Whole, Half, & Quarter* Pig Sales
Our next slaughter date is 02/18/25! We have pigs available.
We proudly work with McPhee's Butcher Block in Woodland, Washington and Home Meats in Shelton.
We offer our pigs at a flat rate since selling by hanging weight is illegal for custom cut and wrap. For a whole pig we charge $1200, a half pig is $650, and a quarter pig is $350* (We can only do quarter pigs if we have a butcher willing to do quarters. Currently our other 2 butchers don't do quarters. If you know and like a butcher than does quarters, let us know and we'll figure out how to get it done for you.) This fee includes the cost of raising the pig from birth including feed costs, any necessary veterinary care, slaughter fees, and labor. It also includes a portion of the overhead for mom and dad. We require a $600 deposit to reserve your whole pig, $325 for a half, or $175 for a quarter pig*. This deposit comes out of the total owed. Refunds for deposits/pigs are on a case by case basis. We get it, sometimes stuff goes sideways. Please reach out to us as early as possible if things hit the fan and we'll see what we can do.
We can set up weekly, monthly, or quarterly payments for pigs if it's easier for folks, but it's important to note that the pig MUST be paid for prior to the slaughter date, per Washington law. Once the pig is deceased we CANNOT legally take money from you for the animal's fee. If you have not paid off the balance of your pig by the slaughter date, we will have to move you to a wait list for a future slaughter date.
We offer a few CSA spots for those who would like a half or whole hog but simply cannot make enough freezer space for it. For an extra fee we will store your pig in one of our chest freezers on site. We keep a generator ready in case of power outages. We will give your pig to you in regular intervals. CSA fees are TBA.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much meat will I get?
This is variable depending on the size of the pig. We like to give our customers the largest pigs since they are paying a flat fee and we want you to have the best value possible. The largest live weight we expect our pigs to reach is 300 lbs. After a pig is slaughtered you lose about 25% of the weight in offal and other discarded parts. What is left is called the hanging weight or carcass weight. This is what gets sent to the butcher and is what you get charged on by the butcher for cut and wrap. So a 300lb pig would gross 225 hanging weight. After that you lose more weight for skin, head, some bones, etc. The more bone in cuts you select (versus sausage) the more weight of meat you will get from the pig. When all is said and done that 225 drops to about ~168lbs. Your total take home will be between 55-60% of the live weight for a whole pig.
How much freezer space do I need?
Typically a whole IPP pig will take up between 7-11 cubic feet of freezer space. A half pig would be 3.5-5.5 cubic feet, and a quarter pig 1.75-2.75 cubic feet. For reference, a small chest freezer is typically 7-8 cubic feet and a standard side by side refrigerator freezer is 7-10 cubic feet.
How do I pick up my pork?
Once the pork is ready you can either pick it up at the butcher directly or from us, if you made arrangements with us.
Are there any other costs?
Aside from the fee to us, you will have to pay the butcher directly a fee for the cutting and wrapping of your pork. McPhee's charges $1.15lb for most cuts. Smoked/cured bacon and ham will run you $2.00lb. The total cost should be between $200-300 (for a whole pig). Home Meats in Shelton charges about the same prices currently for a classic cut package, or they offer a gourmet package that features more unique cuts (and costs a bit more) for cuts like jowl and shoulder bacon.
When will I get my pork?
Once the pigs are slaughtered they are sent to the butcher who will cut, age, and wrap them. Pork usually is ready 3 weeks after going to the butcher.
Can you ship my pork?
Unfortunately, only USDA inspected meat can by shipped or sold across state lines. Since our meat is not USDA inspected we cannot ship it.
Is the meat USDA inspected?
At this time, our meat is not USDA inspected. It is slaughtered and butchered under
the Washington state custom cut & wrap program. We hope to be offering USDA
inspected meat soon as our butcher is in the process of opening a USDA inspected
facility!
What cuts will I get?
Prior to your pig being butchered you will need to send us a completed copy of the cut sheet. Depending on how much of the pig you are buying (whole vs half vs quarter) you will get different cuts of meat which you will chose yourself. Certain cuts are limited in quantity or mutually exclusive. If you select bacon for instance, you can't get thick, meaty St. Louis style ribs. You can get thinner ribs though. There's only 1 tenderloin on a pig, so a half pig you will get at most half a tenderloin. Pigs only have 2 hams, and those are the rear legs so a front quarter would be a shoulder roast, not a ham for instance.
How do I pay the butcher?
McPhee's can take payment in person or over the phone.
Can I have my pig cut and wrapped at a different butcher?
Absolutely! If the mobile slaughter company A&L has a relationship with your preferred butcher, odds are good they can deliver the pig to the butcher for processing after slaughter. Depending on where the butcher is located it might require a different slaughter date than the rest of the pigs.
Do you sell roaster pigs?
Possibly. We haven't done it yet so we'd have to work out the math but feel free to reach out if that's something you're interested in.
Do you have any photos of your meat or samples?
Not yet. This is our first batch of pigs, so we won't have photos or samples until February 2025 to show folks. I can show you photos from other farms of what the meat typically looks like for the breed.
When are cut sheets due for the butcher?
McPhee's and Home Meats require the cut sheets to be filled out no later than the day the pigs arrive at the butcher's (the slaughter date).
What forms of payment do you accept for pigs?
You can pay us with cash at the farm, or drop off/mail us a check, we can invoice you with Paypal or Quickbooks. Please note that there is a 3% fee for credit card payments.
How do I fill out the cut sheet?
Cut sheets for both McPhee's and Home Meats are done via a Google form. McPhee's will be emailed to you, Home Meat's is located on their website.