U.S. pigs are too plump to sell as holiday hams

Hogs in the United States are so heavy that many can't actually be sold as spiral-cut hams this holiday season.

A virus killed millions of piglets last year, which led to farmers feeding pigs for longer periods of time to make up for their losses, Bloomberg reports. When a pig's hind legs are on the larger size, they are unable to be used as 7-pound spiral-cut half hams. That type of ham is at its most popular around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"This year has been a struggle for people that sell half hams because heavier hogs are coming to market," Brian Mariuz of Honeybaked Ham Co. told Bloomberg. "Seven-pound hams are in the highest demand and in the lowest supply." About 5 million fewer pigs than usual were slaughtered in 2014, meaning the number of hind legs used for hams is down by more than 10 million.

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