5 ways to tell if you pigs are ready to butcher
- Calculate the age of the pig. One of the easiest methods to figure out when your pigs are ready to butcher is to simply keep track of their age.
- Keep track of feed usage. ...
- Visually inspect pigs, wide hams and double chin. ...
- Weight the pigs on a livestock scale. ...
- Use weighing tape or string to weigh your pig. ...
What is the best age to butcher a pig?
Most pigs will reach butchering size and weight at 5.5-6 months of age. This is for a 250-260 pound pig. If you are targeting more in the 300+ pound range, allow for another month or so. The only catch here is you need to know when they were born. If you buy your feeder pigs directly from a farmer, all of this is easy.
Do we have to butcher the Hogs?
We did this gratefully, but we had to butcher the hogs once we got them. The first step of any butchering process is culling the animal. A pig is a little different than culling any other animal. The reason is that they are so big. Now, when you cull a pig it needs to be shot.
Should the shoulder blade be in or out when butchering pigs?
I personally prefer that the shoulder blade remains in as it assists with adding additional flavor. The Boston Butt cut is located behind the head of the pig and is literally the shoulder of it, as you might guess. The Boston Butt cut typically weights between 6 and 12 pounds depending on the size of the pig that is being butchered.
How long does it take a pig to reach butchering weight?
The lard pigs take up to a year or a year and a half to reach butchering weight (which sometimes, depending on the breed, won't be as heavy). But commercial hogs reach 280-300lbs in just 6 months. So you can see why commercial hogs have become more popular with large farms.
At what age do you butcher pigs?
Most pig farmers buy “weaners,” piglets about two or three months old that are no longer reliant on their mother's milk; they then raise the pigs to slaughter weight (typically about 250 pounds), which on factory-style farms is attained by the time they're 6 months old.
What is the best weight to butcher a pig?
around 270 poundsThe ideal market hog size is 270 pounds. This means that your pig will ideally weigh around 270 pounds when you butcher him/her. (If it's a him, make sure that you castrated him at a young age.)
How long should a pig hang after butchering?
Pork should only hang overnight to chill, and all meat should be cut up in a chilled state. A goat should age one week in 40° weather, longer in colder weather.
How much is a 250 pound pig worth?
For the 250 pound hogs yielding more than 75 percent the total wholesale weight is 31,861pounds and is valued at $26,582 or $132.91 per head.
How much meat will a 250 pound hog yield?
approximately 144 lbsA 250 lb. hog will yield approximately 144 lbs of retail cuts. Around 28% of a hog's live weight is inedible product re- moved during the slaughter and dressing procedure bringing our 250 lb. live hog to 180 lbs.
Where do you stick a pig to bleed out?
animals are bled by incising a carotid artery and jugular vein close to the cranial part of the neck, or close to the place from which they arise (chest sticking): chest sticking is strongly recommended as it results in a massive flow of blood rapidly when done properly.
Do pigs cry when slaughtered?
Slaughterhouses “process” many animals a day, so its operation is similar to an assembly line. Cows and pigs, animals of great weight, are lifted from the floor by their rear legs, causing them tears and breaks.
What cuts to get from a pig?
There are five sections of the pig that yield edible cuts: pork shoulder, pork belly, pork loin, pork butt (or ham), and the head. From those sections, the butcher can offer sausage, bacon, spare ribs, brisket, ribs, steaks, pork chops, pork cutlets, coppa, presa, secreto, and tenderloin.
How much meat will I get from a 300 pound pig?
We'd expect a pig this size to produce 120 to 150 lbs of packaged meat!
How much bacon do you get from a 250 lb pig?
A whole hog will yield about 16 lbs of bacon. You can slice it and fry it fresh as a pork belly or you can have it smoked and cured to make bacon.
How much does a pig weigh after slaughter?
The slaughter loss in hogs averages about one-quarter of the live weight. Example: If your steer weighs 1100 lbs. live, it will most likely weight 638-715 lbs. when slaughtered or 'dressed.
What do you need to butcher a pig?
Either way, the pig must be skinned. You’ll need a sharp knife, a wash bucket with soap and water, and a knife sharpener. Then you’ll make sure that the pigs are laid on their backs. You can use a trailer or a truck bed to accomplish a good butchering space.
What is the first step in butchering?
The first step of any butchering process is culling the animal. A pig is a little different than culling any other animal. The reason is that they are so big. Now, when you cull a pig it needs to be shot. The breed will determine the caliber gun you have to use.
How to cut a pig in two?
If that is the case, then you’ll take your sharp knife and cut a slight indentation down the back of the pig straight down the spine. Then you’ll use a meat saw and cut the pig in two using that indentation as your guide.
How to clean a pig hanging?
This means that the pig needs to be cleaned off. If the pig is hanging then you’ll wear gloves and spray it down with a water hose. From there use a scrub brush and scrub the dirt from the pig.
Why did the pigs use a handgun?
In our case, they used a handgun to kill the pigs. He used it because it was just easier to maneuver. Anyway, you’ll aim right between the eyes and slightly above them. Only one shot should put it down. However, in our case, the first pig went down just fine.
Why did we leave pigs on their backs?
However, we had to leave our pigs on their backs because, as mentioned, we didn’t have the heavy machinery to do the job.
Where is Jennifer from Farm-Raised Pig?
Butchering Your Own Farm-Raised Pig in 7 Simple Steps. Jennifer is a full-time homesteader who started her journey in the foothills of North Carolina in 2010. Currently, she spends her days gardening, caring for her orchard and vineyard, raising chickens, ducks, goats, and bees.
How Much Meat Do You Get From a 250 Pound Pig?
Now, you should be aware that the information that I'm about to give you is based on retail cuts - aka what ends up in your grocery store or even your local butcher shop. If you are butchering the hog yourself, then you may be a bit more careful with what you cut away, resulting in a greater final mass.
What is the Most Valuable Cut of Meat From a Pig?
The center cut of the pork loin is often considered the most sought after portion of the pig. If it is cooked just right, for the proper amount of time, you end up with a tender and moist section of meat.
Should You Butcher a Pig By Yourself?
Now, usually I am all about DIY and I encourage others to get their hands dirty when it comes to prepping, cooking, etc.
How to butcher a pig?
Step one in how to butcher a pig is to render the hog unconscious. This is done with a single shot from the .22 caliber rifle. Bigger is not better, do not use a larger caliber gun, which will kill the hog instantly and it will not bleed out. The shot must be placed so that the animal is stunned, unconscious, but not dead. The hog is killed by the loss of blood due to cutting the jugular vein. In order for the shot to be effective, it must be placed at a point where an X drawn between the ears and the eyes cross. The hog should be standing with its head more or less level, not picking feed from the ground or looking up. Do not rush at this stage, stand calmly and wait until a proper shot can be taken. If hit correctly, the hog will collapse instantly. You now have about 10 to 15 seconds to cut the jugular vein. After that brief interval, the hog’s nerves will start to fire, causing the animal to kick and thrash about, making it very difficult to get the hog bled out. Professional butchers “stick” a hog in the throat, making a small cut to sever the jugular. I have not had much luck doing this and no longer try. I cut across the throat as close to the jaw as I can and I cut all the way to the spine. You will know when you have hit the jugular by the sudden outpouring of blood. Do this quickly and get out of the way because the hog will kick and thrash about quite violently. I use a knife with an eight-inch blade. It must be razor sharp.
What do you need to butcher a hog?
The tools you will need are simple: a .22 caliber rifle, a very sharp knife or two, and a hand meat saw. Some method to lift and hang the hog, such as a come along or winch is very helpful. You can butcher without it, you just don’t want to.
How to cut a hog leg?
Place the quarter skin-side up. Holding down on the ribs, lift the leg up and start trimming the connective tissue at the lower edge. You will soon find an area where the leg is only attached to the ribs along the edges. Continue lifting and trimming until the entire leg has been freed from the ribs. This is the part where real butchers are going to shake their heads. The only thing I do with that whole front rib/neck section is bone it out and make sausage. We like pork sausage, so we make a lot of it and almost any sausage recipe, regardless of what the main meat ingredient is, uses some pork. The leg portion, after trimming the lower third or so off, I cut into several roasts or slice into pork steaks. You are now done with half a hog, ditto for the other half.
How much does a butcher hog weigh?
It is the hardest part of the job of getting the hog into the freezer. While the ideal weight for a butcher hog is around 265 pounds according to the packing industry, I seldom managed to butcher at that weight. There are several reasons for that, not the least of which is my dislike for killing.
How to skin a hog with a knife?
Now roll the hog onto its back. If you have help, which I would recommend, they can hold the hog in this position, but it is easier to block it there with a couple of pieces of firewood wedged under each shoulder. Start to skin by pulling one hind leg straight out towards you. Insert your knife just under the skin and cut towards the center. Make a cut completely around the leg near the hoof. Do the same from the other side, with your long cuts meeting at the center. Next, repeat this with the front legs.
How long does it take for a hog to collapse?
If hit correctly, the hog will collapse instantly. You now have about 10 to 15 seconds to cut the jugular vein.
What is the hardest part of getting a hog from the pen to the freezer?
By Roger Sherfield – The hardest part of getting that homestead hog from pen to freezer is the part that most people don’t like to talk about : harvesting. While using such words may soothe the conscience of some, it avoids the hard truth. We have to kill the pig to eat it, and this means learning how to butcher a pig.
Why are pigs harvested younger than 1 year old?
Pigs are usually harvested much younger than 1 year old because feed conversion is better. We planned to breed this pig, but plans changed and into the freezer she went.
How long does it take to gut a pig?
Bleeding out, skinning and gutting a pig takes about an hour. Once the pig is skinned and gutted, the hard part is actually pretty well over, but the work is just beginning.
How many quarts of bone broth can a pig make?
A single pig yielded enough bone and organs to pressure can 42 quarts of stock.
How long does it take to grind 7 pounds of meat?
Instead of 5 minutes per pound, we were able to grind 7 pounds per minute. You read that right, 7 pounds of meat turned into sausage in just 60 seconds!
How long does it take to vacuum seal a pig?
Cutting the pig into 1 to 2-pound packages and vacuum sealing, along with chopping sausage meat into small pieces to fit through the grinder takes us 3-4 hours in total.
How much of a pig's live weight is in a cut?
For the most part, a pig yields roughly 50% of its live weight in marketable cuts. On top of that, you have oddments like lard, bones and organs that are still usable and tasty. We make and can pork bone broth for our winter soups and stews, and the organs make a tasty organ stock .
How long does it take to clean sausage casings?
They come pre-packaged in salt. Soak them to remove the salt and moisten them, and they’re ready to use in about half an hour.
How many cuts of meat are there in butchering a pig?
Anyways, when butchering a pig there are nine classic cuts of meat in which we will review all here.
What are some cuts of pigs?
If you are looking to dive deeper into the world of a butcher then there are other cuts like ears, snout, pig head, trotters, jowls and even tails.
What are the three cuts of ribs that come from a butchered pig?
There are technically three types of ribs that can come from one butchered pig. When cooked properly, all three cuts of ribs can be juicy and tender. Ribs are typically a tougher meat so they aren’t cooked at high temperatures.
What is the most popular meat from the butcher?
Pork chops are another very popular cut of meat from the butcher. They are usually either marinaded in some kind of sauce like BBQ sauce and then grilled or grilled and basted with a sauce like BBQ sauce.
How long does pork belly take to cure?
To make bacon out of the pork belly cut of the pig it first must be cured. The pork belly is typically cured with salt for several days. Once cured it is then typically smoked low and slow.
What is a butcher's cut called?
The butchers cut known as a hock is also known as a pork knuckle. The hock is basically the knee joint of the pig. The hock doesn’t contain much meat, so the cut is usually utilized in things like stews and or made into over flavorful sauces by allowing it to simmer within while they cook.
Where are spare ribs on a pig?
The cut of spare ribs are located on the bottom side of the pig right in front of the pork belly. The spare rib cut can also be made into a St. Louis style cut of ribs which is popular to many people. St. Louis style ribs have had the cartilage cut off which allows them to cook more evenly.
What are the five cuts of meat that a butcher can cut?
These primal cuts consist of the shoulder, the belly, the loin, the butt (also known as the ham), and the head.
Where are spare ribs on a pig?
Also located on the bottom half of the pig are the spare ribs, cut from the section just in front of the belly. These ribs are meatier than baby back ribs, but they don’t yield quite as much edible meat as their country-style counterparts (see below).
How much does a boneless pork butt weigh?
A bone-in pork butt will usually weigh 6 to 10 pounds, depending on the size of the pig. Boneless cuts, meanwhile, usually run between 3 to 6 pounds. If this sounds like too much, remember that the meat contains a great deal of fat, which will render out during cooking.
What is the priciest pork chop?
As we mentioned, chops can be taken from various portions of the loin. Pork loin chops are the priciest of the lot, but they also yield the most tender meat. Next in line are the pork rib chops, which are similar to loin chops in terms of price, but they have a milder flavor and a bit more fat.
What is the best cut of pork to use on a smoker?
Boston butt is the ideal cut if you want to use your grill or smoker to make pulled pork. The meat is packed with pork flavor that provides the perfect counterpoint to the smoke from the grill. Don’t be tempted to trim the meat too much before smoking it—the rendered fat will make the cooked pork unbelievably juicy.
Where is pork butt located?
Either way, the name is misleading. The slab of meat that we call pork butt is actually located just behind the animal’s head, so it’s technically the shoulder. As such, it can be sold either boneless or with the shoulder blade still attached.
Is pork loin fattier than tenderloin?
Meanwhile, the blade end of the loin, which is cut from the front of the pig, is much fattier than either the tenderloin or the sirloin end. Pork sirloin is sometimes sold as a whole roast, but more often than not, it’s portioned into chops.
How long does it take to butcher a hog?
11. Should you call the butcher? We have butchered many a pig on our farm. Once you learn to do it its not that hard. The whole process takes about 3 days. The first day is the kill and hang, the second is skinning and cutting up the pieces, the third is usually sausage processing. A downside to butchering yourself is that unless you know how to cure bacon and ham you won’t end up with those cuts (you will have fresh ham which is really good but not like traditional cured ham). The benefits of butchering yourself is the know-how and the cost savings. Traditionally, having a hog butchered costs anywhere from $150-$250 depending on processing and curing.
What do pigs like to eat?
In addition to pre-made feed, pigs love all types of produce. You can even grow crops specifically for your pigs like mangels, forage turnips, beets and pumpkin. On our farm we feed a locally sourced barley and peas combination with added swine minerals.
What is the best way to keep piglets young?
Fencing – When piglets are young, its better for them to be in a cattle panel, hog panel or pallet pen. Electric netting, string or wire don't work well with small piglets because they can get out (spoken from lots of experience and a piglet that took off for two weeks in the surrounding woods of our property).
Why do pigs need demand feeding?
Demand feeding makes the daily workload smaller except on the day when you have to fill the pig feeder. Also, if pigs always have food available they will be less likely to root as much and so your ground stays in better shape. Pigs who are demand fed also tend to grow faster so your time to maturity is less.
How much do piglets cost?
Piglets vary in price due to location, time of year (they are more expensive in Spring when kids in 4-H are trying to find them) and by breed. In my area piglets run about $125/each but they can be as low as $75 depending on market demand.
How much meat does a pig weigh?
10. Butcher weight and hanging weight – Most pigs are butchered when they weigh around 180-250 lbs live. This will result in a hanging weight (meat and bones minus the head, feet and organs) ranging from 160-225 lbs. How much meat you end up with in your freezer is totally dependent on the types of cuts you choose during processing.
Why should I raise my own pork?
Taste is superior – Finally, why would you want to go to all the work of raising your own pork? By raising your own you control what they eat which makes for a healthier product for your family. Also, raising pigs is a lot of fun and I love to watch their antics. However, I find the best reason for raising homestead pork is the taste. Once you try it you will never want supermarket pork again..:) Happy pig raising!!
What are your butchering options?
The main sections shown in the diagram below are called the primals. The primals are written in black.
How many pounds of ground pork is used in a butcher's mix?
The spice/curing mix the butcher uses will come in measured amounts based on pounds of ground pork to be added. This may be 5, 10, or 25 pound increments, it just depends on what the butcher has to use.
What is a cut sheet for pork?
This is an example of a whole hog cut sheet from Fauquier’s Finest Meats of VA. The cut sheet is the order form the butcher will use to take your pork cutting order instructions.
What is hanging weight pork?
Hanging weight price does make sense, it would be easy to keep track of and eliminate doing a lot of extra weighing to process your pork according to your order. Hanging weight is the carcass with head, skin, feet and guts removed. This is the part of the carcass that hangs in the cooler to chill after slaughter.
Do you have to label a hog when butchering?
The customer was the owner when the pig was still on the hoof. Butchering your own animal does not require labeling, unless you are selling the cuts.
Do you have to buy another freezer for pork?
However, once you have the freezer, you will not have to buy another for years, so all the pork from here on out has plenty of freezer space.
Can you double up on meat charges?
Keep in mind it is possible to double up on charges. For instance, if you wanted your meat processed organically and done as smoked sausage you will be charged for both parts, the organic part and the smoked sausage part, per pound.
