Yesterday my son Jason and I made around 51#s of fresh Hungarian sausage. Both of my son-in-laws were supposed to help but both came down with the flu. One was in bed for two days. So it was just the two of us at first. We ground the pork, mixed the spices, and stuffed around 170 brat sized links. Jason's wife Joyce came down to the basement to help out. First she ran the vacuum sealer, but graduated to twirling the links. Both of our grand daughters came down also and helped out spinning the grinder handle, or even twirling the links. Turned out to be a great family day in the basement. And the smell of fresh ground pepper and crushed garlic is like none other. Hope heaven smells like this!

Frank.

Good family time! My 3 brother and two sisters used to make sausage.It was fun when we first started,but friends and other relations wanted some also. What we did was cut up 3 - 2-250lb hogs and mixed and old sow with them . This would keep the meat leaner.The last time we made 1000lbs of sausage,about 750lb of rope and 250 of loose.
When making that much,the fun just not there anymore!.Also cold smoked a fair amount.
With the price of sausage,i might have to shoot a hog.

Back in our subsistance days, we butchered three hogs a year. We always put one into whole-hog sausage. We never did links, only bulk. Now there is a country butcher shop about 40 miles away that sells whole hog sausage for $1.89 a pound, wrapped and frozen. We get orders from the family, and make a once a year pilgrimage to get 100 to 150 pounds of sausage.

And Jarentz, you are right. Once something gets out of hand like that, it goes from fun to "work" in a hurry.

Hal

I've helped butcher 6 hogs since the first of the year. 4 one day, and 2 more, maybe a month later for another friend.

There were 5 of us working on the first 4 pigs. We skinned them, really once you get started, it's just like working up a deer or anything else.

Good weather and let them hang one night, then sliced and ground the meat the next day.

Not sure? Lots of folks think that working up a pig is just too much work. We had the first 4 hanging, rinsed off and cleaned up, hearts/livers ready for slicing. I was cleaned up, and ready for work, before 2pm.