How Much Does a Pig Cost?
If you’re looking to purchase a pig, it can be hard to offer a straight-forward price since so many factors come into play. These factors can include the current market conditions, the specific breed, age, quality, the type of pig and where you live.
How much does a pig cost?
Again, with so many factors, the main factor will be the type of pig you’re looking to purchase. A good feeder pig, for example, can cost $50 to $125, whereas a breeding pig of good quality can cost anywhere from $300 to more than $1,000.
LongLiveGrow.com talked about the costs to raise a pig and she stated they paid $50 per piglet, but she also noted you could pay as much as $200 for a piglet or even more for a registered heritage breed. This, of course, as she explains, doesn’t include the other costs such as feed, the infrastructure and processing fees when you’re ready to butcher.
Ebey Farm, a blog from an owner based in Washington, said they were selling piglets for $125 each for a 20 to 30-pound weaned piglet.
Refer to our table below to see what the most popular breeds can cost.
| Breed | Average Price (each) |
|---|---|
| American Guinea | $150 |
| Berkshire | $100 |
| Duroc | $200 |
| Feeder | $75 |
| Hereford | $250 |
| Mangalitsa | $400 |
| Red Wattle | $125 |
| Tamworth | $250 |
| Yorkshire | $200 |
What are the extra costs?
If you don’t have a shelter built yet, then it’s best to budget for some sort of stall/shed alongside your pasture. Inside the pasture, you should also have some sort of feeding and watering equipment. Fencing, to keep them contained, also needs to be considered. Pig owners highly recommended electric fencing, which can cost about $1 per foot for just the materials. The price of a shelter will depend on how extravagant you want to have it, but if you want to keep it simple, you can build a simple shelter, with a pen, for about $500 to $800.
Bedding, inside the shelter, is highly recommended and should cost about $5 per bale. You will need to replenish this bedding as it starts to thin out.
The feed will often be your biggest expense. Plan on spending $150 to $225 until your pig reaches its market weight. Each pig, on average, will need about 800 pounds of food in its lifetime.
Like any animal, be prepared for vet bills such as a simple deworming and mite treatment. Since you probably won’t take your pigs to the local vet, you will have to pay the vet to visit your farm.
Since there’s a good chance you’re raising a pig for meat, you need to consider the processing fees if you decide to use a local butcher. A butcher, on average, will charge a one-time kill fee, which is usually around $30 to $50, and they will then charge by the pound, which can be anywhere from $0.60 to $2+ per hanging weight, depending on the cuts you want. Plan on spending about $225 to $400 per pig.
How can I save money?
Many farmers will offer a bulk discount if you were to buy 10 or more at once.
Advertising Disclosure: This content may include referral links. Please read our disclosure policy for more info.
Average Reported Cost: $0
