The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: topofthehill on November 23, 2013, 11:08:30 am
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Hi, we are completely new to smallholding. We bought a smallholding with 13 acres, 2 weeks ago. It came complete with 3 geese, a milking goat and 3 pigs. On Thursday the boar managed to get onto the main road and had to be chased back, fortunately no damage was done. He and the 2 sows are all huge! Aged between 5 and 8 years we are told. The out buildings they live are in need of immediate repair, and the fencing around the farm is all falling apart. The questions are:-
1. can we get them slaughtered on our own land (they have numbers but no tags, and we have no transport for them.) with the meat to be used for our own use only (as sausage?)
2. if this is allowed, how do we find someone to do the deed? We are near Carmarthen.
3. if it's not possible does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance for any help and advice
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I use a livestock transport company who deliver mine to the abattoir, there is a good list of recommended ones at the top of the pig page, it might be worth speaking to a nearby one and see who they would recommend, they may even butcher them for you too, that way you could sell some as three large pigs are going to need an awful lot of freezer space.
They would need to be tagged or slapmarked, we just tag ours before they are loaded onto the lorry.
Can't help with the home kill aspect, but I think that it is a bit of a minefield.
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I would try your local EHO, they are usually based in the local council offices they may have a list, or the local fallen stock company, http://www.nfsco.co.uk/. (http://www.nfsco.co.uk/.) If they were free I would just get them shot and get rid of, so you have time to fence properly. Make sure your insurance covers 3rd party for animals
My worry would be getting the carcase chilled quickly. Good Luck
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Basically you can kill for your own use and your immediate family who live there with you BUT you have to do the killing and butchery. It's illegal for a licensed slaughter man to come and do it for you. They can only operate from the slaughter house. And butchers can only do the butchery in licensed cutting plants and butchers, not at your place.
You might be able to find someone unofficial but with a gun licence to shoot it and then you do your own butchery perhaps. Not sure if that's allowed. But with those sizes of beasts, what would you do to keep it cool or even where would you put the meat quantity?
If you do go for home kill you will have to remove and dye all the specified parts of the animal which are not allowed to go into the food chain to be taken away by the fallen stock people, it must be disposed of through a licensed collector.
In this scenario I would get fallen stock peeps to come and shoot and take away the pigs, so you can get everything up straight for livestock. National fallen livestock company have agents nationwide.
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home kill guidance from FSA attached
http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/guidancenotes/meatregsguid/home-slaughter-livestock/livestockguidance/#.UpDeZaJFC1s (http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/guidancenotes/meatregsguid/home-slaughter-livestock/livestockguidance/#.UpDeZaJFC1s)
It is of course written by the food standards agency who don't want this sort of thing happening, and whilst what they have written is technically correct, they have left out some bits that might be helpful.
However having said that, that's not the route I'd suggest you go.
Firstly - the fact that they pigs are not ID'd is not a problem, if they were born or moved there at under a year of age, they can quite legally be tag free, so simply don't worry about this.
Secondly - I presume you have taken over a holding no. (CPH) - you'll need it for both the pigs and goat. If not simply come back for further help. Did you also take over a herd no. for your pigs and a flock no. for your goat? again come back if not. These are quite easily obtained, and cost nothing to get.
Once you have a herd no. then register with the movement system for pigs www.eaml2.org.uk (http://www.eaml2.org.uk) , and buy at least three eartags with the no. on - google livestock eartags for loads of suppliers or 'supplies for smallholders ' who post on here is a good source.
With holding no., herd no. tags and registered with eaml you all ready to buy and sell livestock !
I'd recommend two courses of action.
1. Sell the pigs as "cull" stock into the market or direct to your local abattoir. If you look on our website you find the good abattoir guide www.oaklandspigs.co.uk/abattoirs (http://www.oaklandspigs.co.uk/abattoirs) which will list ones near you (and I expect other TAS people will recommend). Phone the abattoirs and see if they want two cull sows and a cull boar. If they are interested ask them who does transport, and they should be able to tell you of a local haulier. They'll pay xx pence per pound for them, and this should easily cover the cost of transport and give you some seed money for some weaners which will better suit you. If the abattoir won't you can similarly get them hauled to a local livestock market (is there one in Camarthen still?) - again phone the market, and they'll know who hails pigs in your area. You'll get less at market, but should still make a profit.
2. Do them off for sausages. Firstly you'll get an awful lots of sausages from one pig, let alone three. Expect around 300 bags of 6 sausages weighing a pound from a reasonable size sow! But again you could send one of to the abattoir for yourself, and the other two either sell to the abattoir or the market. I'd not sausage a cull boar, sell him instead.
With the money you get, buy a couple of weaners in the spring, and invest in some fencing, and start pig keeping as a great way to get bacon, ham, sausages, leg of pork, pork chops - all tasting great !
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When you say "they have numbers", do you mean they are tattooed?