Perkinsville Meat Company

Pork Meat yeild

Live Weight

The live weight of your pig is just one of many factors that goes into what type of quality and meat yield you will get from that pig.

Feeding your pig a well balanced healthy diet will ensure that you have good muscle growth as well as good fat content. In the commercial industry they raise pigs to a market weight of around 250lbs. But at that weight they have a tendency to be a bit lean. In my opinion fat content on pork is important, Fat is flavor. So if you are looking for flavorful meat with the perfect amount of fat then your live weight at time of butcher should be around 300lbs.

Carcass Weight

Carcass weight (hanging weight) is typically about 68-72% of the live weight. The internal organs, hair, blood, head, and other inedible products account for most of the loss. Keep in mind that this will vary from animal to animal. At 72% a 300lb hog should hang at about 216lbs.

Finished Weight

Finished weights will also vary from one animal to the next. Typically finished weights are about 76-80% of the hanging weight. A pig with too much fat content will have a lower yield percentage than one with a more ideal fat content. If your hanging weight is 216lbs, 80% of that would be about 172lbs of bone-in finished cuts. This makes your finished weights around 57% of your live weight. Keep in mind this can vary from animal to animal and these are just approximate averages.