The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: gem on June 30, 2011, 02:57:42 pm

Title: what age?
Post by: gem on June 30, 2011, 02:57:42 pm

what age should an entire saddleback boar be brought to slaughter?   would it be better to use the end product for pork or for bacon? i was even wondering if it was viable to turn the whole boar into sausages?

he was kept  entire for breeding but it no longer looks like he will be needed he is now 4mths

Title: Re: what age?
Post by: Sudanpan on June 30, 2011, 03:24:18 pm

We took our 4 GOS entire boars through to 7 months last year - had a variety of pork, bacon, cured meat and sausages and all were very tasty :o)
Tish

Title: Re: what age?
Post by: JulieS on June 30, 2011, 04:18:00 pm

I usually send my boys, who are GOS, off between 7 and 8 months.  You get a reasonable sized rasher of bacon as well as joints, sausages and burgers etc.  The whole boar into sausages would definitely be possible....a lot of sausages though.

Some people advise to send entire boars off by the time they are 6 months old because of boar taint.  I've never experienced it though.

Title: Re: what age?
Post by: Tiva Diva on July 01, 2011, 06:09:34 pm

We normally send our OSBs off at 6 months. That's our optimal for cost, and they start squabbling more as they get older. We did have to take one on to nearly 9 months once due to a series of weather/butcher problems: it was a big carcass but no taint.