[Adam Spaur]

Hey everyone,
I was curious what most of you charge for your pork. Here in West Virginia, I have been selling mine for $3.00/ hang weight plus processing. Just wondering what others are charging.
I was also wondering if anyone ever raises an extra pig and has the entire hog made into sausage to sell by the pound. I found that I have no trouble selling all the sausage, however for me, it’s not a very profitable option.

Thanks, Adam

 

[hiddensprings]

I've never raised pigs for others but have cattle and chicken. You mentioned selling sausage. I would check with your local ag officer to see what the rules are for selling processed meats in your state. I know when I lived in TN, I had to have anything that was processed done in a USDA facility to legally sell it. Even my whole chickens had to be processed at a USDA facility, stored separately from my personal freezer items and my farm was inspected by a USDA inspector. Selling a side of beef or live chickens that the customer processed themselves was OK and didn't require any special permits.

 

[Adam Spaur]

I've never raised pigs for others but have cattle and chicken. You mentioned selling sausage. I would check with your local ag officer to see what the rules are for selling processed meats in your state. I know when I lived in TN, I had to have anything that was processed done in a USDA facility to legally sell it. Even my whole chickens had to be processed at a USDA facility, stored separately from my personal freezer items and my farm was inspected by a USDA inspector. Selling a side of beef or live chickens that the customer processed themselves was OK and didn't require any special permits.

Yeah, It’s the same way here. Everything you mentioned is how it has to be done to sell individual cuts.

 

[haypoint]

Some people have customers that appreciate knowing where the pig was raised and expect to eat a premium produce and are willing to pay more for it.

Some people have customers that are willing to buy a whole pig, own the pig before it gets butchered, so they can get around the USDA requirements, eat the cuts they wouldn't normally buy and the extra hassle of a couple trips out to the butcher to get the fresh pork and the smoked pork, to get pork for a bit less than they pay at the grocery store.

Which customer are you serving?

 

[Adam Spaur]

Some people have customers that appreciate knowing where the pig was raised and expect to eat a premium produce and are willing to pay more for it.

Some people have customers that are willing to buy a whole pig, own the pig before it gets butchered, so they can get around the USDA requirements, eat the cuts they wouldn't normally buy and the extra hassle of a couple trips out to the butcher to get the fresh pork and the smoked pork, to get pork for a bit less than they pay at the grocery store.

Which customer are you serving?

I sell by the whole or half hog. When I talked to the County Ag Extension, they said it is considered a live animal when sold so I don’t have to use USDA processors. State certified is fine. Only if I sold individual cuts would I have to have a meat distribution license, separate freezer, USDA processor, and have an inspector come to the house.

 

[haypoint]

So, basically you are selling the live pig to one or two people, then hauling their pig to butcher. That is the common method to get around marketing meat. As you are apparently aware, that won't fly with your "by the pound whole hog sausage" and the kill and butcher will be at a USDA slaughter facility.

My original comment was meant to reflect the two main different markets.

If you live near a high end community, raise your pork in a way that pleases your customers and want to do the sales work to promote a product that is far above grocery store prices, you may be able to sell at quite a premium.

If you live in an average community, raise your pork in a normal way, don't have time to promote your pork, you may be in competition with the grocery store and will soon be out of business.

Consumers are funny, but not in the haha way. Most people, when questioned will tell you that they prefer organic and would pay more for organic. But grocery retail shows that in most areas fewer than 20% will pay more for organic. The same applies to pork. They may like the idea of local pork, but when it gets right down to a purchase, they mostly buy whatever is on sale.

Hats off to those special farmers that have the time and skills to drum up buyers that pay extra for their pork.

All the major retailers of sausage, use the whole hog. Mostly they buy old sows and grind up everything. I recall in Michigan, a family got into the sausage business and marketed it as Whole Hog. I think they did well.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Pasture raised pork. Just outside of Austin. About $10 per pound.

But, they do all the bells and whistles and have a USDA certified butcher.

 

[Oxankle]

Out here in country land USA there are very few people who will pay extra for "organic" People who live in the country generally know how animals live. Here I have been buying pork butts for as littler as 99 cents per pound if I buy the whole butt. Cut into chops or the chunks for BBQ, $1.39 per pound.

For those of you who raise hogs using commercially available feeds from a local mill, how much must you get per pound for a live hog in order to make a profit?
I don't believe I can raise a hog and have it butchered for $1.39.

What is even more strange to me is that neck bones, packaged, are $1.29 per pound in that same store. Who would buy bone when all-meat is ten cents more expensive?

Edit to add: My neighbor, raised in Alaska, raises pigs and butchers them himself. He even has a big cooler in which to store the meat. Pigs cost him around $1 per pound at 35 to 45 pounds and he goes from there. He wants them at around 200 pounds at butcher weight. I prefer 250 to 275. I want a little fat on my pork.

 

[haypoint]

I can buy 250 pound pigs for 45 cents a pound all day long. That's about a hundred bucks. At that rate, if I can get $1. a pound hanging weight, I'll make money.
But if I buy a 40 pound feeder pig in the Spring, at the peak price, $60 and throw out 5 or 600 pounds of hog feed, hard pressed to get it for $10 a 50 pound bag, I'll have $350 into it, without my labor, water, shelter, transportation. That jumps hanging weight to $3.50 a pound.

 

[Oxankle]

Haypoint; good information. When I last raised hogs I could buy bulk feed in OK for $7 per hundred pounds, a third of the price you quote and about what I see here. I just do not see how it can be done profitably.

 

[WildRoots]

$2.25 a pound hanging, customers pay for butcher. I’ll haggle with them if they ask, most don’t, I would if I were them

 

[Billy Campbell]

I can buy 250 pound pigs for 45 cents a pound all day long. That's about a hundred bucks. At that rate, if I can get $1. a pound hanging weight, I'll make money.
But if I buy a 40 pound feeder pig in the Spring, at the peak price, $60 and throw out 5 or 600 pounds of hog feed, hard pressed to get it for $10 a 50 pound bag, I'll have $350 into it, without my labor, water, shelter, transportation. That jumps hanging weight to $3.50 a pound.

 

[Billy Campbell]

The problem is here in east Tennessee feed prices are soooooooo high and pig prices are sooooooo low that you spend 3 or 4 times for feed over what u can sell pigs for. So sad .

 

[haypoint]

The problem is here in east Tennessee feed prices are soooooooo high and pig prices are sooooooo low that you spend 3 or 4 times for feed over what u can sell pigs for. So sad .

A local butcher shop has a fantastic smoker setup and they do a great job cutting and wrapping. The hams and bacon are the best. Plus they make country bacon out of some part.
But it costs so much to grow a pig, they often will contact one of the livestock haulers, guys hauling cattle to the livestock auction 100 miles away. They'll be returning with empty trailers, so they'll buy a few pigs for the butcher.