[bigchicken]

I sent my first ever pigs away yesterday 11-11-15 for pork what kinds of cuts are usual and I also want sausages.

[HappyHippy]

There's a great guide to the cuts on the love pork website (using my phone and can't post a link - sorry!) it's easier to look at that than type you a list 
If you can't find it, tell me your email address and I'll email you it 

[Andrew]

If you need any help just let me know. Could you tell me what weights they make please.

[greenbeast]

probably too late for sausages if the pigs have already gone? who is doing the cutting?
The butcher will need to know your requirements?

[Bionic]

I made a list of requirements and took it to the abattoir with me when the pigs went (he does the cutting there)
Even so it was still unclear and he gave me a call to go over what I wanted.

[TheSmilingSheep]

They are likely (you very much hope!) to hang the pigs so no immediate hurry to get instructions to them....

[greenbeast]

ours would be with butcher the next day and potentially cut the day after. So our butcher would want to know within 24 hours or us taking them to abbatoir what we wanted

[hughesy]

I would think it normal to have a plan for this sort of thing in place before the pigs were slaughtered. Is the abattoir doing the butchery for you? If so didn't they ask about your requirements when the pigs were delivered to them? And if a third party is doing the work surely it's been planned in advance?

[pharnorth]

Mine went Tuesday and I am picking up tomorrow. The abbatoir usually take my instructions same day.  Now on year 3 I don't struggle to go from good bye pigs to 'chops please' on the same trip anymore!  In case it is helpful my list is:

Pork chops
belly pork strips
Leg joints 2kg and 3kg
Lots of sausages from shoulder and other bits
Liver
Kidneys

That seems to give a good selection of useful cuts and I find all the smaller cuts sell very quickly if I want to sell any. It is a good easy basic list and you can refine it once you are clear on what you like best.

[MarthaR]

Hi bigchicken

Thought I would respond as this was one of the things 2.5years ago which I read a lot about to the extent I confused the heck out of myself. My abattoir is also my butcher and I found them very helpful. They always hang for a few days and so always ask me to email/phone through/handover cutting asks the day after. They also have a standard cutting list which in my experience includes - selection of shoulder and leg joints, pork chops, tenderloin, hocks and belly pieces. I get all the 'spare bits' made into sausages. Plus the trotters and offal and head if I want it.
Since, I ask for a few different things - a couple of back legs tunnel boned so I can brine them for hams (good for Christmas), instead of chops I ask them to cut small bone-in loin joints as I find them brilliant small roasts and sometimes instead I ask for a whole loin/ side so I can make bacon. So when I have two going I often have one cut into standard cutting list and the other into whole loins and large pieces of belly for bacon, plus back legs for hams (tunnel boned) and then the rest into small joints / sausages.
Hope that's helpful input.
Martha

[bigchicken]

Cheers thanks. The butcher is going to contact me when he gets the pigs to discuss my requirements I have a fare idea what I want just wanted to see what other folks thought. I've got everything planned no panic Mr Manering.

[oaklandspigs]

This form may help you work out some options

http://www.smithersbutchers.co.uk/pork-cutting-form/

It shows what my butcher has as his 'standard cut' and if you ignore completing the form and scroll down to 'First Cutting' Instructions to click 'individual cuts', it shows the most popular options for each bit.

There are as always lots of options, but this might help your thinking !

[bigchicken]

Hi Andrew both pigs were just over 75 kg butcher said they were not bad at all maybe a little bit of fat but nothing drastic and he will use some for the sausages. I am very pleased and think I did them ok they were very easy to keep looking forward to tasting them.

[Andrew]

Thanks for letting me know, I took our 3 to Shotts yesterday. picking them up tomorrow.