What to do with a whole pig?

Beki

penpen - we did this this year. we sent our two (garry and minty) off in august and we still haven't made a dent in the meat and we eat pork a LOT these days :rotfl:

i'm afriad i can't help you on how to have it butchered, as i wrote a huge long list and when i gave it to the butcher he chuckled and asked me if i realised i'd doubled up my joints on practically EVERYTHING? :rotfl:

so i just told him to do it as primal as he could, but still manageable for me, and i'd do the rest.

a lot of sharp knives and a few hrs later and me and my sister had just about cut it into rough joints... they're not the prettiest, but it's only for us and we're not bothered, so...

good luck with it hun! you're doing something commendable and i wish more people had the opportunity to do the same thing! :beer:

timmmers wrote: »

I'm not vegan, just had a bacon butty in fact...but it didn't trot happily up to meet me yesterday if you know what I mean

t

no. it was probably raised indoors on bare wooden slats without ever seeing the light of day. that's if it was lucky and raised in the uk :cool:

MC_Emily_2

Quote:
Originally Posted by MC_Emily
Whatever cuts you ask for, just make sure it's YOUR pig you get back....many abbatoirs can't guarantee this :mad:

:eek::eek::eek: How will we know



You won't, unless you know and can trust your abattoir. This is one of the sad facts about local abattoirs closing down. They used to offer a very personal service. The only way to be absolutely sure is to slaughter and butcher your own animals at home. Here's a link to The Food Agency's "Home Slaughter of Livestock - A Guide to the Law in England" http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/homekillguide09.pdf

Don't dismiss this out of hand. It's a far nicer way than hauling them off to the abattoir. Don't think for one moment your anmals won't know where they're going...becaue they will. They start to panic when they pick up the smell of fear hormones given off by the animals who went before them. Sorry, but it's true. The meat from an abattoir is often tough because of the stress caused by the journey too, even if they've been in lairage.

Culling animals at home is far better. No stressful loading, travelling, unloading etc. Everything can be done as calmly as possible. Starve the animals overnight but allow access to water and NEVER EVER kill one animal in front of another...but that should go without saying, really. The meat will be far better, you'll know you have your own meat (very important!) and the process will be easier for you as you'll know you've done what needs to be done in the nicest possible way.

Hope this helps.

forestlands

Hi folks, short post stopped to dry out. My how time flies :rolleyes:

Many thanks, for your thank, thriftylady! A lady after my own heart - can do so much with a pig, brawn is great and a pleasure to make as you know you are saving soooo much money and preparing something tasty.

Would like to mention keeping pigs, as I see it, my pigs have pens with straw beds in the piggery with access to outdoors. Oak trees with acorns! :jThere are fruit trees to lay under and a lovely area of grass leading to the pond with mud for comfort in the hot summer. Fruit from the trees are much appreciated.! Toys are provided. :jPigs make a wonderful nest for their young and are mostly great mums. Would like to think they have a good life. There are excess pig, at times, which I sell at a price to cover costs. Happy pig keeping folks - just been offered freeby spuds from a local farmer :j.

Kind regards Forestlands.