Thread: Raising Farm Animals for Profit

Hmmm, I like pigs. Could be better than growing Pomello.

Yes, but what about pigs ?

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

Yes, but what about pigs ?

Well.....lot of work [depending on size] and care is needed.

But if disciplined, pig stock returns a very good value/profit.

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

Yes, but what about pigs ?

Pigs if farmed as fatteners for meat in the market, usually generate income in four months time. One pig, if given proper care and the right amount of nutrients, will make you 2-3k net profit. That's after you deduct operational expenses, food, injections like Dectomax, Belamyl, ADE, etc.

Unlike banana farming, wherein most work are done routinely like the clearing, fertilizing, and harvesting, pigs require loads of time, attention and work on a daily basis. You have to clean and feed them at least, twice a day. This is assuming that you've provided a water drinker for them to suck on. If not, you will need to manually provide them with water, throughout the day.

The best part about pig farming is that you don't need a big stretch of land to start one. You just need a bit of land to build your farm on. Banana farming, on the other hand, would need a considerable stretch of land, which could be very expensive.

The downside to pig farming is that you have to repeat the process every four months, in order to make profit. The bananas, once they are established, you just clear them routinely every four months (maybe, even six months if the dry season is approaching), and harvest every two weeks, making money every two weeks, for 5-6 yrs.

In the end, it all boils down to your preferences and the resources you have at hand.

Can't you just grow pigs in a box like the good old days?

Well done ,finally somebody has answered the OP question, can you make a living out of livestock.

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

Can't you just grow pigs in a box like the good old days?

A mate of mine has got pigs in little boxes
Breaks my heart every time I see it
Poor thing squealing in the heat
Got to be a heartless bastard to do that

Moo dam is the latest craze - farm raised boars.
They grow slower and are very shy, fetch a much higher price.

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

Can't you just grow pigs in a box like the good old days?

I guess, one can. I wouldn't advice it though. Boxes are too hot, hard to clean, and does not have enough air circulation. If your pigs are not happy, they are irritable, their appetite is affected, they become restless and they create way too much noise. These factors could slow down their growth.

If you have a problem with space, keeping them in narrow pens make sense. Also, it minimizes their movements to some degree, maintaining their metabolism on the low side, encouraging faster growth. Pens are also easier to clean and have better air circulation.

Over the years met many who have tried pig farming, none where successful, lots of reasons.
Generally, farangs and Thais know little about pigs, it's a complex business, not only figuring out costs, pigs eat a lot, so food cost can out way sale prices.

You need to be well up on how to keep the pigs healthy, one sick pig will infect the whole sty, very easy to lose any profits if the pigs start dieing.

The only farang that I have met that made pigs profitable, was forced to shut up shop by the Government.
This, no problem, no one cares works fine, until someone complains, then you find that the limit for subsistence farms is [think] 10 pigs, after that you are a tax paying business and all the regulations come into force.

All types of farming have a size, turn over limit, that means you are no longer a peon, subsistence farmer, but a business, once a business, all the regulations, environmental, health certificates and planing permission etc come into force.

My advice to anyone trying any farming here, is don't listen to the locals, get government information, be legal, be safe.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Over the years met many who have tried pig farming, none where successful, lots of reasons.
Generally, farangs and Thais know little about pigs, it's a complex business, not only figuring out costs, pigs eat a lot, so food cost can out way sale prices.

You need to be well up on how to keep the pigs healthy, one sick pig will infect the whole sty, very easy to lose any profits if the pigs start dieing.

The only farang that I have met that made pigs profitable, was forced to shut up shop by the Government.
This, no problem, no one cares works fine, until someone complains, then you find that the limit for subsistence farms is [think] 10 pigs, after that you are a tax paying business and all the regulations come into force.

All types of farming have a size, turn over limit, that means you are no longer a peon, subsistence farmer, but a business, once a business, all the regulations, environmental, health certificates and planing permission etc come into force.

My advice to anyone trying any farming here, is don't listen to the locals, get government information, be legal, be safe.

+1 ^ What Jim said

Very, very few make any money farming here.

The theory and the practise do not align.

In 'theory' you could possibly turn some coin, but in reality, you are just pissing into the wind.

A commercial piggery is out of the questions, as outlined by Jim above.

Ditto a commercial Turkey Farm, who was run out of business by local competitors.

Mushroom Farming shows some slight promise. Met a Thai Mushroom Farmer who happily shares his secrets (a rare breed) and he turns a modest profit.

Us? ... we are Fish Farmers and turn a profit. A very modest profit.


Went a Farmers meeting in Thailand. Chock full of professional farmers back in the West. No-one ... not one was turning a profit. There was talk of 'next year' ... maybe. In two years ... 'sure' ... I'm not holding my breath.


When you breath, shit and live on a Thai Farm, the realities of same hit home.

Thai Farmers ... incredibly resourceful at reducing their input costs, as it's one of the few variables they have control over.

Couple of guys making some coin in Rubber ... Jim rules the forest there.

BTW ... check out the pleasures of making charcoal ... https://teakdoor.com/living-in-thaila...al-making.html (Thailand - Charcoal making)

It's a shame isn't it.

Every now and then she comes up with some land that's for sale and my answer is always the same; Can we make any money out of it?
The answer is invariably "No".

So, why would we bother.

Our valley is incredibly fertile producing masses of Pomello and also rice, corn, tobacco, etc etc.
But, inevitably, the productive profit making land is never going to be sold and why take on the risk of a loss making few rai that will just sit there and become overgrown.

We've talked about fish farming but it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I remember Daltons reports on his fish farm and it all sounds like too much work for very little return.

I would consider getting 3-4 rai and digging out a bit of a lake which we'd stock and then sell off once a year. There are 2 or 3 round here and it's a great weekend of partying and celebration. No profit but bloody good fun. She knocked that idea into touch saying that the locals would steal all the fish ! Oh well.

All good. If in doubt, do nothing.

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

She knocked that idea into touch saying that the locals would steal all the fish

Not all, but they will help themselves while you're not looking. Even from our small basin in front of the house.

Originally Posted by stroller

Not all, but they will help themselves while you're not looking. Even from our small basin in front of the house.

Indeed. She pointed out that the other 2 lakes in our area where they do this, the owners live on site and guard the fish with their lives. Fuc that for a laugh.

A few of these, strategically placed, should provide an ample learning experience:

Originally Posted by stroller

A few of these, strategically placed, should provide an ample learning experience:

Hmm. There's a thought. i'll see what she thinks.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Originally Posted by GracelessFawn

Growing bananas is another alternative. Its way better than cassava, as its production starts 1.5 years after planting, and will be in production til 5-6 yrs old

I thought after a banana tree fruits you cut it back after you take the bananas ripen. And it automatically grows a new shoot at the base. That's how they grow here. Are you in England?

Indeed....
Though, regardless of human care and intervention, bananas will naturally propagate shoots - survival mechanism.

As bananas in Thailand are largely from wild stock. Bananas/plantains are native to Siam and introduced historically.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Originally Posted by GracelessFawn

Starting a piggery might be a good idea.

All farming in Thailand is a bad idea IMO.

I know quite a lot of so called farmers here abouts ,never met ONE that could make a decent living out of Pigs .

Hamsters ?

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

Hamsters ?

Ducks...
There is a built-in market.

Meat and eggs.

Goldfish ?

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

yrs old I thought after a banana tree fruits you cut it back after you take the bananas ripen

Around here the elephants push them over for you!

Coffee is an easy growing plant, good prices for the dried or roasted beans. Always a market for coffee, it's a hard drug to kick. That is unitl the elephants get the taste for it.