Oh dear...

[milius2]

Nice, I have heard that pigs are quite clean animals if they have a run to poo in, or else they make a lot of mess. The pigs that my grandfather keep never leaves the barn and he has to work the poo out every day or two so it's a lot of work. And he keeps 3 generations of 3 pigs in circulation. Let say we slaughtered 3 few weeks back and one is for us second for himself and one for another family, the next 3 will be slaughtered in 6 months time or so but he will get babies in spring to keep the system going all year round. In this manner we never run out of pork for the table 3 families.

just to add he is 75 years old and has chikens, work a tractor with no power steering and helps me out in my building projects. I guess there is something good in keeping pigs discipline for sure. When he retires from it I will be very tempted to have a go myself, but now is looks like loads of messy work.

 

[spandit]

I'm told they won't poo where they sleep if they don't have to, so hopefully, the stable will remain fairly clean. Going to be difficult getting them slaughtered (and have to buy a freezer before then!) but I'm sure we'll cope. Just recovering from a nasty bout of food poisoning so the thought of eating pork turns my stomach at the moment

 

[richardhomer]

What a great present. Hope you and your family enjoy them

 

[Tengu]

And if you have a patch of land you want rotivated and manured, they will do it for you

 

[British Red]

Going to be difficult getting them slaughtered (and have to buy a freezer before then!) but I'm sure we'll cope.

Difficult how? If you mean logistically, you can kill and butcher your own if its just for your own consumption (but you cannot then sell or give away the meat)

 

[Macaroon]

Pigs, if kept properly, are amongst the cleanest of all domesticated animals; I'd rather do three nights in a pigsty than one in a sheepcote, and I've done both (don't ask! )

We still have neighbours who keep a few for personal meat supply and with good electric fencing they have them out on all sorts of ground to clear for folk around the area and have never had a problem with them. The old way used to be Pigs first, then when they've done their work run Geese over the ground for a while and you'd think twenty men had been over it with rakes for a month - perfect!

 

[spandit]

Difficult how? If you mean logistically, you can kill and butcher your own if its just for your own consumption (but you cannot then sell or give away the meat)

Not really up to the task of home slaughtering at the moment. I have the guns but handling all the waste as well as correctly butchering the carcass is completely beyond me. I also think two pigs are going to provide a large amount of pork so we'll need to sell some

 

[British Red]

There shouldn't really be too much waste - if you use the intestines as casings, make brawn, eat the liver, kidney, heart etc. Blood for black pudding and all that. I do take your point on the work and amount of meat though. Trailer and an slaughter house it is then - even butchering up the half pigs will take some work. Its something I would love to do but I wouldn't rear on concrete and we haven't the land to outdoor rear so I'll keep on with chooks.

 

[spandit]

As this is our first go, we'll keep it simple. I don't have the facilities to scald the carcass for dehairing and we'll probably get our sausages made for us too, although it's something I'd like to try

 

[Quixoticgeek]

As this is our first go, we'll keep it simple. I don't have the facilities to scald the carcass for dehairing and we'll probably get our sausages made for us too, although it's something I'd like to try

If you want I can teach you how to make sausages. Pretty simple skill.

One of the nice things about a pig is if you slaughter it at the right time of year (autumn is best), you can preserve the whole carcass without needing refridgeration. I've done Bacon, Ham, Salami, Chorizo etc...

There is a great book that is worth seeking out "Charcuterie and pork cookery".

J

 

[lou1661]

As this is our first go, we'll keep it simple. I don't have the facilities to scald the carcass for dehairing and we'll probably get our sausages made for us too, although it's something I'd like to try

On the farm that i grew up on the de-hairing was done with a loose covering of straw and a quick singe, followed by a scrape, seemed quite effective at the time.

 

[spandit]

Thanks, J, I'll look up that book & sure there will be people closer who can show us. I've got a good friend who has just been diagnosed coeliac so would want to make some gluten free ones.

Unfortunately, we'll be slaughtering in the summer. It's a great shame that mobile abattoirs don't seem to be a thing - would save a lot of animal distress for smallholders

 

[John Fenna]

We raise pigs (3 - 6 at a time) at the Care Farm I work on. Our pigs go to a fairly local abattoir and come back as glorious sausages. The folk who spend the year feeding and loving the pigs also love the sausages ... having the whole process done "out of sight" takes away the distress that "on site" slaughter and processing could cause (the folk who use the Care Farm have various learning disabilities etc).
The sausages are really good and so are the burgers from the lambs we raise and send to the same abattoir.....our fund raising "BBQs" are all well attended!

 

[spandit]

I also think that using professionals reduces the risk of mucking things up. I can think of little worse than an agonised pig screaming in agony with its face half blown off because I've shot it in the wrong place.

Even the thought of slap marking them seems barbaric at the moment but I'm sure I'll get in a bad enough mood to do it

 

[British Red]

I advise not watching some of the films of what happens in abattoirs. There's no guarantee that mistakes aren't made there.I think building up to it is fine, but I suspect home despatch and butchery is often the most humane.

 

[spandit]

Quite probably but I'd rather they make the mistakes than me. My wife doesn't even want to think about making sausages ourselves just yet either

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Sounds like the start of an epic adventure, all the better for a banquet at the end. Looking forwards to reading about them when they arrive.

 

[milius2]

as above, can't wait to see them coming home and settling. We do the butchering ourselves, but that's a big job indeed. After helping out in about 15 pigs I'm still far from handling the job myself. And we have a special storeroom for the mountain of meat for processing, so you need quite some set up to do it at home. And yes, late autumn or winter is best for slaughter, you have more time to chill and process the meat before it starts to spoil so there is less sweat. A nice adventure upcoming

 

[bigbear]

Great present, so good for your land, your larder and your soul. Rearing any animal well is a balm to modern madness.

 

[spandit]

Busy clearing the land for the pen today. Didn't realise quite how much wire & rubble was dumped there. Some of the old stock fencing is underneath tree roots (quite large roots!) which doesn't help. Got a big load of old stock fencing & barbed wire going to the tip soon

Looking forward to seeing it all nicely ploughed. They've got a big stump to scratch against & plenty of brambles to eat - there's an oak tree next to it too, although sadly they're unlikely to benefit from any acorns