Have you always fancied having a couple of weaners in order to produce delicious pork for yourself and to sell? Let Black Orchard take you through everything you need to know from the day you make the decision to buy weaners to the day you tuck into your own delicious, home-produced meat and sell your first pork.
Stephen and Sue have recently been nominated as finalists in the British Pig Association Pedigree Breeder of the Year Awards 2023, in the New Pedigree Breeder category, and large parts of their course handbook have been incorporated into this very comprehensive book written by three specialist pig vets, currently with all five star reviews on Amazon.
They love to share all their knowledge and experience to help aspiring pig owners.
In the last four years Stephen and Sue of Black Orchard Large Blacks have established a successful pork and pig breeding business. They are experienced enough to have a wealth of knowledge, but new enough to remember the mistakes they made when setting up, and the things they wish someone had told them before they started.
They love to share all their knowledge and experience to help aspiring pig owners.
The day long course not only takes you through the legalities of owning pigs and everything you need to think about and do before they arrive and once you collect them, but also explains the process of choosing an abattoir, what to expect on the day you take your pigs off, and selling and marketing your delicious pork afterwards.
If you want to raise weaners for meat and don't know where to start, this course is for you, and we hope you will find it pays for itself in increased sales.
The morning is spent in the classroom (one of our barns), then in the afternoon there is the chance to spend lots of time with our gorgeous Large Blacks, helping with regular tasks such as tagging, moving piglets and strawing down arks.
Topics covered include:
Legalities
Choosing Your Weaners
Traditional Pig Breeds
Organisations
Accommodation
Pig Day
Feeding
The Fateful Day
Selling Your Pork
Aftermath
As well as the standard Black Orchard provisions of elevenses, a delicious lunch made with our own pork, cake for tea, tea or coffee throughout the day, and a professionally printed, comprehensive and illustrated course handbook, Pig to Pork also includes membership of a private Facebook Group, and lifetime support following the course - if you have any queries or problems, we will be there for you. In addition, all course attendees will receive a discount on any weaners subsequently bought from us
(see Weaner Sales page for details)
We strongly recommend that you attend a course BEFORE building your paddocks and making other preparations for your weaners, so that you don't make any costly mistakes.
£99 per person or £170 per couple*, places limited to four individuals or three couples.
The course runs from 1000 to around 1600
Custom courses are also available on a date to suit you, at £200 per couple - we will tailor the course to cover exactly what you want to know, including breeding if you wish.
Dates
Saturday 27 April 2024 FULL
Let us know if you would like to go on the list for the next course
(date TBC, but probably June)
Please note, courses run whatever the weather, other than in the event of a severe weather warning, so dress appropriately (wellies are recommended). You might want to bring a change of clothes in case of rain / mud / piggy smells.
During courses there will be the opportunity to purchase some pig-keeping essentials such as herd books and weigh tapes, and, if you wish, pork from our freezer.
Please see our Terms and Conditions here
* For the purposes of the course a couple is defined as two people either from the same household or who will be keeping pigs together under one herd number.
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