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FAQ About Buying a Whole or Half Hog Share

written by

Maegen Benford

posted on

August 15, 2025

Why should I buy custom meat?

Buying a custom hog share is economically a good choice for your family. Instead of paying retail prices, you pay $5.50 per pound for each cut of meat. Not only are you saving money by buying in bulk, but you know where your food came from and how it was raised. You get a variety of pork cuts that YOU get to select.

How much freezer space do I need?

A general rule is 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 15-20 pounds of meat. For a whole hog 7-7.5 cubic feet is recommended. For a half hog 3.5-4 cubic feet will be needed.

For reference, remember the top freezer refrigerators, where the freezer was on top? That freezer is about 4 cubic feet, which is perfect for a half hog.

How many pounds of meat will I get?

For half a hog you can expect to receive between 70-90 pounds of meat. The hanging weight (the weight of the pig after scald & scrape, head on, insides removed) of half a hog can vary, but is usually about 100 lbs.

For a whole hog you can expect to receive between 120-150 pounds of meat. The hanging weight of a whole hog is usually around 200 lbs.

Can I customize what cuts I want?

Yes! When you preorder your whole or half hog share, we provide you with a cut sheet from

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the processor. Don’t worry, we will walk you through the process of filling out the cut sheet and answering all your questions. You have choices like what types of sausage you want, how big your hams and roast are, and how thick you want your pork chops.

What Cuts are available with your hog shares?

Whether you choose a whole or half hog share, it is all customizable. You will choose the same cuts of meat whether you get a half or whole hog, you just get double the amount with a whole hog. The available cuts include roasts or shoulder steaks, tenderloin, pork chops, ribs, hams, bacon, sausages, fat, & bones.

What is the estimated cost of a whole/half hog share?

Whole hog share Example:

Expect the hanging weight of a Whole hog to be approx. 210 lbs +/-.

After you have paid the $375 deposit on a Whole hog share, expect to pay your farmer an additional $780, ($1,155 all in +/-) once the hanging weight is determined.

(Our price is $5.50/lb hanging weight)

plus

$30 kill fee + $182.70 processing fee (.87¢ X 210) = $212.70

*This does not include fees for smoking bacon and/or ham or making sausage*

FOR A TOTAL OF: $1,367.70 (+/-)

Half hog share Example:

Expect the hanging weight of a HALF hog to be approx. 110 lbs +/-.

After you have paid the $275 deposit on a HALF hog share, expect to pay your farmer an additional $330, ($605 all in +/-) once the hanging weight is determined.

(Our price is $5.50/lb hanging weight)

plus

$15 kill fee + $95.70 processing fee (.87¢ X 110) = $110.70

*This does not include fees for smoking bacon and/or ham or making sausage*

FOR A TOTAL OF: $715.70

How do I reserve a hog share?

Click here to visit the website and place a deposit. This saves your place in line and the

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deposit amount is taken off your final cost at the end. Your deposit helps us cover feed costs so that we don’t have to go in the hole to get a final product from the farm to your family.

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