Whole Ibérico Pigs for Sale in California
We are the only farm in the USA offering whole Iberian pigs direct to customers for processing and custom butchering.
Fill a Freezer ● Cure Your Own Meat ● Split with a Friend ● Restaurant/Catering*
Whole Pig Purchase Options
Purchase a whole pig ranging in age from 7-10 months, weighing 180-250 pounds. Pigs are born in the summer and harvested between January and March of the next year. These pigs forage daily and spend some time eating acorns in the fall, based on supply and timing, but not a full montanera fattening period.
Additional costs include processing and butchering, which are performed by certified professionals offsite.
Young Whole Pig
$1,000 - $1,300 USD
How it Works
We make it easy for you to buy a whole Ibérico pig!
To comply with California and USDA regulations, the Customer buys the live pig and reimburses us for processing fees incurred. We transport your pig to the processing facility, and they take your pig to an authorized butcher. The customer will contact and pay the butcher directly based on desired cuts and final product weight, and will pick up the meat from the butcher.
*For restaurants or caterers, our preferred processing facility is USDA certified and can complete a compliant chain of custody to a USDA butcher.
Reserve now; ready in Q1, 2027
Purchase a whole adult pig finished with an authentic montanera period, resulting in a much higher weight with more marbling and high fat content. Acorn finished pigs weigh 300 - 375 pounds. Pigs are born in the summer and harvested 14-18 months later after gaining about 100 pounds during the acorn gorging season - most of which is due to fat accumulation. During this time, they stop eating grains and rely exclusively on the land to provide.
Additional costs include processing and butchering, which are performed by certified professionals offsite.
Montanera Finished Pig
$2,000 - $3,000 USD
Reserve now; ready in Q1, 2028
Whole Pig FAQs
Why is the pig purchase “live?” And why do I pay the butcher separately?
1
California has lots of regulations to keep animals and consumers safe. To stay out of the principal’s office, we sell a live pig to you for a certain amount. Then, we charge a separate “transportation and processing fee” that covers transporting the pig that you now own for processing and then safely to the butcher. At each step of the way, your pig is the responsibility of multiple, but separate, highly regulated businesses. Once your pig is out of our hands, we can no longer charge you for it. Therefore, you must pay the butcher directly and pick up your own meat. It seems like a lot of steps, but we make it really easy!
So, how much does a whole pig cost once I’ve paid the butcher? And how much meat will I get?
2
It all depends on the weight of the pig. You pay Bellota Farms for the live pig (see pricing above). You also reimburse us for the processing and transport, which is somewhere around $200-$300 per pig (also determined by weight). You then pay the butcher between $1.10 and $1.65 per pound of “hanging weight” in order to get your finished meat (the higher price is for USDA butchering; the lower price is for home consumption only meat). FYI, “hanging weight” is about 70% of the weight of the live pig; if your pig weighs 225 pounds when you buy her from us, your butchering fees will be calculated at about 158 pounds. You take home, give or take, about 50% of the original weight of the pig in finished cuts and even fat. This is why it will be important to talk directly with the butcher as cut options can change your pricing.
All in, a young pig might cost $1,750 - $2,000, which is $14-$16/pound of final product
All in, a montanera pig might cost $3,000 - $4,000, which is $16 - $20/pound
Do you have a preferred butcher?
What if I want to use my own butcher?
What if I live in another state?
3
Our farm to processor to butcher flow relies on Olson Meats in Orland for processing and Lepe’s Foods in Santa Rosa for butchering. All customers wanting the seamless experience of us to transporting your pig for processing and further transport for butchering, must use these vendors. We can establish a proper, regulated chain of custody for the animals this way, keeping our hands clean and your meat safe.
If you want to use your own butcher, we have a few options. Customers can choose any partner of Olson Meats where delivery of the carcass is possible. This may incur higher fees and extra steps. Or, you can buy the live pig and pick it up at our farm, taking it directly to your processor and butcher of choice, as long as it’s in California, and you’re not going to try to resell the meat (bad choice; that’s illegal).
Live outside of California? It’s a little trickier, but we’re really good at blending compliance and creativity. If you hire a cold chain transporter, or personally take a drive into the Golden State with a few big coolers, as long as you’ve had the meat butchered as USDA certified, you can take it back home, wherever home is.
I’m a restaurant, caterer, or I want to buy multiple pigs of a certain weight.
Can you work with me on a custom order?
4
Can pigs fly? No! But can Bellota Farms make your Ibérico dreams come true? We will certainly try.
Contact us to discuss options for whole animal sales, such as bulk cochinillo-age pigs, or multiple live Ibérico pigs for your food establishment. While we cannot sell packaged fresh meat under any circumstances, we are happy to work with you to be part of your vision in a compliant manner.
At this time, we are not selling whole animals for commercial curing facilities to package and sell under their own private label. However, we are always open to conversations and ideas for collaborations that we have not considered, so please contact us!
I cure my own meat at home. It’s kind of my thing. How do I get my hands on a jamón leg to cure?
5
You’re a person after our own hearts. We’ve got you, home-curing-enthusiasts.
You’re going to need to purchase a whole pig. That’s the only compliant way to get you the raw jamón legs and paletas that you want to cure. Lepe’s Foods will work with you on a custom butchering plan to ensure that the pig is cut to your specs and ready for the curing chamber. You can cure all 4 legs and consume the rest of the meat, or you can split the cost of a pig with a fellow curing friend (but you have to do that on your end; we can’t help due to Paperwork Rules).
Consider the age of the pig before curing - a young whole pig will be more economical than a fully finished Montanera pig, but the Montanera pig will give you the fat profile you’re possibly seeking. Make sure to tell us you plan to cure when purchasing so that we can hand-select a pig of the right weight and with fat profile for this purpose.