The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: white-blazes on May 05, 2011, 03:53:21 pm
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Our pigs are now 5 months old. Is there an ideal time to take to slaughter, or is it just whenever you feel like it?
thanks
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What breed are they? Are they male or female? Our boys go off at 6 months to limit the chance of boar taint. Some large breeds are ready to go sooner. We kept some females back last year and have just sent them off at 12 months ... bacon from them is wonderful! ;D
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More to do with weight than age - also if you want pork joints etc or just sausages :yum:
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Thank you, they are both boys, and are, according to the breeder Gloucester Old Spot x Leicester White but there isn't a spot to be found on them (perhaps this is normal).
We don't know what cuts to do yet to tell the truth, it's our first time.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225352_10150163811630755_654925754_7084579_8301821_n.jpg)
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Aw sweet.
I can't comment on the breed - only have wee Kune Kunes - but they look very content & healthy. I believe anything between 65-80kg is the usual for the one-way trip ;)
Probably better to talk to a few butchers about the cuts a while beforehand - your abbatoir may have a butcher linked to them or recommend one. Also, try a few of the piggie folks on here in your area - they may be able to recommend too.
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Thanks B, hubby is a softee at heart :love:
Without sounding stupid ??? how do you weigh pigs?
We're taking them to an abatoir in Denbighshire, as being on Anglesey, there's not a great deal of choice and Denbigshire do the whole job.
How do I find out who on here is in my area, as locations aren't shown are they? Or am I beingthick again ;D
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Ah, yes the weights - sorry. There is a thread on here where HappyHippy gave a link to a site with this - you will need a tape measure & get length by girth (try doing a search on here) will try & find it for you.
You can find where TAS members are by clicking on their name, but not everyone puts theirs on here - you could try a post & see who replies - there's got to be a few out there, even if they are hiding ;) ;D
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Actually found the instructions typed -up on here by a couple of helpful folks - search "weighing pigs" or "measurement" & they should come up.
HTH
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I'm going a bit off the subject here and I don't yet have my smallholding so no pigs, but I have been told that when you take your animals to a slaughter house you don't always get your own carcases back. I am horrified at the thought that I might put in a lot of hard work ensureing i know what my animals eat and then get someone elses in return. Is that really the case?
Sally
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Thanks B, I will search now. Wasn't sure if it was a tape around their bellies as we do for horses ;D
Bionic, that can't be right surely :o
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bionic this has happened to others it looks like they are still intact depends on the size of hubby i would say 60-70 kilos :wave:
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Bionic it happened to a couple of different friends of ours. If you slap mark your pigs on both shoulders and both hams and check the carcasses when you collect you will have no problems.
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We measure behind the front legs around the chest. When the tape reads 40" they're ready to go. This is at approx 24 weeks. Our pigs are GOS.
HTH
Mandy :pig:
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We measure behind the front legs around the chest. When the tape reads 40" they're ready to go. This is at approx 24 weeks. Our pigs are GOS.
HTH
Mandy :pig:
Thanks Mandy :)
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We measure behind the front legs around the chest. When the tape reads 40" they're ready to go. This is at approx 24 weeks. Our pigs are GOS.
HTH
Mandy :pig:
Measured them today, they are 32 inches around their girth, and are about 23 weeks now, so a bit small yes?
Looking at my photo above, do they resemble GOS x LW ?
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a bit of lop i think :wave:
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Is that a recent piccy? We sent ours off at 62 Kg and 86 Kg (Male and female) at about 6 1/2 months. They look like they've got a bit of growing to do - by the way your hubby is scratching them I'll be wondering if they go at all :)
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Yes it was taken this last week. He was chanting 'happy pigs are tasty pigs' ;D
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Our pigs are now 5 months old. Is there an ideal time to take to slaughter, or is it just whenever you feel like it?
thanks
I would have done them younger. 5 months is getting a big old and if you want to do it yourself then a bit heavy at that.
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Agree with Lillian looks like a bit of Lop in them which is maybe what your friend has as a Leicester White (no such breed??) crossed with a GOS. If they're 23 weeks they're well behind I would up their feed a little by a 1lb each day, they should be growing an inch to inch & half per week now.
HTH
Mandy :pig:
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I would have done them younger. 5 months is getting a big old and if you want to do it yourself then a bit heavy at that.
A bit old at 5 months??????? Blimey I'm obviously missing a trick here :o Our 4 GOS boars went at 7 months last year - kill weight ranged from 65 - 82kg, I wouldn't have wanted to send them any younger and they were perfect in the meat to fat ratio.
Our GOS x OSB gilts are 5 months old now - biggest is 40 inch girth, but I'm going to keep them for another 2 months
Tish
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this is one of the problems with pigs and the large variety of breeds feeding and there environment
where does it say that at 6months the pig has to go to slaughter equally you don't have to keep it to 120kgs
they all grow at different speeds and at different times of the year summer they will put more weight on than winter
blonde lives in oz where it is hot and the pigs develop faster all factors have to be considered
the younger the pig the less saleable meat the older (up to 120kgs) the more meat and produced at less per kilo
from approx 60 kilos-120kilos the last 60 are put on the carcase quicker and cheaper
it all comes down to your preference :wave: :pig: :wave:
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Thanks all ;)