Buying Half a Hog: The Complete Guide to Bulk Pork
Everything you need to know about buying a half hog — pricing, cuts, the pork cut sheet, and why it's the perfect first bulk meat purchase.
10 min read
Tom has been buying half and whole cows from local farms for his own family since 2009. He spent 15 years working with small-scale cattle operations and now helps families find and evaluate farm-direct beef suppliers through Half a Cow Club's directory of 1,200+ producers.
Quick Answer
A half hog gets you 70-80 lbs of pork — chops, ribs, roasts, ground pork, bacon, ham, and sausage — for $4-7 per pound. That's roughly $350-550 total. You need just 2-3 cubic feet of freezer space, making it a smaller commitment than half a cow and an ideal first bulk meat purchase.
The biggest difference from buying beef: you make curing decisions. You choose which cuts get turned into bacon, ham, and sausage, and what seasonings and curing styles to use. That's the fun part.
Why Buy a Half Hog?
If you've been thinking about buying bulk meat but a half cow feels like too big a leap, a half hog is the perfect starting point. Here's why:
Lower commitment
70-80 lbs of packaged pork vs. 200-250 lbs for a half cow. It's a manageable amount that won't overwhelm your freezer or your family's appetite.
Lower cost
$350-550 total vs. $1,500-3,500 for a half cow. That's an upfront cost most families can swing without rearranging the budget.
Fits in a smaller freezer
You need 2-3 cubic feet of freezer space. Your fridge's built-in freezer might actually work if you clear some room, though a small chest freezer gives you more flexibility. No need to buy a dedicated deep freezer like you would for beef.
Incredible variety
Chops, ribs, roasts — plus bacon, ham, and sausage. Pork has more variety than beef because of curing and smoking options. You're getting fresh cuts and processed items from a single animal.
Great entry point for first-time bulk buyers
Lower cost, smaller volume, easier storage. If you've never bought meat in bulk before, a half hog lets you learn the process (finding a farm, filling out a cut sheet, managing freezer inventory) without a huge commitment.
Faster turnaround
Pigs reach market weight in about 6 months vs. 18+ months for cattle. That means more farms have availability, shorter waitlists, and some farms process hogs year-round rather than just seasonally.
What It Costs
The total cost of a half hog has four components. The one most people miss is curing — if you want bacon and ham (and you do), that's an extra charge.
Hanging Weight Price: $2.50-4.50/lb
A half hog hangs at 90-110 lbs. At $3.50/lb average, that's $315-385 to the farm for the animal itself. This is the base price and varies by breed, feed, and region.
Processing Fee: $0.75-1.25/lb hanging weight
The butcher charges for cutting, wrapping, and freezing your fresh cuts. For a 100 lb hanging weight half, that's $75-125.
Curing and Smoking: $1.50-3.00/lb
This is the cost people miss. Bacon, ham, and cured sausages all require extra processing. If you're getting 8 lbs of bacon and 12 lbs of ham cured and smoked, that's an additional $30-60. It's not a lot, but it adds up if you don't budget for it.
Kill Fee: $40-75
A flat fee for slaughter, paid to the processor. Some farms include this in their quoted price — always ask.
Worked Example: Actual Half Hog Cost
- Hanging weight: 100 lbs x $3.50/lb = $350
- Processing: 100 lbs x $1.00/lb = $100
- Curing/smoking (bacon + ham): ~20 lbs x $2.50/lb = $50 (this is the hidden one)
- Kill fee: $50
- Total: $550 for ~75 lbs of pork = $7.33/lb effective
Compare that to grocery prices: pork chops run $3-5/lb, but bacon costs $7-10/lb, baby back ribs $5-8/lb, and good sausage $5-8/lb. When you average everything together — including the premium cuts — you're coming out ahead. And you're getting pork that actually tastes like something.
What Cuts Do You Get?
A half hog gives you a remarkable variety of cuts. Here's what to expect from a typical 75-lb packaged half:
Pork Chops: ~15 lbs
Bone-in or boneless, 3/4" to 1.5" thick. The workhorse cut — great grilled, pan-seared, or baked. From the loin section.
Spare Ribs & Baby Backs: ~8 lbs
Usually 1-2 racks of each. Spare ribs are meatier, baby backs are leaner and more tender. Both are excellent smoked or braised.
Pork Roasts: ~10 lbs
Shoulder/butt for pulled pork (the king of weekend cooking) and loin roast for a leaner, more refined option. Both benefit from low and slow.
Ground Pork: ~10 lbs
Plain ground or seasoned into bulk sausage. Versatile for meatballs, stir-fry, pasta sauce, tacos, and breakfast scrambles.
Bacon: ~8 lbs
From the belly. Choose thickness (regular or thick-cut) and curing style (maple, peppered, plain). This is the cut everyone gets most excited about.
Ham: ~12 lbs
Fresh (uncured, like a pork roast), cured, or smoked. Bone-in or boneless, whole or halved. The largest single cut from the hog.
Sausage: ~8 lbs
Breakfast links, Italian sweet or hot, bratwurst, chorizo — you choose the seasoning. Made from trim that would otherwise be plain ground pork.
Other: ~5 lbs
Hocks (great for beans and soups), jowl (cure it like bacon), tenderloin (the filet mignon of pork), and country-style ribs.
The Pork Cut Sheet: What's Different from Beef
If you've filled out a beef cut sheet, the pork version has one major difference: curing decisions. With beef, you're choosing steak thickness and roast sizes. With pork, you're also deciding what gets cured, smoked, and seasoned. That's what makes it fun.
Bacon
Choose thickness: regular or thick-cut. Choose curing style: maple, peppered, applewood-smoked, or plain. Some processors also offer uncured "fresh belly" if you want to cure your own or use it for Asian-style braised pork belly.
Ham
The biggest decision on the sheet. Fresh (uncured green ham — basically a pork roast) vs. cured vs. smoked. Bone-in vs. boneless. Whole vs. halved. Most families get at least one ham cured and smoked, and keep one fresh for roasting. If you only have one ham, go cured — you can always buy a pork roast at the store.
Sausage
This is the fun part. Choose your seasonings: breakfast (sage-forward), Italian sweet, Italian hot, bratwurst, chorizo, or plain. Most processors let you split the sausage into two flavors. Links vs. bulk (loose) — links are more convenient, bulk is more versatile.
Chops
Bone-in vs. boneless, and thickness (3/4" to 1.5"). Bone-in has more flavor. 1-inch is a good default — thick enough to stay juicy, thin enough for a weeknight dinner.
Shoulder
Whole roast (best for pulled pork, 6-8 lbs), cut into smaller roasts (3-4 lbs), or ground. If you love pulled pork, keep the shoulder whole. If you're not sure, ask for two smaller roasts — more manageable for weeknight cooking.
Important timing note
Cured items take 2-4 extra weeks after processing. Your fresh cuts (chops, roasts, ground pork) will be ready first. Bacon, ham, and cured sausages come later because the curing and smoking process takes time. Don't panic when you pick up your pork and half the order isn't there — it's still at the processor being cured.
Half Hog vs Half Cow
Already bought a half cow and wondering about pork? Or trying to decide which one to try first? Here's how they compare:
| Half Hog | Half Cow | |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost | $350-550 | $1,500-3,500 |
| Packaged weight | 70-80 lbs | 200-250 lbs |
| Freezer space | 2-3 cu ft | 8-10 cu ft |
| Processing time | 2-3 weeks (+ 2-4 for cured) | 3-5 weeks |
| Variety of cuts | Chops, ribs, roasts, bacon, ham, sausage | Steaks, roasts, ground, stew meat |
| Best for | First-timers, small households, pork lovers | Families, beef-heavy diets |
Neither is "better" — it depends on what your family eats. But if you've never bought bulk meat before, a half hog is the easier first step: lower cost, lower commitment, and you get to learn the process before committing to a bigger beef purchase. Read our first-time buyer's guide if you're considering beef too.
Heritage Pork Breeds Worth Knowing
Most commercial pork comes from Yorkshire or Hampshire crosses bred for leanness and fast growth. Heritage breeds are a different animal — literally. They grow slower, have more fat, and taste dramatically better. If you're buying directly from a farm, you have the chance to choose.
Berkshire (Kurobuta)
Rich marbling, sweet flavor. Often called the "Wagyu of pork." The most widely available heritage breed. Excellent chops and belly.
Duroc
Reddish colored, excellent marbling, widely available. A good middle ground between heritage flavor and commercial availability. Great all-around breed.
Red Wattle
Lean but intensely flavorful. A heritage conservation breed — buying one supports keeping the breed alive. Distinctive red color and wattles on the neck.
Gloucestershire Old Spots
Great for outdoor/pasture raising, good fat layer, gentle temperament. Produces excellent bacon and rich, well-marbled roasts.
Large Black
Excellent bacon breed with an outstanding belly. Natural forager that thrives on pasture. Endangered breed — fewer than 2,000 registered in the US.
On pricing: Heritage pork typically costs $5-8/lb hanging weight vs. $2.50-4.50 for standard breeds. That adds $250-350 to the total cost of a half hog. Is it worth it? If you've only ever eaten grocery store pork, the flavor difference will surprise you. Heritage pork chops don't need to be brined or babied to stay juicy — the intramuscular fat does the work for you.
Combining Pork and Beef Orders
Once you've done a half hog and you're hooked on farm-direct meat, the natural next step is to add beef. Many farms raise both cattle and hogs, and some offer combo pricing.
The sweet spot: Quarter cow + half hog
This is the combination we see most from families of four. A quarter cow (100-125 lbs of beef) plus a half hog (70-80 lbs of pork) gives you 170-200 lbs of mixed protein with excellent variety — steaks, ground beef, roasts, plus chops, ribs, bacon, ham, and sausage.
What it costs
Total: roughly $1,200-2,000 for 170-200 lbs of meat. That's $6-10/lb effective for everything from ground beef to bacon to ribeye. Ask farms about combo deals — some offer 5-10% off when you buy both species.
Freezer fit
A quarter cow (4-5 cu ft) plus a half hog (2-3 cu ft) = 6-8 cubic feet total. That fits nicely in a 7 cu ft chest freezer, which is the most common size and typically costs $200-300. Perfect for a garage or basement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much freezer space do I need for a half hog?
A half hog (70-80 lbs of packaged pork) needs about 2-3 cubic feet of freezer space. That means it can actually fit in a standard kitchen freezer if you have room, though a small chest freezer gives you more flexibility. Compare that to a half cow, which needs 8-10 cubic feet and almost always requires a dedicated chest freezer.
Can I get all the bacon I want from a half hog?
Not exactly. A half hog has one belly, which yields about 8 lbs of bacon. You can't turn other cuts into bacon — it specifically comes from the belly. However, you can ask for the jowl to be cured like bacon (called "jowl bacon"), which adds another 1-2 lbs. If your household goes through bacon fast, consider buying a whole hog and getting two bellies' worth.
How long does a half hog last a family of four?
At 70-80 lbs of pork, a half hog typically lasts a family of four about 4-6 months if pork is part of your regular rotation (2-3 pork meals per week). If you eat pork less frequently, it could last 6-9 months. Properly vacuum-sealed pork stays good in the freezer for 12 months.
What's the difference between cured and uncured ham?
Fresh (uncured) ham is just a raw pork roast from the hind leg — it tastes like any pork roast, not like "ham." Cured ham has been treated with a salt and nitrate brine, giving it the pink color and salty-sweet flavor you expect. Smoked ham adds another layer of flavor from smoking after curing. Most people want at least some of their ham cured, but a fresh ham roast is excellent braised or slow-roasted if you want something different.
Is heritage pork worth the premium?
If flavor is your priority, yes. Heritage breeds like Berkshire and Red Wattle have significantly more intramuscular fat (marbling) than conventional pork, which means juicier chops, richer roasts, and more flavorful sausage. The difference is most noticeable in chops and roasts. Expect to pay $5-8/lb hanging weight vs $2.50-4.50 for standard breeds. If you're on a budget, conventional pork from a good farm still tastes dramatically better than grocery store pork.
Can I buy just a quarter hog?
Some farms offer quarter hogs, but it's less common than quarter cows. The challenge is that a pig doesn't split into equal quarters the way a cow does — front and back halves have very different cuts. If a farm does offer quarter hogs, they usually give you a mix of cuts from the whole animal rather than a literal front or back quarter. Ask your farm what's available. At 35-40 lbs and $175-275, a quarter hog is an even lower commitment entry point.
Related Guides
Related Calculators
Sources & Methodology
Pork pricing is based on data from our directory of 548 pork suppliers, cross-referenced with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service pork market reports. Processing and curing fees reflect 2025-2026 rates from custom processors nationwide. Cut yields are based on standard industry expectations for market-weight hogs (270-300 lbs live weight).
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service — National Daily Hog and Pork Summary
- Iowa State University Extension — Buying a Hog for Home Consumption
- Penn State Extension — Pork Carcass Evaluation and Cut Yield
- The Livestock Conservancy — Heritage Pork Breed Information
- Half a Cow Club supplier directory — 548 verified pork suppliers
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