Effect of selected variables on prices received for feeder pigs in the Cookeville Feeder Pig Sales

Records from 3,061 pens (409,256 pigs) sold in the Cookeville Feeder Pig Sales from 1970 through 1973 were studied to determine the effects of grade, pen size, and average weight per pen on average price per hundredweight and price per head for feeder pigs.

Grade of pigs had a highly significant effect on price per hundredweight and price received per head in both analyses. Pigs grading U.S. No. 1 and No. 2 sold for an average of $0.65 more per head and $1.86 more per hundredweight than pigs grading U.S. No. 3; $3.84 per head and $7.36 per hundredweight more than U.S. No. 4 and $7.20 per head and $11.74 more per hundredweight than U.S. Utility.

There was a definite price advantage per hundredweight and per head for pigs selling in larger pens; however, as pen size increased beyond an undetermined point, the price received for larger pens decreased slightly. These data indicated that buyers were willing to pay a premium for pen sizes that would accommodate a deck load. If average number of pigs per pen exceeded that of a deck and not equal to two decks, the price paid would be somewhat less.

Differences in average weight per pen were a highly significant source of variation in price. When price received per hundredweight was regressed on average weight per pen, with all other sources of variation held constant, these data indicated that as average weight per pen increased the price per hundredweight decreased.

When average price received per head was regressed on average weight per pen, with all other sources of variation held constant, these data indicated that the buyers were willing to pay more for heavier pigs when numbers accommodating multiple decks existed.