Animal Type and Meat Yield
Highest quality pork is produced from young, healthy, well-fed, meaty hogs that weigh from 175 to 240 pounds. The meat-type hog should have full, plump, meaty hams and straight, smooth sides. Fat should be firm, evenly distributed, and not more than 1.6 to 1.7 inches average thickness over the back. The average meat-type hog produces as much pork as a family of two consumes in 10 to 12 months. Heavier, fatter hogs produce less lean and more excess fat.
A meat-type hog, when cut and trimmed according to the methods described later, will yield approximately 65 to 70 percent of its carcass weight in ham, picnic shoulder, loin, bacon, and Boston butt. Expected yields of major and minor cuts from a U.S. No. 2 hog are presented in table 1.
| Cuts | Percentage of USDA carcass weight |
| Ham (trimmed) | 19 |
| Belly (untrimmed) | 18 |
| Collar, fat back, and clear plate | 18 |
| Picnic shoulder and Boston butt (trimmed) | 17 |
| Loin (trimmed) | 17 |
| Feet, tail, and neckbones | 5 |
| Spareribs | 3 |
| Jowl (untrimmed) | 3 |
| 100 | |
| Four lean cuts[8] | 53 |
| Adapted from Smith, King & Carpenter, 1975. | |
| [8] Ham, loin, picnic shoulder, and Boston butt. | |
The slaughter of boars is not recommended. Meat from boars has a strong odor during cooking, and an off-flavor. This “sex” odor and flavor is often identified as being “soapy,” and the odor increases as boars approach sexual maturity. If old boars are to be slaughtered, they should be castrated and allowed to heal prior to being slaughtered.
PREPARING FOR SLAUGHTER
Prior to the day of slaughter, select the slaughter site, accumulate all equipment, prepare for waste disposal, and, if necessary, arrange with a local processor or meat market for chilling and cutting the carcass. If you plan to have the carcass chilled and cut up, make arrangements concerning the time and day on which the carcass can be accepted, the charges, and specific instructions for chilling, cutting, and wrapping.
Site Selection
Slaughter site selection is extremely important. The amount of space and equipment needed will depend on the method (scalding or skinning) used. If the carcass is to be scalded, be sure that a site is selected where a fire can be built, and clean, running water is available. If a tree is to be used to suspend the carcass, select a healthy limb, 6 to 8 inches in diameter and 8 to 10 feet from the ground. This will ensure that the limb will not break from the weight of the carcass, and the carcass can be fully extended above the ground for viscera removal and splitting. If the animal is to be slaughtered in a building, be sure that a strong beam 8 to 10 feet from the floor is available. The floor should be clean and, preferably, concrete.
After selection of the slaughter site, clean up the area to ensure that leaves and dirt are not blown on the carcass during slaughter. If the site has a wooden or concrete floor, wash the floor and all equipment with plenty of soap and water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly because sanitizers discolor the meat and may cause off-flavors. If animals are to be slaughtered outdoors, use straw to cover the area where the carcass will be suspended and eviscerated.