# What kind of price do you get for a butcher hog?



## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

I've raised hogs before, but haven't for the last 10 years. I would like to raise four or five and keep two and sell the rest. If I sell three of them I would like to be able to at least pay for the two I keep. I have the equipment to process my own feed so I would buy barley/wheat and soybean meal to feed them. I'm just wondering what everyone get for their's, I would most like sell them buy hanging weight since that would give me an exact weight.

I'm located in south eastern WA.

Thanks,
Bobg


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## sengdroma (Apr 22, 2008)

Ours was hoof weight not hanging weight of 270lbs and went for $189.00 (Canadian). Roughly 6 months old and reared on grass and hay outsid and kitchen scraps.


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## wstevenl (Mar 26, 2008)

I'm deciding the same thing and I've heard people give everything from "market price + 10%", to 1/lb hanging, to 3.50/lb.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Hi Bob!
I raise mine on 100% certified organic grain and this year I am selling them for $550 at 6 months old. Buyer pays slaughter truck and butcher fees additionally. Also, my buyers pay up front (they are all friends) so that I can buy the grain in bulk to get the bulk discount. I figure it takes 1100 lbs to feed out each pig to market weight.
I hope that helps some.
Trisha in WA


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## sengdroma (Apr 22, 2008)

Great price, gosh it would be a miriacle to get that here in Ontario. People narrowed their lips and scoured at our price!! Pig is cheap here though.


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## TripleTreeHogs (Jun 25, 2007)

Here in northwest pa we charge $1.25/lb hanging. Nobody complains about that price. I figure 700 lbs of feed per hog to finish. That has worked as a pretty good rule of thumb for me. But I also only finish hogs from march to october too. I know it would be more feed if I ran finishers through the winter. The feed is 14% by the way..


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## Rowena (Feb 7, 2008)

Funny you ask, I was just doing my flyer at $3.50 a pound. In order to make money for my time or for the pork I am raising I need to charge at least $3.00, but I made it $3.50 to cover everything. My weaner pigs are $65 to start and my feed is $90 for a 90 gallon container (that is if feed stays) and I add in everything from the garden, and then slaughter is $40 and they pay the butcher. My pigs will run 3-90 gallon containers each so cost will be at least $400+ for each. We will see how I do. Proposition 2 here in California will probably help me, I am sure we will see prices go up, and my meat is soooo good!!


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## wstevenl (Mar 26, 2008)

is that for hanging weight? 3.50?


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## Rowena (Feb 7, 2008)

Hanging weight


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

We sell pastured pigs and get $3.50/lb handing weight delivered live to the butcher. Customer pays for slaughter, cutting, smoking, etc. In addition to selling whole hogs we also sell roasters $3.75/lb, piglets (live to raise) $100 and cuts both wholesale and retail. Our farm is Certified Naturally Grown (http://NaturallyGrown.org) and that probably helps us get a premium. Prices vary greatly with regions.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I just saw a craigslist posting of 3 #150 pigs for $50 each!!!! I wonder if that's a typo??? I emailed him.....


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

I've been selling them at $2/lb hanging weight, which is really too cheap, but I enjoy raising the pigs and like the feeling I get from helping my customers feed their families. Next year, it will probably be $2.50/lb hanging weight, just to help cover the feed costs.....that is if I even raise any to market weight. Demand for feeder pigs seems to be on the rise in my area. Already have 7 of the unborn piglets spoken for


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I have a stupid question that's been nagging me for a long time and I'm embarrassed to ask..... but I will anyway!

What is hanging weight? Is that after the guts are removed? Or is it the weight they weighed before they were killed? Someone here just bought part of a cow for $2.75 a pound and I said, "oh, that must be live weight...you won't get 280 pounds (which they were told they were paying for) in meat". She thinks they did. $2.75 a pound FINISHED meat is an unbelieveably low price.

So what are all the terms? If they are live? Once they are killed? Guts removed? Cut and packaged?

Thanks. (And shhhhhhh....this is my secret!)


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## majik (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm in Ontario too and prices are low. I'm shipping 2 hogs this week and have sold one for $1.50/lb hanging weight. It should pay the kill fees and processing + much of the feed costs for both, but I wish I could have gotten more. People just won't buy above that even for good quality, home grown meat.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

The definition of anging weight varies with the technique for slaughter.

For skunned: skinned, gutted, feet off generally, head on or off depending on the butcher.

For scalded: scalded & scraped to remove hair, gutted, head & feet on

The butcher wants head and feet on because that drives up the price of cut & wrap.

I want the head and feet on because those are good food and I can sell them. Not everyone wants those so some people get upset when hanging weight includes those things that they consider waste. Depends on your view. How it is done depends on the butcher's policy.

After hanging to chill and age the carcass is cut and wrapped. There is some loss due to evaporation of moisture during hanging and there is some loss due to 'non-edible' scrap during cutting. Typical yield from hanging to cut is about 67%.

But you need not have that wast happening. How much is wasted is up to you. Ask for your entire pig bag. Emphasize that you want everything from the hanging pig. Ask for the liver, heart, tongue, lard, leaf, bones, skin, scraps in addition to all the meat. You can get a yield of about 90% or more this way and every bit of the pig is good.

See this article about What is Half a Pig:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2006/07/what-is-half-pig-share.html

and see the cut chart on that page.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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