How Much Meat On A Pig?

[klubex99]

Question for you pig farmers.

How much edible meat excluding head, brains, offal, guts and bones will a pig normally yield?

This is basically for sausage and bacon making and occasional hams.

Would it be fair to estimate 60% of the pig weight is usable.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot to add, anyone know what the going rate is for a live pig off the farm at say 100 KG

Thx

Edited October 11, 2013 by klubex99

[harrry]

http://lovelivegrow.com/2011/01/how-much-meat-from-a-pig/

may give a guide untill the farmers come.

[RedBullHorn]

Currently at week 40 it has drop to ฿65/kg from the peak of ฿77/kg week 37... farmgate price in general.

[kickstart]

When I was a student at agri college we where told, a pig has a killing out % ,that is what you can eat of 72 %,that was a lot of years ago,but I think it still apply's.

We where allso told ,you can eat all of a pig, except the squeak.

yours Regs.

KS

[klubex99]

Thanks so far for the answers.

Having

read a little more on it, I think it is looking like 50% of live weight. That seems to conflict with the farmgate price. At 65B a KG, would make usable meat 130B/KG which is basically almost retail price. I know that the head can be sold as well as offal and even gut for casings. But as far as meat for sausages, bacon etc... It is probably better for me to buy straight from the abattoir at about 115B/KG.

[tingtong]

you make a mistake only think about in term of meat, as that what you would want to use...kind a understandable but wrong approach i think.

those additional, for you useless parts would actually be sellable byproduct from your view, but nevertheless something to reduce your cost of meat.

While you wont use say blood in your sausage, it has a price, as has for the head, the brain, the liver, the ...... just almost everything. here, in Thailand, and especially Issan, ppl seem to eat almost everything, even those parts we, farangs wouldnt consider.

I really think you should do a math along this line, and not just in mind the 50% what you personally look to use.

[klubex99]

you make a mistake only think about in term of meat, as that what you would want to use...kind a understandable but wrong approach i think.

those additional, for you useless parts would actually be sellable byproduct from your view, but nevertheless something to reduce your cost of meat.

While you wont use say blood in your sausage, it has a price, as has for the head, the brain, the liver, the ...... just almost everything. here, in Thailand, and especially Issan, ppl seem to eat almost everything, even those parts we, farangs wouldnt consider.

I really think you should do a math along this line, and not just in mind the 50% what you personally look to use.

Thanks for your input.

Yes I am well aware that almost all the rest is salable and is generally eaten around Thailand and even in some cases preferred.

The reason I discounted that part is that selling the extras that I don't want, just adds extra logistical burden to arrange it.

Edited October 11, 2013 by klubex99

[shaggy1969]

Hi klubex99

72 % once the head,feet blood and guts are removed.

48 - 50 % Pork meat (depending on how lean the pig and how good the butcher is )

Hope that helps.

Shaggy

(ex butcher)

[klubex99]

Hi klubex99

72 % once the head,feet blood and guts are removed.

48 - 50 % Pork meat (depending on how lean the pig and how good the butcher is )

Hope that helps.

Shaggy

(ex butcher)

Thanks for that Shaggy.

Just trying to get my sausages down to a price that is very competitive without sacrificing quality.

I know I can do certain things to make low grade sausages appear to be top notch, but I am the sort of person who is a bit of a purist with my bangers. To me, good quality has to be good quality and nothing less. When I look at some of that pink homogenised garbage as an excuse for sausage meat, makes me want to hurl. I've seen them made, and when you see what it's mixed with 'in the name of meat' you wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Ever seen emulsified pork rind and chicken carcass?

[IsaanAussie]

Keep in mind if you buy a pig for slaughter you still have to transport the live animal and the carcass. Most slaughter houses that you can access are open air and there is little time to mess around once the blow is struck. If you want my opinion, forget the whole live pig idea, look around for a local slaughter/sell meat vendor. Go early morning and buy fresh kill meat. Stay away from the wet markets.

For interest sake, we sent fresh carcasses in primal cuts, head, all the insides, blood, the lot. The only bit we didn't send was the gall bladder. So 99.9%

[harrry]

Remove the feet....sacralige...where do pork trotters come from. And nice slow roasted pork cheek...paradise.

[slapout]

We use to butcher on the farm, 2 or 3 pigs in the fall. I remember that what we hauled off and dumped in the pasture for the coyotes, did not seem like much. It was gone within a couple/three days.

After the hams, bacon and sausage were hung to smoke (for about 10 days), then the soap, head cheese, pickled portions were tended too , we had fresh side and sasuage to go with the beans and cornbread that was served for the duration of the butchering, cutting , grinding, stuffing, cooking, and pickling process.I do not know how the blood caught from the hung carcess was utilized, as that was tended to by the women folk.

The live weight of the butcher pigs was considered right at 185 to 200 pounds max. Grandpa always figured about 25% loss, but he did not add the smoking weight loss as he allowed the enhanced taste made up for it.

[Ticketmaster]

Hi klubex99

72 % once the head,feet blood and guts are removed.

48 - 50 % Pork meat (depending on how lean the pig and how good the butcher is )

Hope that helps.

Shaggy

(ex butcher)

Thanks for that Shaggy.

Just trying to get my sausages down to a price that is very competitive without sacrificing quality.

I know I can do certain things to make low grade sausages appear to be top notch, but I am the sort of person who is a bit of a purist with my bangers. To me, good quality has to be good quality and nothing less. When I look at some of that pink homogenised garbage as an excuse for sausage meat, makes me want to hurl. I've seen them made, and when you see what it's mixed with 'in the name of meat' you wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Ever seen emulsified pork rind and chicken carcass?

Why do you think they call it "mystery meat"?

[Gonsalviz]

you make a mistake only think about in term of meat, as that what you would want to use...kind a understandable but wrong approach i think.

those additional, for you useless parts would actually be sellable byproduct from your view, but nevertheless something to reduce your cost of meat.

While you wont use say blood in your sausage, it has a price, as has for the head, the brain, the liver, the ...... just almost everything. here, in Thailand, and especially Issan, ppl seem to eat almost everything, even those parts we, farangs wouldnt consider.

I really think you should do a math along this line, and not just in mind the 50% what you personally look to use.

I am Farang and I don't think that other than the hair and squeal there is anything I haven't eaten from a pig and that was prior to coming to Thailand.

I lived in south Louisiana for a few years.

[billd766]

I make my own ham,bacon, burgers, sausages, pork pies and sausage rolls and I get my wife to order what I need from the pork lady.

The reason is that in rural Thailand where I live the locals only buy the cheaper cuts so my wife orders for me and the pork lady orders from her supplier.

Several weeks ago I got a whole hind leg (but no trotters thankfully) which weighed just over 8kg bone in and cost 1,100 baht. That came to about 140 baht/kg bone in or 160 baht deboned.

My wife uses the bone and the skin and this time she nobbled about 1 kg from the bottom of the leg.

I made about 2kg of honey and mustard roast gammon, 2 1/2 kg of ham and with a bit of belly pork I made about 3 kg of sausages and burgers.

These pictures may be of some help to you.

pork cuts v05.doc

pork cuts v06.doc

[klubex99]

Keep in mind if you buy a pig for slaughter you still have to transport the live animal and the carcass. Most slaughter houses that you can access are open air and there is little time to mess around once the blow is struck. If you want my opinion, forget the whole live pig idea, look around for a local slaughter/sell meat vendor. Go early morning and buy fresh kill meat. Stay away from the wet markets.

For interest sake, we sent fresh carcasses in primal cuts, head, all the insides, blood, the lot. The only bit we didn't send was the gall bladder. So 99.9%

Thanks IsaanAussie.

Yes, I have run out of ideas of how to tweak the price down and have settled with 110 B/KG for de-boned shoulder and belly. We are going to look at a few slaughterhouses over the week and I really was hoping that we can find a place that actually satisfies either GMP or HACCP because we are going for HACCP as our primary target, and that means we have to ensure that our supply chain is conformative to minimum health and hygiene standards in certain procedures and practices.

When you say that they are all out in the open, that fills me with a lot of doubts straight away.

Regarding local markets.... not on your life, I won't even buy from there for my own personal consumption... already been brought down more than once, never again.

Edited October 13, 2013 by klubex99

[iancnx]

Sorry to be comical OP ... Is that a big, medium or small sized pig?