Hog Processing Near Elkhorn, WI: What Cut and Wrap Really Includes

If you are searching for hog processing near Elkhorn WI, you want clear answers on what cut and wrap really includes, what it usually costs, and how long it takes. At Wilson Farm Meats, we believe the process should be simple, transparent, and community focused. This guide explains each step, gives realistic timelines, and outlines your options for cuts, curing, and sausage, so you know exactly what to expect and can book confidently.

Local processing keeps your dollars in the community, supports family farms, and gives you a direct line to the people handling your food. Wilson Farm Meats has been part of Elkhorn life for over 150 years, with the Wilson family raising and processing meats that reflect true Wisconsin pride. When you choose a local partner, you get fresher results, hands-on guidance, and the chance to customize everything to your household. You also build a relationship with a knowledgeable team that can answer your questions, offer cooking tips, and help you get the most from every hog you bring in.

What cut and wrap means

The core services included

Cut and wrap is the term many processors use to describe the custom cutting and packaging of your animal after it has been harvested. While details vary by shop, here is what is typically included when you ask for cut and wrap for your hog at a local facility like Wilson Farm Meats.

• Chilling and aging to set the meat for clean cuts and consistent quality
• Breaking the carcass into primals and then into retail cuts such as chops, roasts, ribs, and ground pork
• Deboning, trimming, and portioning according to your preferences
• Grinding trim for ground pork or bulk sausage
• Basic packaging in vacuum-sealed or butcher-wrapped portions, labeled with cut name and weight
• Boxing and freezing, ready for pickup and transport

What is usually not included

It is just as important to know what cut and wrap does not include. Some services are billed separately or considered add-ons.

• Harvest or slaughter fee, which is often a flat charge per animal
• Disposal fees for inedible parts if applicable
• Curing and smoking for bacon, hams, and other products
• Specialty sausages, snack sticks, or jerky that require additional seasoning, casings, or smoke time
• Rendering fat into lard, unless requested as a separate service
• Organ and head processing beyond standard cuts, if available
• Delivery or shipping services
• Rush processing or after-hours pickup

Wilson Farm Meats: your local partner for hog processing

Wilson Farm Meats is a family-owned business in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, located at 406 S. Wisconsin Street, Elkhorn, WI 53121. The Wilson family has a 150-plus-year farming legacy in Walworth County, and the team brings that heritage to every custom order. Pork is sourced from Wilson Prairie View Farms and features heritage breeds known for full flavor and consistent quality. The store also offers locally raised beef, fresh poultry and seafood, and a wide lineup of smoked specialties like bacon, ham, bratwurst, wieners, summer sausage, liver sausage, and ring bologna, all processed in their Elkhorn facility. In addition to hog processing near Elkhorn WI, Wilson Farm Meats handles custom orders for beef, lamb, and veal. You will also find weekly specials, value boxes, and community events like the Yearly Pig Sale that help families stock their freezers with confidence. Store hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Visit WILSONFARMMEATS.COM to explore products and current specials.

Step-by-step: how hog processing works

Here is a typical journey for a home-raised hog from booking to pickup. This is a general overview and may vary slightly based on your selections and the season.

1. Reserve a date. Call Wilson Farm Meats early to schedule your hog and discuss options, especially during fall and holiday seasons when demand climbs.
2. Prepare for drop-off. Confirm your appointment, bring any required paperwork, and review your initial cut preferences. If you have special requests like leaf lard, jowls, or offal, mention them at this stage.
3. Harvest and chilling. After humane harvest, the carcass is chilled for a set period so the meat firms up and cuts cleanly.
4. Cut sheet consultation. You will complete a cut sheet with choices for chop thickness, roast sizes, bone-in or boneless cuts, skin-on bellies, and how much trim should go to ground or sausage.
5. Cutting and trimming. The butcher team portions your hog to your specifications, trims for quality, and prepares items for fresh or further processing.
6. Curing and smoking. If you select bacon or ham, these pieces move into cure and smoke cycles. This adds time but creates that signature flavor Wilson Farm Meats is known for.
7. Packaging and labeling. Cuts are vacuum-sealed or wrapped, labeled, frozen, and boxed. Labels make it easy to rotate stock in your freezer.
8. Pickup and payment. You will receive a call when your order is ready. Bring coolers if you have a long drive, square up, and head home well supplied.

Typical costs and how pricing works

Pricing for hog processing generally includes a harvest fee, a per-pound rate for cut and wrap based on hanging weight, and separate charges for curing, smoking, or specialty sausages. Because markets and supplies change, use these figures as general guidance and call Wilson Farm Meats for current rates and promotions.

Common pricing elements include the following.

• Harvest fee as a flat charge per hog
• Cut and wrap fee per pound of hanging weight
• Cure and smoke fees for bacon and ham, often charged per pound of green weight
• Sausage processing fees, sometimes with a seasoning or casing cost and a per-pound grinding charge
• Box charges, special packaging, or extra handling if requested

Example estimate, not a quote. Suppose you bring in a 280-pound live hog. A typical hanging weight might be around 72 percent of live weight, or roughly 200 pounds. Retail take-home usually lands between 65 and 75 percent of hanging weight depending on your cut choices, fat cover, and bone-in preferences. That means you might bring home 130 to 150 pounds of packaged pork. If your processor charges a harvest fee plus a per-pound cut and wrap rate, you would apply the per-pound cost to the 200-pound hanging weight. Cure and smoke fees apply to bellies and hams. Specialty sausage adds processing fees and sometimes the cost of casings or extra ingredients. Altogether, families often spend a few hundred dollars from harvest through packaging, with the final total rising if you add several smoked or specialty items. The best move is to call Wilson Farm Meats for a personalized estimate based on your hog and cut sheet.

Understanding weights and yields

Live, hanging, and take-home weights

Three numbers matter for hog processing near Elkhorn WI. Live weight is the weight of the hog on the hoof before harvest. Hanging weight, also called hot carcass weight after harvest, reflects the carcass without hide, head, feet, and internal organs. Take-home weight is what you pick up, packaged and frozen. Dressing percentage from live to hanging often falls between 70 and 75 percent for hogs. From hanging to packaged, yield depends on deboning, trimming, the amount of ground versus roasts, and whether you keep bones and skin. More boneless cuts and extra trimming reduce final pounds but can improve convenience and leanness. Smokehouse items lose moisture during curing and smoking, so finished smoked bacon and ham weigh less than their starting pieces.

Sample yield breakdown from a whole hog

Every animal is unique, but here is a general picture for planning.

• Chops and steaks such as loin or sirloin: about 25 to 35 percent of take-home weight
• Roasts including shoulder and loin roasts: about 10 to 20 percent
• Bacon from the belly before smoking: often 8 to 12 percent
• Ham whole or halves before smoking: often 12 to 18 percent
• Ribs: about 3 to 6 percent
• Ground pork and sausage: about 20 to 30 percent, depending on trim choices
• Bones, soup bones, and fat for lard vary by your preferences

Popular pork cut options

Family-friendly choices

• Chops cut at 1 inch for quick weeknight meals
• Boneless loin roasts in 2 to 3 pound sizes for easy roasting
• Shoulder roasts for slow cookers and pulled pork
• Ground pork in 1 or 2 pound packs for tacos, meatballs, and sauces
• Breakfast sausage in bulk, links, or patties
• Bacon sliced medium or thick, in 1-pound packages

For smokers and grillers

• St. Louis cut or spare ribs in pairs
• Thick cut chops for reverse sear
• Pork butt or picnic for low and slow barbecue
• Skin-on belly for custom bacon projects
• Ham left whole or halved for holiday smoking

Whole-animal and traditional options

• Jowls for guanciale or smoked jowl
• Leaf lard for baking
• Trotters and hocks for soups and stocks
• Liver, heart, and other organ meats if available
• Head for head cheese by request

Curing, smoking, and sausage choices

One of the joys of working with a full-service shop is the range of custom items you can take home. Wilson Farm Meats produces smoked favorites in-house at their Elkhorn facility, including bacon, ham, bratwurst, wieners, summer sausage, liver sausage, and ring bologna. When you complete your cut sheet, you can choose traditional cures, smoke levels, and sausage styles that fit your family. Keep in mind that curing and smoking add time to your order. Ask the team which flavors are currently available and which options require minimum batch sizes. If you want extra-lean sausage, spicier brats, or natural casings for snap, the crew can walk you through the tradeoffs and final costs before you commit.

Timelines: how long does cut and wrap take

Most hogs move from harvest to ready-for-pickup in about one to two weeks for fresh cuts. If you add curing and smoking, expect an additional one to three weeks, depending on the season and your selections. Fall and winter tend to be busier, so plan ahead and book early. Wilson Farm Meats keeps you updated at key stages and will call when your order is boxed and ready. If you are timing pickup for a holiday or event, mention that at booking so they can advise on realistic dates.

How to prepare for drop-off and pickup

• Reserve your date early, especially if you want smokehouse items for the holidays
• Think through your cut sheet and bring a list of must-have cuts
• Confirm if you want organs, leaf lard, or specialty items saved
• Have clear identification and required paperwork at drop-off
• Bring coolers for pickup, especially in warm weather or for longer drives
• Plan freezer space ahead of time so you can load and organize quickly

Freezer space and storage tips

A helpful rule of thumb is about 35 pounds of packaged meat per cubic foot of freezer space. If you are expecting 140 pounds of pork, budget roughly 4 to 5 cubic feet. Vacuum-sealed meats hold best in the freezer. Most cuts maintain quality for 10 to 12 months when well wrapped and kept at a steady temperature. Label reading helps with rotation, so store newest boxes underneath older ones and use the oldest first. Thaw in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Keep bacon and sausage well sealed after opening, and enjoy them within a few days for peak flavor.

Why choose Wilson Farm Meats for hog processing near Elkhorn WI

• Family-owned roots with more than 150 years of farming heritage in Walworth County
• Heritage breed pork from Wilson Prairie View Farms for consistent quality and flavor
• Custom cut and wrap that reflects your household’s cooking style
• In-house smokehouse for bacon, ham, and a wide range of sausages
• Friendly, knowledgeable staff who take time to explain options and costs
• Convenient Elkhorn location at 406 S. Wisconsin Street with easy parking
• Store hours designed for busy families: Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Weekly specials, value boxes, and community events like the Yearly Pig Sale
• One-stop local shop that also offers beef, poultry, seafood, and specialty meats

Frequently asked questions

• Q: Do I pay on live weight or hanging weight? A: Cut and wrap fees are usually based on hanging weight. Harvest fees are separate, and smoked or specialty items have their own charges.
• Q: How long does hog processing take? A: Fresh cuts are often ready in one to two weeks. Curing and smoking add time. Ask Wilson Farm Meats for current timelines.
• Q: Can I choose exact chop thickness and roast sizes? A: Yes. Your cut sheet covers chop thickness, bone-in or boneless, roast sizes, and how much trim goes to ground or sausage.
• Q: Can I keep organs, leaf lard, and bones? A: Usually yes if you request them early. Availability depends on your hog and local regulations.
• Q: What sausage options can I add? A: Wilson Farm Meats offers bratwurst, wieners, summer sausage, liver sausage, ring bologna, and more. Ask about seasonal flavors and minimums.
• Q: Do smoked items weigh less after processing? A: Yes. Cure and smoke remove moisture, so finished hams and bacon weigh less than raw pieces.
• Q: How much freezer space do I need? A: Plan on about 35 pounds per cubic foot. A typical whole hog take-home of 130 to 150 pounds needs 4 to 5 cubic feet.
• Q: Can I split a hog with another family? A: Many families split halves and choose separate cut sheets. Let the team know your plan when you book.
• Q: Do you process other animals? A: Wilson Farm Meats also processes locally raised beef, lamb, and veal, with custom cutting to your preferences.

How to book your processing

If you are ready to book hog processing near Elkhorn WI or want a quick estimate, contact Wilson Farm Meats. Stop by the store at 406 S. Wisconsin Street, Elkhorn, WI 53121 during business hours, or visit WILSONFARMMEATS.COM to learn more and see current specials. The team is happy to walk through your cut sheet, explain pricing, and schedule a date that fits your plans. Whether you raise your own hogs or are coordinating with a local farm, Wilson Farm Meats brings warm service, heritage know-how, and careful craftsmanship to every order. Get clear answers, choose cuts your family will love, and enjoy a true farm-to-table experience right here in Elkhorn.

Hog processing near Elkhorn WI is simple when you have a trusted local partner. With Wilson Farm Meats, you get quality, choice, and friendly guidance at every step. Call or visit today to secure your spot and bring home pork that is processed with care in the heart of your community.