Pastured Pig Profitability Case Study

“The old folks didn’t call them ‘mortgage lifters’ for nothin'.”

Timeline

• 3 pigs taken to processor on 10/20/20, born out of a group of 19 born on 4/15/20
  • Processed at 219 days, or 31 weeks and 2 days, roughly 6 months
  • Rule of thumb: process pigs when they weigh between 325 lbs and 350 lbs

Costs

• Artificial Insemination for 19-pig litter: $204 or $11 / pig
• Total Feed Consumption for the three pigs:
  • 2817 lbs total or 939 lbs / pig
  • $789 total or $263 / pig
• Processing Cost: $1052 total or $351 / pig
• Note: Excludes costs of some “incidentals,” labor, and startup costs such as the cost of setting up an electric fence
  
  
• Total Cost: $1873 total or $624 / pig

Yield

• Live Weight: 1005 lbs total or 335 lbs / pig
• Total Processed, Sellable Weight: 639 lbs
• Total Retail value (locally raised, ethically raised, pasture-based animals): $5338

Metrics

Feed Cost per Pound

$$\frac{Total\ Feed\ Cost}{Total\ Feed\ Weight} = \frac{$789}{2817\ lbs} = $0.28\ per\ lb$$

Growth Rate

$$\frac{Live\ Weight}{Day \times Pig\ Count} = \frac{1005\ lbs}{219\ days \times 3} = 1.53 \frac{lbs}{day}$$

Feed Conversion

$$\frac{Live\ Weight}{Feed\ Consumption} = \frac{1005\ lbs}{2817\ lbs} = 0.36 \frac{lbs}{lb}$$

Processing Efficiency

$$\frac{Processed\ Weight}{Live\ Weight} = \frac{639\ lbs}{1005\ lbs} = 64\%$$

Cost per Pound

$$\frac{Acquisition + Feed + Processing\ Costs}{Processed\ Weight} = Cost\ Per\ Processed\ Lb$$

$$\frac{$33 + $789 + $1052}{639\ lbs} = \frac{$1874}{639\ lbs} = $2.93/lb$$

Average Price per Pound

$$\frac{$5338}{639\ lbs} = $8.35/lb$$