Author Topic: abbatoirs ::) (Read 3494 times)

waterbuffalofarmer · « **on:** June 21, 2016, 07:04:13 pm »

We have had a buffalo cull heifer booked in for 2 weeks now, last wednesday the guy rang up to cancel because he had 3 cattle to kill that morning, being brought in by another farmer with short notice, this week he has canceled again due to the guy who has the special liscense to kill the buffalo not being able to come. It is just getting a bit beyond the joke now, she really needs to go, as she is a bit of a nusience, if it happens again I'll just have to book her into wrexham, not really wanting to go there as it is too far in my opinion. Has anyone else had these problems with their abbatoirs at all? I use Tregaron and it is the first time I have had problems.

Backinwellies · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2016, 07:07:32 pm »

Love Tregaron myself but then I'm not taking buffalo!

Bionic · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2016, 11:06:08 am »

I use Tregaron too and get on very well with them but have only ever taken sheep and pigs.

I guess their problem is that they are only a small operations of there isn't much wriggle room for them

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #3 on:** June 30, 2016, 10:42:04 pm »

Well I sent her off the slaughter yesterday morning, so all being well the meat we should be having back in 2 weeks time!

I felt extremely sad leaving her there, she was dead almost straight away, she was going in as I left. It isn't as bad with a sheep when you have a large flock, but with a larger animal when you have handled them from birth, seen them every day and fed them and cared for them it is extremely hard to part with them, they almost have all their own personalities.

landroverroy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 01, 2016, 10:18:29 am »

That's farming for you - goes with the job

However, I believe that if you treat the animals with compassion and respect while they are in your care, and do your best to ensure that they will be similarly treated up to their demise, then you can do no more.
After all if no one ate meat then they would never have lived in the first place. So hopefully a brief but pleasant life is better than no life at all.

Coximus · « **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2016, 08:31:55 am »

Small abattoirs have this problem, they have to jump around.
Do your best to support them.

When all the small guys are left and all we have are the big guys, you'll be out of business - There are plenty of places that don’t do individual kills, don’t do private kills, have huge minimum prices etc.

~Support the little guys, they’re our equivalents at the next point in the supply chain, just like the village butcher is to the supermarket and we are to the Intensive finishing farm.

Just be polite and say you want to use and support them as their small and local,. but cancelled twice is a bit much - should be clear enough to all and sundry,

pharnorth · « **Reply #6 on:** September 01, 2016, 08:43:23 am »

Yes it's irritating but Coximus is spot on. If you were going to a big one they have more staff and facilities but then they may well squeeze you out anyway. in the old days if you couldn't get to the local abbatior one day then they would slot you in the next now it is much more complicated and if they had extra staff hanging around for when the odd booking coincided it would cost more as well.

Shropshirelass · « **Reply #7 on:** September 03, 2016, 07:35:29 am »

The thing is as well u said the guy had to have a special license to do Buffalo as well, so you've got to think how many Buffalo are processed in the uk, compared to normal beef cattle & it's not a lot so your not going to get many people allowed to or wanting to slaughter them perhaps, so you may have to wait & not rush things. Unless your cattle are restricted & need to be slaughtered within a certain time period & your not desperate to sell the meat & their not going to loose or gain to much weight, slaughter shouldn't have to be something that you think of as oh I've got to get them done. Raising these animals to be quality meat takes time & respect towards the animal & the effort put in really shows.

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #8 on:** September 03, 2016, 03:54:08 pm »

the thing is she had to go as she kept prolapsing and no matter what we or the very did she wouldnt stop, so slaughter was the only option, hence my rant. I think thry kill a few every year for a buffalo meat breeder anyway. What they did in the end though was they shot her through the head and thrn cut her throat, right before she died, so she bled properly and it was all really quick (& legal).