At the end of the nursery phase, the pigs enter a feeder-to-finish, or simply, the finishing stage, where at approximately 6 months they reach a desired slaughter weight of above 280 pounds, which will produce an approximate 210 pound carcass. A desired slaughter weight is the optimum market weight.

How much weight is lost when butchering a pig?

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 percentage of a pig's weight is meat?

live weight hog will dress approximately 72%, thus 180 pounds of carcass. That 180 pound carcass will yield approximately 65% in retail cuts, thus approximately 120 pounds of "take home" meat. If the pig is a real lean genetic pig, the yield would be 2-5% higher; if it is a fatter pig, the yield would be somewhat less.

How do you calculate the weight of a carcass swine?

Using the measurements from steps 1 and 2, calculate body weight using the formula HEART GIRTH x HEART GIRTH x BODY LENGTH / 400 = ANIMAL WEIGHT IN POUNDS. For example, if an adult pig has a heart girth equal to 45 inches and a body length equal to 54 inches, the calculation would be (45 x 45 x 54) / 400 = 273 lbs.

How do you calculate slaughter barrow and gilt grades?

(a) The grade of a slaughter barrow or gilt with indications of acceptable quality is determined on the basis of the following equation: Grade = (4.0 X last rib backfat thickness, inches) (1.0 X muscling score).

Slaughtering pigs in a humane way

35 related questions found

How do I find the value of my carcass?

Determine the Base Carcass Value by multiplying the hot carcass weight by the carcass base price and dividing by 100 to convert from prices noted as cwt.

What is pig carcass?

For pigs it is the weight of the slaughtered pig's cold body, either whole or divided in half along the mid-line, after being bled and eviscerated and after removal of the tongue, bristles, hooves, genitalia, flare fat, kidneys and diaphragm. ... Kidneys and kidney fats are included in the carcass weight.

How much meat do you get from a 250 lb pig?

On average about 57% of a hog make it from the pen to the pan. A 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.

How much is a 250 lb pig worth?

Wholesale Cuts

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.

What percentage of a pig is hanging weight?

A hanging pork carcass will typically yield about 75% of the carcass weight, in mostly bone-in meat cuts, resulting in approximately 130-194 pounds of meat to take home.

How do you convert hanging weight to live weight?

How does hanging weight relate to live weight or packaged retail weight? As a general rule on a well finished 100% grass-fed steer, the hanging weight is 60% of the live weight and the cut and packaged meat is on average about 60% of the hanging weight. Here is the math: 1100 lbs live weight x .

How much meat do you get from hanging weight?

Once the animal is butchered and hide, head and internal organs removed, it usually weighs about 62 percent of the live weight. This is called the hanging weight. On that 1,300 pound animal that would be about 806 pounds. Most producers figure the quarter/half/whole price based on the hanging weight.

What is the weight of a full grown pig?

How big are pigs? Pigs usually weigh between 300 and 700 lbs. (140 and 300 kilograms), but domestic pigs are often bred to be heavier.

What is dressing percentage of cattle?

As a general rule, most cattle will have an average dressing percentage of 63 percent. This means that a beef animal weighing 1,000lbs will result in a carcass that weighs only 630lbs after slaughter. Although the average dressing percent for beef is 63 percent, several factors may affect the carcass weight.

What is the average weight of a pig in KG?

The domestic pig's head-plus-body length ranges from 0.9 to 1.8 m (2 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in), and adult pigs typically weigh between 50 and 350 kg (110 and 770 lb), with well-fed individuals often exceeding this weight range.

How much does a whole pig cost from butchers?

Butcher fees will depend on how you get your meat processed (curing things like bacon or jerky adds cost, as does grinding and stuffing sausages). We generally expect to pay about $450-500 per side of beef in butcher costs or about $350 per hog in butcher costs.

How big of a freezer do I need for a whole pig?

Plan to have 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 15 pounds of pork. A small 7 cu ft freezer works great for a whole pig with extra room for chickens and fruit and veggie preserves, and half a hog will fit in a standard freezer compartment.

How much do pigs weigh before slaughter?

Most pigs in the U.S. would be butchered at 250-300 pounds live weight or between 6-7 months of age. Butcher ready pigs will have wide hams, flat wide backs and a double chin. By the time your pigs get to butchering size, you will have put in months of care and feed.

What is carcass?

1 : a dead body : corpse especially : the dressed body of a meat animal Butchers trimmed the meat from the carcass. 2 : the living, material, or physical body It was nearly noon when he finally hauled his carcass out of bed.

What is carcass of cattle?

A carcass grade is an assessment of quality for a culled cow or bull. ... Cows are culled from herds for a variety of reasons, including poor production, age, or health problems.

What is carcass beef weight?

An average beef animal weighs about 1200 pounds and has a hanging hot carcass weight (HCW) of about 750 pounds.

What is carcass value?

Gary Smith, Colorado State University, says the value of a beef carcass is determined by its weight, sex class, USDA Quality Grade, Yield Grade (YG) and freedom from defects — dark-cutting beef, bruises, yellow fat — plus supply and demand for carcasses of its kind at the time of sale.

How much does a cow weigh when butchered in KG?

Mean cow mass in South Africa is 450 to 470 kg, with smaller breeds like the Nguni averaging 390 kg and larger breeds like the Simmentaler averaging 540 kg.

What is the weight of an animal at the time of harvest called?

Dressed weight (also known as dead weight or carcass weight) refers to the weight of an animal after being partially butchered, removing all the internal organs and oftentimes the head as well as inedible (or less desirable) portions of the tail and legs.