Not only is the pork a little leaner if you stay under the 250-300 range; the rate of conversion from feed to meat starts to really fall off. You are putting in alot more feed per pound of gain after the 250 weight or so. They are "done growing" so to speak so are then "porking up". Years ago the standard thing was to get pigs in late mar or april, then butchering was Thanksgiving time. Most old timers only had one set of pigs a year because there were too many other things to be doing and certain "jobs" were done at certain times a year. They were in the 7-9 month range and most were in the 300 + range.
Don't forget, too, years ago the fat was rendered down into lard and cracklin's. Nowadays, hogs are seldom scalded and scraped, the hams and bacons aren't cured with the skin on, and few even have tasted lard let alone depended on it for their "grease or shortening". A 250 lb hog is also easier to hang and skin and all that for the average person doing their own butchering; years ago people got together and did butchering/scalding parties and would do hogs for several families at a time. Many hands.....
