Pigs: 2022 Year-in-Review

Key Dates & Events

  • 2022-03-30: 2 “Idaho Pasture” feeder pigs born at The Groves Family Farm
  • 2022-06-18: Purchased and picked up (11 weeks 3 days old)
  • 2022-12-19: Dropped off for slaughter and processing by Bellville Meat Market (264 days, or 37 weeks 5 days old)
  • 2023-01-13: Received back from processing

Costs

Note: all costs net of Tractor Supply credit card discounts

Direct & Fixed

  • $300.00, initial purchase
  • $597.18, slaughter and processing
    • $416.25, processing
    • $100.00, skinning / kill Fee
    • \$65.03, bacon smoking (\$2.25/lb for 28.9 lbs of smoked bacon)
    • \$15.09, hocks smoking (\$1.50/lb for 10.6 lbs of smoked hocks)

Direct & Variable

  • $557.32, 1400 lbs total of Pig Feed, “DMR Hog Grower” from Tractor Supply:
    • $22.42, 50 lb - 2022-06-10
    • $22.30, 50 lb - 2022-06-30
    • $14.42, 50 lb - 2022-07-08
    • $19.21, 50 lb - 2022-07-17
    • $21.49, 50 lb - 2022-07-24
    • $21.49, 50 lb - 2022-07-31
    • $10.74, 50 lb - 2022-08-09
    • $15.04, 50 lb - 2022-08-14
    • $42.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-08-20
    • $5.68, 50 lb - 2022-08-26
    • $21.49, 50 lb - 2022-09-04
    • $43.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-09-17
    • $33.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-10-01
    • $21.99, 50 lb - 2022-10-08
    • $43.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-10-22
    • $43.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-11-04
    • $43.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-11-18
    • $19.60, 50 lb - 2022-11-25
    • $43.98, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-12-04
    • $35.77, 2 x 50 lb - 2022-12-10

Indirect & Fixed

  • $810.79, Kenmore chest freezer (18.5 cu. ft.) purchased on 2022-11-22

Indirect & Variable

  • $65.46, straw, for 72 cubic feet total:
    • $13.99, 18 cu ft - 2022-06-10
    • $15.49, 18 cu ft - 2022-08-20
    • $17.99, 18 cu ft - 2022-10-22
    • $17.99, 18 cu ft - 2022-12-04

Yield

  • 191 pounds processed weight (yield from 333 pounds hanging weight)
    • 5 pork butt roast
    • 3 picnic roast
    • 4 ribs
    • 25.25 pork chops
    • 7 round steaks
    • 2 ham roasts
    • 26 ground pork, 28 lbs
    • 24 smoked bacon, 28.9 lbs
    • 4 smoked hocks, 10.6 lbs

Metrics

Final live weight of our pigs was never directly measured. Some sites suggest assuming 72% as a reasonable factor to convert live weight to hanging weight.

$$Hanging\ Weight = 72\% \times Live\ Weight$$

$$Live\ Weight = \frac{Hanging\ Weight}{72\%} = \frac{333\ lbs}{72\%} = 463\ lbs$$

Feed Cost per Pound

$$\frac{Total\ Feed\ Cost}{Total\ Feed\ Weight} = \frac{$557.32}{1400\ lbs} = $0.40\ per\ lb$$

Growth Rate

$$\frac{Live\ Weight}{Day \times Pig\ Count} = \frac{463\ lbs}{264\ days \times 2} = 0.88 \frac{lbs}{day}$$

Feed Conversion

$$\frac{Live\ Weight}{Feed\ Consumption} = \frac{463\ lbs}{1400\ lbs} = 0.40 \frac{lbs}{lb}$$

Processing Efficiency

Some sites recommend assuming the processed, take-home weight is roughly 65% of the hanging weight. Our actual realized processing efficiency was 57%.

$$0.65 \times 333\ lbs = 216.5\ potential\ lbs$$

$$\frac{Processed\ Weight}{Hanging\ Weight} = \frac{191\ lbs}{333\ lbs} = 57\%$$

$$\frac{Processed\ Weight}{Live\ Weight} = \frac{191\ lbs}{463\ lbs} = 41\%$$

Cost per Pound

  • Direct Fixed Costs + Direct Variable Costs Only (ie, excludes freezer and straw)

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

$$\frac{$300.00 + $557.32 + $597.18}{191\ lbs} = \frac{$1454.50}{191\ lbs} = $7.62/lb$$

  • Direct Fixed Costs + Direct Variable Costs Only, and excluding fee for smoking bacon and hocks

$$\frac{$300.00 + $557.32 + ($597.18 - $80.12)}{191\ lbs} = \frac{$1374.38}{191\ lbs} = $7.20/lb$$