About The Weeping Spring Farm
Our Farm
At The Weeping Spring Farm, we're proud to have acres of lush farmland, where we grow a variety of seasonal vegetables and AKKPS-registered Kune Kune pigs. We use sustainable farming practices to ensure that our crops and animals are healthy and free from harmful chemicals. Our farm is also home to a variety of animals, including Kune Kune pigs, and chickens, which are raised in spacious and clean environments.
Our Market
Our farm market offers a wide variety of fresh and delicious products, including seasonal produce, free-range chicken eggs, and pork, along with handmade baked goods.
Our Community
At The Weeping Spring Farm, we believe in supporting our local community. We promote local agriculture and sustainable farming practices.
Sale policy and Deposit information
Pricing
The price of each Kune kune can vary based on bloodlines, coloring, and confirmation.
AKKPS registered piglets pricing starts at $400.00 and goes up
AKKPS proven breaders start at $600.00 and up
Barrows and companion pigs ( not registered as breeders) start at $200.00.
We have the right to retain and piglet born on this farm. we always have choice of the litter.
Deposit
We require a Nonrefundable deposit of $200.00 to reserve or hold a specific registered breeder in your name.
Grow outs
What are grow outs you may ask. Simply put we will raise, feed, and care for a pig as it grows till you are ready for it to be delivered to your butcher for processing. We do all the work and you get to enjoy the delicious and healthy and humanly raised pork..
The terms of this agreement are as follows
You place a deposit of $175.00 for a piglet.
You pay a feed fee of $25.00 a month due on the first of the month.
If the feed fee is not received by the 5th of the month, you have forfeited your deposit, pig, and what you have paid in feeding fees.
When the pig is ready for butcher, we will deliver it to your butcher and you are responsible for any butcher fees.
Why Kune Kune meat is special
Kunekune pigs are also valued for their high-quality meat, which is prized for its exceptional flavor, tenderness, and marbling. Their meat is often preferred by chefs and food enthusiasts for its unique taste and texture, making it a popular choice in the culinary world. Furthermore, raising Kunekune pigs for meat production can contribute to the preservation of this rare and unique breed, ensuring its continued existence for future generations to enjoy.
The average weight of a Kunekune pig at slaughter is between 100-200 pounds, depending on the age and feeding regime. This weight range is considered ideal for producing high-quality meat with optimal marbling and flavor.
The meat of Kunekune pigs is renowned for its exceptional flavor, tenderness, and marbling, which sets it apart from the meat of commercial pig breeds. Due to their higher fat content, Kunekune pork is often preferred for its succulent and rich taste, making it a popular choice for pork connoisseurs.
What to expect when getting a pig butchered
.
How much meat should a hog yield?
Written by AMANDA L CAUFFMAN, ASHLEY A OLSON, Carolyn Ihde and WILLIAM HALFMAN
- Share:
- A carcass is comprised of lean (meat), fat (adipose), and bone
- Feet, blood, and viscera are not parts of a carcass
- Carcass cutting yield is just one factor that influences the amount of take-home product
- Pork purchased from locker plants is typically sold as whole or halves
Dressing Percentage
To better understand the amount of meat you may expect from a market hog, the first step is understanding the difference in live weight compared to carcass weight. When a market hog is harvested certain parts of the animal such as the feet, blood, and viscera (internal organs) are removed. The remaining bone, adipose (fat), and lean (meat) makes up the post-harvest hanging weight (hot carcass weight). Dressing percentage is the percentage of meat and bone on the animal compared to its live weight and is influenced by many factors such as muscle score and fat cover to name a few (Table 1).
Dressing Percentage = (Carcass weight/Live weight)*100
Table 1
Dressing Percentage FactorsFactorDressing Percentage (%)Conventional fed, market barrow (male)70-75Gilt (female)LowerMore gut fillLowerFree rangeLowerSkin remainingHigherHead remainingHigherHeavier muscledHigherMore condition (fat)Higher
Locker plants have variable methods of harvesting hogs. Some processing plants will remove the skin and leave the head for the chilling process and others may remove the head and leave the skin. The different methods will impact carcass weight and dressing percentage but will not impact the amount of edible lean.
Carcass Fabrication
During carcass chilling and fabrication, some carcass weight will be lost from the hanging, boning, and trimming process. The percentage of carcass weight remaining as “take-home” retail meat cuts is called the carcass cutting yield.
Chilled Carcass Weight * Carcass Cutting Yield = pounds of “take-home meat”
Carcass cutting yield is variable and depends on the carcass’s fat thickness (leaner carcasses increase yield), muscling (increases yield), and the amount of bone-in versus boneless retail cuts (boneless decreases yield). (Table 2).
Table 2: Average Carcass Cutting Yield
Cut TypeAverage Cutting YieldBone-in retail cuts74%Boneless closely trimmed retail cuts65%
Requesting closely trimmed and boneless chops and roasts and ground pork/sausage will result in less pounds of take-home product because the excess fat and bone will be removed. This may be advantageous depending on freezer space availability and eating preferences. It is important to understand that the amount of edible lean will be the same regardless if the retail cuts are boneless or bone-in.
Choosing to bring home organ meats such as liver, heart, and tongue will also influence the pounds of meat product you take-home, increasing your cutting yield.
It is important to note that even though trim carcasses have an increased carcass cutting yield, pork carcasses that are too trim can have negative consequences such as poor belly quality (bacon) and lack of tenderness.
Understanding Primal vs Retail Cuts
A whole pork carcass is first divided into 6 distinct primal cuts (Figure 1). Each primal cut is then further fabricated into different retail cuts. For example, the loin may be broken down into rib, loin, butterfly, and sirloin chops/roasts. The shoulder (Boston butt and shoulder picnic) could be broken into arm steaks, blade chops and a shoulder picnic. Ground pork and sausage comes from trimmings of multiple primal cuts throughout the carcass.
Figure 1. Pork Primal Cuts
Table 3: Approximate Cut Out Weight per Primal Cut
Primal Cut% Cut Out WeightPossible Retail Cuts from each Primal CutBoston Butt10%Arm and blade chops/roastsShoulder Picnic11%Smoked picnicLoin25%Rib, loin, sirloin chops/roastsSide/Belly21%Spareribs and baconHam25%Ham and center slice
Further Processing
Seasoning can be added to ground pork to make sausage. Ground pork can also be further processed and stuffed into various casings to make sausage links, summer sausage, bratwursts, and ring bologna to name a few. Fresh chops and roasts can be cured/smoked by injecting a brine and allowing the cuts to slowly cook at a set temperature and humidity. It is common practice to cure/smoke the hams and belly (bacon).The loin and shoulder can also be smoked to fit the consumer’s preferences.
Purchasing Locally Raised Pork
Many farmers and locker plants sell pork by halves or whole hog. When buying a half a hog that is exactly what you will get. Once a hog has been harvested the carcass is split down the spine into two halves for easier storage in the cooler for the chilling process. When determining roughly how much meat you should expect from half of a hog, take the pounds of meat previously calculated for the entire carcass and divide by two.
Example Meat Yield Calculations
- Live weight x typical dressing percent = hot carcass weight
250 lb x 70% = 175 lb
- Hot carcass weight x (100 – shrink) = chilled carcass weight
175 x (100% – 3.5%) =169 lb
- Chilled carcass weight x carcass cutting yield percent = pounds of take home product
169 lb x 67% = 125 lb
Freezer Space
To ensure you have enough freezer space for your pork keep in mind that 35-40 pounds of retail product should fit in one cubic foot of freezer space. This may vary depending on bone-in versus boneless cuts or any odd shaped packages of meat.
For More Information
Contact your local Extension Educator; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; or Wisconsin Pork Association.
References
Aberle, Elton David. Principles of Meat Science. 4th ed., Kendall/Hunt. 2001.
National Pork Board ad EMI Analytics. (2017, August15) Pork Checkoff. Typical Market Pig Today. Retrieved from pork.org/facts/stats/consumption-and-expenditures/typical-market-pig-today/ Access Date: August 27, 2020
Ray, Federick K. Buyig Beef for Home Freezer.Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service AnSi-3401. Print. Access Date: July 16, 2020.
Rentfrow, Gregg. How Much Meat to Expect from a Carcass a Consumer’s Guide to Purchasing Freezer Meats. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service ASC-179. Print. Access Date: July 23, 2020
Thiboumery, Arion; Kristine Jepsen; and Kristi Hetland. 2013. Beef and Pork Whole Animal Buying Guide. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Print. Access Date: June 10, 2020.
Piggies everywhere
Glimpses of The Weeping Spring Farm Farm
This is the Man of the farm Charlie Trotter. He's our first boar. AKKPS 24952P Whakanui
He's a happy fellow. Doubled wattles nice big broad head straight line and good legs
Daisy Mae one of our sows. AKKPS 25973 Momona
The Boys. Charlie is in the middle our breeding boar along with Red on the left and blackie on the right. red and Blackie are bacon seeds.
ZUZU the farm dog
Site Content
Detail your services
Display real testimonials
Announce coming events
If customers can’t find it, it doesn’t exist. Clearly list and describe the services you offer. Also, be sure to showcase a premium service.
Announce coming events
Display real testimonials
Announce coming events
Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.
Display real testimonials
Display real testimonials
Display real testimonials
Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones.
Promote current deals
Promote current deals
Display real testimonials
Running a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.
Share the big news
Promote current deals
Share the big news
Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.
Display their FAQs
Promote current deals
Share the big news
Customers have questions, you have answers. Display the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits.
