How much pork will I get and how much will it cost?

If this is your first time ordering fresh pork from a farm the ordering process can seem a bit overwhelming. Based on some of the most common questions we receive, we thought it might be helpful to walk you through how to estimate how much pork you will get in an order and how much it will cost. We hope this helps make ordering farm fresh pork a more approachable process.

First, let's go over the different weights that are talked about in relation to a pig that is going to the butcher. We raise our pigs to be around 300 pounds when they are full grown. This is an estimate, so they could be slightly larger or smaller depending on how fast they grow. When they get to the butcher and are slaughtered, they are hung and reweighed. This is called the hanging weight and it is usually about 70% of the original weight of the pig. Why is it so much less? Well, there is a fair amount of the pig that is not edible such as organs, blood and hair which is all removed when the pig is slaughtered. Once the pig is hung and chilled it is ready to be cut and trimmed into retail pieces, such as chops and steaks. There is another reduction in weight due to moisture loss, boning and trimming that reduces the weight down another 20%.   So let's recap where we are:

Live Pig                                    300 pounds

30% loss at slaughter

Hanging Weight                      210 pounds

20% loss on cutting

Retail cut weight                    170 pounds

So what does this mean in terms of how much pork you will receive in an order and how much it will cost you? Let's break it down.

We sell our pigs based on hanging weight since that is easier to tally up than pricing the pork out into individual retail cuts. Meaning, it is easier to apply an average price to the hanging weight than it is to price bacon versus tenderloin.  

We currently sell a half pig for $4.50 a pound hanging weight. This translates into the following:

Half pig hanging weight        105 pounds (210 pounds divided in half)

Total cost                                $472.50 (105 pounds times $4.50)

Packaged meat weight          85 pounds (170 pounds divided in half)

Average price per pound       $5.56 ($472.50 divided by 85 pounds)

We currently sell a quarter pig for $4.75 a pound hanging weight. This translates into the following:

Quarter pig hanging weight        53 pounds (210 pounds divided into quarters)

Total cost                                     $249.38 (53 pounds time $4.75)

Packaged meat weight               42 pounds (170 pounds divided into quarters)

Average price per pound            $5.94 ($249.38 divided by 42 pounds)

Some other things to keep in mind when placing your order: we get all out meat vacuum sealed and frozen, so it is ready to fill your freezer. All pork comes fresh unless you would like the butcher to smoke it for you. If you want any meat smoked plan to add an additional $1.05 per pound of smoked meat.

Now that we have walked through the ounces and pounds and dollars and cents we hope you will find placing an order for farm fresh pork an easy and approachable process. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.