Red Wattle pigs at Blessing Falls Farm
We’re soon accepting orders for pasture raised heritage pork. Our pigs will be processed in March 2025. We’ll deliver yours to a long established, locally owned butcher shop, where it will be custom processed for convenient customer pick-up in Hutto, near Round Rock and north Austin.
These are the Red Wattle breed and have been raised with full time access to our pastures where they can graze, root, run, and just lay around – to be a true pig. They are kept in with electrical fencing which we move regularly to give them access to fresh grass. Pigs cannot live on grass alone so we supplement their food with conventional (non-organic) hog feed.
As with our beef, our pigs are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones and implants. These are not vaccinated and have had no drugs of any kind. They are handled gently, never hit or abused in any way. Most were born here on the farm.
Pigs naturally raised on pasture at Blessing Falls
We aim for these to weigh between 200 and 300 pounds at processing. This yields a carcass hanging weight of around 140 to 210 pounds at processing. This is our goal though some hogs get larger, depending on the butchering schedule. Since the pandemic began, higher demand for local beef and pork can delay butcher schedules. We’ll sell them by the half or whole. As an example, a typical 240 pound whole live hog should yield a carcass weight of about 170 pounds. After the butcher cuts, trims and packages that would give you roughly 125 pounds of pork in your freezer (60 to 65 pounds if you bought a half). You can have it processed any way you like, including cured ham and bacon, pan and link sausage, along with pork chops, ribs, roasts, hocks, lard, etc. As of May 2023* our price per pound is $6.50 (plus processing costs paid to the butcher), based on hanging weight. When your pork is ready, you’ll pick up directly from the butcher – either their main shop in Westphalia (15 minutes east of Temple) or from their Hutto shop for an additional convenience fee. For more on processing costs and hanging weight vs. live or packaged weight, see details on our grass fed beef. The processing costs are similar to beef though hogs yield a higher percentage of packaged pork vs. hanging weight than beef does, typically about 75%. You’ll get even more usable pork from a pig if you can use the lard and organs. For the ‘typical’ weight half hog of 85 pounds hanging weight, your approximate total cost, including processing, should be around $625. Weights can vary quite a bit from hog to hog so if you let us know about what approximate weight or cost you are looking for, we can try to match you with a hog close to that. Just mention it when you place your order.
Packaged Cuts from half hog, Spring 2017, hanging weight 87 pounds
We have a limited amount of pork this year. Visit our online store or click below to make your deposit to reserve your pork. Or you can contact us with any questions or if you prefer to make your deposit by mailing a check.
*Prices increased in 2021-2023 due to feed cost inflation.
