The slaughter traditionally takes place in the autumn and early winter, and the timing has several practical considerations. It can start as soon as it gets cold, as the cold is required as a natural method of preserving the relatively large quantities of meat during the butchering. The slaughter traditionally takes place in the autumn and early winter, and the timing has several practical considerations. It can start as soon as it gets cold, as the cold is required as a natural method of preserving the relatively large quantities of meat during the butchering. One of the easiest methods to figure out when your pigs are ready to butcher is to simply keep track of their age. As mentioned above, 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.Consider the time of year that you buy your piglets. Pigs grow in size best during warmer weather (60 to 70°F is ideal). If possible, begin your pig raising project in early spring or in late summer–this way, when the piglets are growing the most, they will do so in the best conditions.
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How much meat do you get from a 300 pound pig?
From what we’ve experienced, a pasture raised pig will yield 70-75% of hanging weight. We’d expect a pig this size to produce 120 to 150 lbs of packaged meat.
What is the best weight to slaughter a pig?
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. I keep putting it off and putting it off until I can’t avoid it any longer.
When is the best time to butcher a pig?
Therefore, these learner pigs are ready to butcher sooner, closer to the five months of age. However, other people will love to have more fat so that they can raise the pigs to around 280-300 pounds. This extra weight will undoubtedly take spare time to grow for the pig.
How old do pigs have to be to slaughter them?
Pigs are slaughtered at different ages. Generally they can be divided into piglets, which are 1.5 to 3 months old; the fattening pigs, intended for pork and bacon, which are 4 months to one year old; and finally the older pigs, such as sows (female pigs) and boars (uncastrated male pigs).
When is the best time of year to go to slaughter?
The slaughter traditionally takes place in the autumn and early winter, and the timing has several practical considerations.
What is the best time of year to raise pigs?
However, some of the severe weather can be avoided by raising pigs at a different time of the years. Thus the pigs will be most likely to be happier, like in spring and fall. The pigs are successfully raised year-round in many portions of the country. It is easy to raise pigs outdoors as well indoors depending on the situation.
