Meanwhile, live cattle posted significant gains and feeders closed higher.

Residual selling and initial spot-month fund liquidation failed most lean hog contracts on the open. However, hogs firmed as shorts covered positions heading into the weekend and after October bounced off the 10-day moving average support floor.

Pork futures quickly gathered upward momentum after October became the target of bull spreads. And, live cattle's sudden cash-related surge provided added incentive for hog futures buyers.

Also, speculative distant-month hedgers were emboldened by the potential that China might buy U.S. pork later in the year and reduced hog supplies due to relatively high feed input costs, a trader said.

Country hog buyers anticipate a mixed cash hog trade on Monday as packersbalance unsatisfactory calculated profit margins against the need for supplies given lighter hog weights.