
Thank you for your honesty.
Best advice on RUclips concerning raising hogs! From building pens, to feed, etc. thank you for your open honest advice and experience!
Glad to help
That was good advice from your Father for any home business. Take care Chris and Darlene.
My favorite figment! You know the older I get the more I realize how smart daddy was
I appreciate your honesty. There's a lot to the business, actually any business. There's a lot of factors involved.
I'm glad to help , I've worked for myself most of my life and one things certain you can't use misinformation to succeed
Topping pigs look great Chris. As long as I'm physically able we will always do Farrow to finish. It's real work but worth it. Glad to see you doing well.
They are some of the best we've had , I'm better than I was but it's still a struggle TBH
Grew up on a dairy/hog farm..went to school smelling that way many times. Now I'm retiring very soon from trucking and plan to go back to my roots and restart hog and beef raising. Lots changed in 50 years. Including the amount odd land i have to raise my animal feed etc. Im starting with 5 good brood sows and a few black Angus cross. They're are actually been gifted to me from relation when they found out on getting back into the business. Keep doing what your doing. Love the straight forward. Like My dad was when i was a kid. 👍🐷
Thank you Bro. You went hard in the paint on this video and kept it 💯‼️
Just being honest, hope it helps people out
I’ve spent the past several days watching 4yrs of Chris-Homesteading the Hardway , explaining his way of raising hogs. I haven’t raised any since we were kids and my Daddy raised a few, so I’ve forgotten everything I knew except what I’ve picked up from friends.
That being said, My wife and I decided to get a couple of Old Spot/Hampshire crosses and these videos have been a great crash refresher and good new ideas since I’ve done it.
We live mostly on wild game except the pork and chicken we buy and we decided we’d rather grow our own. Appreciate the honesty. I relate way better to a good ole country boy than I do a new age homesteader. Not that I don’t root them on, I just don’t relate.
Subbed and following along.
Glad I could help , if you have any questions let me know
Another great video with plenty of information. Thanks for the video. Also didn't know that these homestead videos are mostly fake but not surprised thanks again
Glad to do these videos. Don't know if it's most but it's more than it should be but it explains why the same false information keeps getting repeated. They just copy what's getting views
I love the honesty. It lets us know what to expect, the good, bad and ugly.
Glad to help , having some information on what can and usually does go wrong and being able to prepare can make a big difference
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay agreed. It helps to plan and prepare properly.
Glad to see you back. Your spot on. Anything you plan to do to make money is a business.
That's a hard concept for some folks , not sure why
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay yes it is. But they'll find out in the long run. Unless they just don't keep up with it
Your pigs are so clean and cute! Thanks for addressing the good and the bad!
Thank you , I'm trying my best to help and encourage folks that want to farm small scale . The world would be a better place if it made a come back
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay you’re definitely speaking to me! I’ve always been a city girl but this world has gotten crazy! So we’re moving away from the city and grow our own food. Videos like yours have helped me in my researching and preparing. You got a new sub! 😄
@@mistyn380 I'm glad to help feal free to contact us if you have any questions homesteadingthehardway@gmail.com
Thats a good and honest assessment. Really appreciate it!
I hope it helps some people out
Sir, thank you for keeping it honest and real. I had not seriously considered the RUclips channel being the primary ‘business’… Best wishes to you and the Missus.
Lot of folks make a living putting up videos, that's why I don't mention anyone specific. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's livelihood
Good morning, Chris like everyone else the honesty in this particular video was extremely informative. I am new to farming and like you suggested I did a tremendous amount of research on the market in my area, and also went with a heritage-style breed of pig which has been received well by the locals in my area.with that being said like you had mentioned by the time you pay for feed ,processing and break down all the hours that you have worked to achieve the product you're basically really not making much money on that pig. But it's something that I absolutely enjoy doing with my grandson thank you for the information,the brutal honesty keep doing what you're doing and keeping those of us that still have a lot to learn informed
It all numbers in farming, input cost go down with increased production so profit goes up .
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay this is very true I am trying a different route with a specialty type pig I have the Manglitsa from Hungaria the Meishans pig, there lineage can be traced back 5000 years in China and a Idaho Pastor Pig. I am a small farm trying to find a niche were I can work my way into the market. Thank you again for the knowledge you are passing on.
New subscriber here. Almost two years in with large whites. No experience prior but I am fully into learning. This animal is truly amazing. I want lessons from a true farming family. Glad to have found you. Thanks for teaching and keeping it real.
Glad to help if I can
Hello Wendy how are you doing?
Thank you an honest youtuber...been farming for 40 years and I've seen all the stories...and been wondering where I have been going wrong !!!
Maybe it's because I have indoor plumbing ??
Again thank you
Lol you might be on to something .
Hi Chris, really enjoy your channel watching your videos on hogs ! Brings back a lot of good memories in the 70s and early 80s when we raised hogs we had Hampshire sows and Duroc Boars And in the late 80s and 90s had Landrace sows with a Yorkshire boars.🐖 Raise hogs for a long time , Had cattle too. really enjoyed it ! now I have Nigerian dwarf goats 🐐me and my grandson we enjoy Raising them ! You right on the 🚜 farm all you need is a 30-30 ,12-gauge shotgun and a .22 rifle ! Your videos are GREAT 👍
God-bless you and your family and hope 🙏 all's well !
I'm running Duroc cross sows and a Hampshire/ Duroc boar right now
Honest and to the point good advise to us subscribers . can count on it from homesteading the hard way see yall on the next video
I'm trying, a little honest information can help a lot
Great information. You are 100% correct, with the cost of everything going sky high it’s really hard to make a profit. Thank you
Seems like everything is going up except what we grow
Enjoyed your video. I'm a retired farmer in mid-Missouri. I helped my dad on the farm until he passed, then I built a central farrowing house and operated with 55 sows - farrow to finish. Lots of work but also lots of fun. I made a decent living including raising 125 acres of crops and a 45 cow herd. I enjoy being retired.
I probably should retire but I can't make myself do it . I plan to fall dead in the field like an old plow horse
Awesome info. Appreciate the reality aspect. My 15 year old son starting his farm. Realistic expectations are critical.
Glad to help , we really need to encourage the younger folks
Hey Chris thanks for all the tips. They really helped. I Did 5 this last year and they turned out great. We’re not going to get quite those prices here in central Kansas that you were mentioning about but they are still doing decent here. Thanks again
Glad to help , it's hard to get our price on tops I can only manage to sell twenty a year . That's going up slowly
What breed is it
@@jennifergrant4799 Duroc boar to Duroc cross bred sows
Good video. Your analysis is right on. Around me the price of feed went up 60-75% in 2022. That hurts when you are feeding out hogs. Fortunately the price of pork in the store has help to justify small scale local operations. One challenge I have faced with the customer base is that lots of folks are interested until they figure out they are into if for $800+ for a whole hog. Building a consistent customer base is a big deal.
That's the same problem we have 1000.00 at once is a hard sell
This is exactly what i wanted, an opinion of someone who has been doing it a long time. Thanks.
Glad to help
Straight up. Honest information is hard to come by nowadays
Sad but true I just don't understand why
I was lucky I have a lot of friends that were farmers. It didn't take me long to realize you have to have realistic goals and expectations. I had people who were experienced at raising beef and pork or "Truckbed Farmers" all the way up to college educated commercial farmers, they helped me to understand from the beginning that you're not gonna become financially independent raising livestock, you do it for the joy of it and for a side hustle to put some extra money in your pocket during the good times. Unfortunately for every good day there are two bad ones, but if you are smart, humble and play within your capabilities you can do enough in most years to make it worth it to continue. If you want to start up, listen to every word this gentlemen is telling you because he is telling you like it is. It looks like this guy has a beautiful set up and yet he is telling you that your not gonna get rich....that is nothing but truth and some of the best advice you will ever get.
Chris, looks like you expanded your hog operation, where a garden bed once was. I'm glad to see you was able to do it and things seem to be going well for you, hogwise... Blessings to both You and Darlene!🙏
They're doing pretty good right now but you know that can change. I'm going to expand a little more need to make 30k a year clear off the farm . Not sure it can be done but between produce,hogs,eggs,chicks and selling beef I might can make it happen . Diversification is going to be the key
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Absolutely Chris. Like the saying goes, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket". I hope 2023 is a banner year for your farm!
Wow 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 this is a great wealth of knowledge to learn from… 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Thank you , we seem to be really helping people
Good evening and lots of love from Ohio! I ain't even about to jump into pig farming, but I've got me some heritage feeder pigs coming close to weaning age that I'll be raising. A neighbor asked me to raise one for them and in exchange they will by half the feed I need for all 4. I had only planned on 3 so, sound d like a good deal to me, saves me half the cost of feeding mine. I've learned what to feed and how the pens need to be from you. Valuable information that you're giving for free. I know that steer feed out you told me about worked great and would have been great had someone not cut my fence and stole my steer. So that's a start over. Thank you so much, you are appreciated. Have a great evening and God bless.
Livestock theft has become a real problem, I hate to hear that . Breaking even on our pork was my goal for years
@J.P. Ball PharmD Still should be!
@J.P. Ball PharmD you're lucky if the law even comes out to write a report
I just figure the profit is what I get for my labor. Then the numbers look better. We're just starting out though and appreciate your videos. I hope this year goes well for you!
Thank you,I believe this year will be better
Chris, I rarely post comments on RUclips but I thought you might benefit from hearing what I have to say. I really appreciate you taking the time to share the information and experience you have gained over the years. I recently found myself as the owner of what was supposed to be a "slaughter' ready pig. I had agreed to buy the pig to help out a family member. Well the pig was far from ready for slaughter. In fact it weighed less than 100 pounds. By watching your videos and using the information you provided I was able to put over 200 pounds on the pig in about 3 months and now have a freezer full of high quality pork. I realize it takes a lot of time and effort to make these videos and you may sometimes wonder if it's makes any difference. In my case it certainly did. Thank you for the help and keep up the good work.
Glad to hear we helped, that's the whole reason I do this
Just starting to build my pen for a few feeders. I've learned so many valuable lessons from this channel it's crazy. My figuring is, if I can grow my own pork and break even on cost in the long run by selling one or 2 here and there is a winning game. If profit were to come, even better.
That's a realistic goal , you should at least be able to cover the cost of the pigs and feed .
Glad to see you posting videos again. Just found your channel a couple months ago. Nice to see someone telling it how it is. We have a few sows ourselves as well as cattle in NB Canada. Have a great day
I just want people to succeed and gotta what you're really up against to make it
I agree ive been at this all my life and im still learning. There is alot of info out there that like you say isnt anywhere near realistic as far how to raise hogs or what you can make or lose. Your doing a great service to those that will listen. You have some great lookin hogs ive just got a new duroc boar myself after seeing yours i wanted to try some.
@@tomtompkins5856 hard to beat a Duroc for carcass quality and growth rate on the ground.
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay thats what im hoping. I have no access to old line duroc but have bred a pure Tamworth sow ai to a modern duroc and plan to use this boar the same way. May be best of both worlds or worse of both. Wont know for a couple months
@@tomtompkins5856 that's usually not a bad cross , hopefully the old Tamworth will put some fat on that moden Duroc . Something in the middle would be perfect
Thank you for the videos. picked up my first two piglets today. Were in north MS. 15.35 per 50lb bag local feed mill. I hope yall have a good 2023.
Best thing I ever done was get setup to make our own feed, it's expensive to get the equipment and a little work to do . It saves me 6k a year on the feed bill easy
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay How / where do yall buy your corn and other feed? by the bushel? at a feed mill?
@@drewnation9905 I buy corn from my neighbors by the bushel and make most of our own feed . I buy a little feed from a local mill if I run out of corn
love it been raising pigs for over twenty years and finally found someone that spits the truth
Straight talk from those who came before us...im all ears...thank you sir.
Glad to help
Truer words were never spoken. Thank you.
I'm trying my best to sling a little reality around , folks need it bad
Agreed with everything you say. And beware of following tips and tricks from some of these channels. They put up some click bait titles and try to tell you how to be 'successful like them', but when you put pencil to paper those folks are profiting maybe just a few thousand dollars a year at most and have only been raising livestock for a year or two.
I think it's the channel making money and they just farm enough to make a video on whatever fad is trending at that moment but it really hurts people
Hi Chris. I just found y'all's videos a couple days ago. Have started to go back and watch them. I enjoyed the ones I have seen. Y'all stay safe and God bless. Look forward to seeing more videos.
Hope to get another one up soon
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay we raised pigs when I was in high school. But when I became a US Marine he got rid of them cause no one to help him with them. I had to retire a few years ago cause of kidney failure and having to do dialysis. I am getting back to farming now that things have settled down some with my health. Thanks again for the videos.
@@richardhicks7946 anything I can do to help let me know
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay thank you. Both my grandfather's where farmers and I was raised on a farm. Both my grandfather's logged and farmed. They used to tell me no one is poorer than a farmer.
@@richardhicks7946 I grew up farming and logging in the winter . Daddy bought small tracts nobody else would mess with . Did it just so we could work the farm hands all year TBH
Excellent lecture Chris. Economics and Accounting. Can't do much analysis without it. Looks like you nailed it to me. Cash flow is key. I happened to be lucky enough to know Ralph Ketner well for many years. Worked for his business school while he was still living. Wise man indeed. First, he locked himself in a hotel room in Charlotte to run numbers on Food Town (which turned into Food Lion) and discovered they were actually broke. Cash flow issue. His solution is what saved and made Food Lion. Volume and small margins. Second, he had a saying. If you watch your pennies your dollars add up. ;) Wise words for anyone in farming.
Be blessed.
Sad fact is if the money doesn't work the farm won't work .
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay amen
WOW, thanks for the brutal honesty. That's why so many farmers diversify in produce besides livestock to help offset feed for humans and livestock consumption.
Be safe and be true.
Diversification is key it's the best way to keep cash flow . We grow produce but it's a high input low return situation financially
Looking good great video cut to the chase straight talk love it
Thanks for watching Preacher
Thank you for keeping it real
Don’t buy your hogs from the stockyard unless you know about them. I got some and was buying antibiotics of the start. Couldn’t find a butcher during Covid. You have some great knowledge thank you..and those RUclipsrs are making money on views from people wanting to get rich quick
We had a little trouble with processing but not too bad . The sale barns definitely a good place to get a sick pig
We raise 10-15 feeders a year and we barley cover the cost of the 2 that we put in our freezer. I’m half tempted to make a trip down south and get a some breeding stock from you Chris. Your pigs are healthy as can be and I know you know your stuff! Glad to see a video hopefully you can keep them coming. Stay well my friend
Took a long time to get exactly what I wanted and it's a struggle to keep them that way . It's tough to build a market, I used to be glad to just break even on our pork
Ty. Great coverage
Hope it helps
Thank you for speaking the hard truth! Subbed for whatever is worth.
I think there is another subset of these small hobby farms if you will who are fine with break even or small loss in order to be raising their own food. Selling into the market is just about mitigation TCO.
If you're just trying to grow your own food selling any surplus to cover expenses is an excellent and realistic goal . Most of the time you can at least get close for example you'll probably never pay for the coup or hens selling extra eggs but you might pay for the feed , I consider that a win. Just a different way of saying the same thing loss mitigation
Good, straight talk! Refreshing to hear the other side of the story.
Hope it helps
Those are some great lookin’ pigs ! - KJ
Thank you
Thank you for your video and time sir. Very much appreciate your hard work and wisdom
Glad to help
Good Stuff. Thnx for the video. I need to find a farmer to buy from in florida. Those pigs looked good and healthy they way they should.
There's probably some around, good places to check are the processor and the feed mill . They usually know who has a god reputation
I wish I had a neighbor like him!
Appreciate you telling the truth
Hope it helps
I've never met him, but I know a lot of people just like him and I'm a good judge of character. I believe every word he said is the truth.
We make 400 on average pig pig selling them how you described. We’ve lost our ass in the start but we learned a lot from your videos. We make spreadsheets, keep receipts and buy frugal, never cheap. Cheers y’all.
Best thing we did was starting back making our own feed . I figured it up yesterday and it saved me 6000.00 last year
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I'm fairly new to this channel, do you have a how-to video regarding mixing your own feed? appreciate your time and knowledge.
@@douglasridgefarm we have an old one . Biggest thing is having a way to grind the grain . The mix is pretty easy I have plenty of recipes
Thanks for the videos! Best most informative Info I’ve found on pig farming . Could you do a video on what you look for in “type” when choosing pigs for breeding stock?
Glad to help and I can do that
Thank you!
You shoot straight from the hip. But reality is some of these people definitely dont understand profit etc. You are so right
Am I the only one that wishes Chris would upload a lot more videos !!
I plan on doing them more frequently once it warms up some
I have been talking to my brothers about going in together raising a few hogs on my land. Not to sell. Just to eat. We could put in the work to build a proper pen and shelter. Then we could buy what we want to put into the freezer that year. Then we can split the cost of feeding and upkeep. I’m the only one who has the land, space, time, and the zoning to raise them. Then at the end of the year we can have them all processed. Or we can keep a breeding pair to get piglets once a year. I have 7 siblings.
Buying feeders is cheaper than keeping sows just for your own pigs and whole lot less work and infrastructure
I keep 20 Berkshire sows in central va. Thank you for putting your truth out there. I struggle with modern marketing.We have hit a wall over the last year with feeder pig sales . Dead stop. You said I’ve seen it when you couldn’t get rid of them. So true. This to shall pass
Right now I can't keep up with demand but that could change any day . I just try to be as honest as possible
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay pre Covid I had a waiting list and making 400 piglets a year. Every place and every pig works different. Your truth is much closer truth. I to have grown them about every way . Feed source , genetics , climate, and countless other differences separate every grower. Thanks for the video
@@jacobdavis1752 good points , only advantage I have I think is most of my customers are buying pigs to feed out to sell cuts and we sell breeding stock to the co op but I'm still nervous
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay same here. I had 3 growers buying big groups of weened feeders and folks traveling for breeding stock. My 3 growers have had processing issues and stoped. Good job on marketing I’m sure utube doesn’t hurt
@@jacobdavis1752 we had some minor processing issues last year but not horrible wait times . Most of my sales are local , I have people contact me that saw us up here wanting pigs but they're always from far away and wanting me to ship occasionally we'll have someone drive in but it's rare
I have a couple years worth of food walking around my property. Good peace of mind. I probably brake even but I’m a cheapskate. I appreciate your videos!
Nothing wrong with breaking even . When I was just trying to grow what we ate that was my goal if I could sell enough extra to cover input cost feed,seed,fuel I was happy
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I’m happy with it. Made some good friends and met some great farmers.
Thanks, glad to see someone telling the truth. I'm about to start farming soon and all I notice is youtubers who make youtube money and buy expensive unrealistic things. I doubt they make any money farming. It's all from youtube and selling us false dreams, ad revenue, and whatever sponsor.
I believe the small farm can make a come back , the market is changing and opening doors . It's not easy I've struggled for years and I was already established. I wish you success and you're going to have to know how it really works if you're going to make it.
Thx for the info. We have 4 wooded acres down south and are considering getting 2 feeder pigs to raise- they can get rid of the underbrush.
To clear land you'll have to confine them to a smaller area at the time with just two
All I hear when this man speaks is wisdom.
Haven’t seen you guys lately. Praying everything is well with you all.🙏🏻
I'm a little better, moving around anyway
Awesome video. Love you being a straight shooter. At what age do you sell your feeder piglets?
6 to 8 weeks depending on litter size . Bigger litters need a little more time
Excellent video! Pigs are not easy money maker. Raised hogs and cattle all my life. Smells like money!
I don't know of any farm money that's easy Tbh
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay That's for sure. I think chicken/eggs might be the best return on $ anyone has ever seen. If you have a market.
@@backachershomestead eggs normally don't sell here . There's some demand right now if you sell cheaper than the grocery store
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Same here. So many moved to our area over the last few years. They watched video's and thought they could support 5-10 acres selling eggs. Until they found out that everyone had chickens and gave eggs away.
@@backachershomestead same thing here , every other house has a few chickens and a garden . Started plants and biddies sell good though so do young hens . We sold every barnyard mix biddie we could hatch last year in less than an hour
Outstanding video Chris. That's just what I needed after having surgery today. Those are some great looking hogs! Duroc and spot?
I hope the surgery went well Mark. Yes and a few Hamp Duroc crosses
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Thank you sir! They're great looking hogs.
this is the best advice i have heard on the subject.. i think most people should focus on getting a hog in the freezer for free after selling a couple to cover the feed .. enclosures.. supplies and other expenses.. but just cut your losses on the labor and eat high on the hog
That's what I did for several years , if we could break even on our pork I was happy . That's not too hard if you buy feeders it gets a lot harder if you keep breeding stock .