The cost of purchasing a whole or half animal is comprised of two parts: (1) price per pound of hanging weight and (2) the price of butchering. The hanging weight is the final weight of the animal before it is butchered. The price of butchering depends on selections such as the quantity of sausage or smoked meat and the style of bacon (nitrate-free vs. conventional, etc.).
Half Pig
$3.50 per pound of hanging weight (around 100 lbs)
Custom butchering typically costs about $125
Yields about 75 pounds of meat (around 10-15 lbs of bacon)
Packaged product comes out to about $7.50 per pound
Estimated total cost around $550
Whole Pig
$3.00 per pound of hanging weight (around 200 lbs)
Custom butchering typically costs about $250
Yields about 150 lbs of meat (around 20-30 lbs of bacon)
Packaged product comes out to about $6.50 per pound
Estimated total cost around $950