selling pigs at butcher time

[redfarmhouse]

My son is raising pigs for meat. 4 are already spoken for but we aren't sure how to price them. Last year he sold one for $125/side + butcher fee ($115/side). Hanging weight was around 180 lbs for a side. Is that a fair price for premium farm raised pork or could that be higher?

 

[freemotion]

What is pork selling for locally? How quickly did people jump on the four that are sold? Seems low to me....it also depends on how they were raised. Indoors on cement fed hog grower pellets to me is the same as the cheap pork in the grocery store. Raised outside on pasture and supplemented with pellets.....much better. Raised on pasture and supplemented with organic grains, acorns, vegetables, milk, etc.....well, I saw an ad recently for the unrendered lard of such a pig being sold at $5 per pound, and I bet it sold in a heartbeat around here. The meat would go for a much higher price.

So I guess I don't really have an answer for you...it is what your local market will bear.

 

[redfarmhouse]

Well they are only 6 weeks old now. People started asking before we even bought piglets. They are outside in a pasture pen with grain. Honestly he didn't make much money last time so he was hoping for more this round.

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

I wouldn't sell it for a flat fee per side. We charge $4.00 a lb hanging weight for pastured heritage pork to the DC market. Around here for standard market pigs I'm seeing 1-1.50 a lb live weight on craigslist so I would at least charge that.

Call around to some local butchers and see what they sell 1/2 a pig for.

 

[freemotion]

Hmmm.....see if you have a chapter within an hour or so of you, or of the slaughterhouse you will use: www.westonapricefoundation.org. Contact the chapter president and let them know what you have and if there is enough interest from their group for you to raise these pigs to their specifications.....you have time if you act soon as the pigs are so young. There are people out there that will pay a premium price for "real" pork, raised on pasture and on organic food.

If you have oak trees in your area, get ready to collect acorns. Acorns are pretty darn organic if not in areas that are sprayed/fertilized. You can just pile them by the ton in the middle of your pig pasture and they will munch away on all the free food. Or you can store them or pile them nearby and dole them out over the growing season. Acorn finished pork is a gourmet item. And it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-!-!-!

 

[pubwvj]

We sell pork for:

Whole Pigs ~180 lbs hanging: $3.50/lb

Half Pigs ~90 lbs hanging: $4.50/lb

All based on hanging weight.

This is delivered to the butcher. There is then the cost of:

Slaughter: $45

Cut & Vacuum Pack: $135

Sausage Making: $2.25/lb

Smoking: $2.25/lb

Optional delivery: $10

Butcher prices vary considerably around the country so find out what your local ones change.

We also sell wholesale and retail cuts. Selling by the pig is the best way for us, the farmer. It gives the customers the best price but they must be more creative cooks. I have a blog where I make suggestions on cooking things among other topics:

SugarMtnFarm.com/blog

and you can see our order form which lists all the various cuts price which may help you with pricing:

SugarMtnFarm.com/SMFOrderForm.pdf

I would expect that in your urban area of Washington, DC your prices should be somewhat higher than our prices. Figuring out pricing is difficult. Expect to adjust your prices in future years.

Last tip: Get your slaughter and butcher setup months in advance.

Good luck!

Cheers,

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in Vermont

 

[Royd Wood]

Redfarmhouse - good luck with the pigs and some useful advice here.

Walter and stay around on here please- like your website

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Cheers,

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in Vermont

So glad to see you here, Walter! I have followed your blog for a while now. I don't have any hogs now, but I'd love to get some in the near future. You're a wealth of information!

 

[that's*satyrical]

Redfarmhouse - good luck with the pigs and some useful advice here.

Walter and stay around on here please- like your website

x2 Super cool web site & your house is adorable!