The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: chickens on March 27, 2008, 12:30:03 pm

Title: Tainted meat
Post by: chickens on March 27, 2008, 12:30:03 pm
Having just read some posts on tainted meat am worried now that we may not be able to eat our male pig.  We originally bought duroc x tamworth piglets for breeding but have since been told that many people do not like the black meat, the male pig is approximately nine months old and not castrated, he has been seen trying to do something (lol) with the female but not sure if he was serious or not!

Would we be better to keep him as his meat may be no good?

Many thanks for your advice.


Nicki
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: pigsatlesrues on March 27, 2008, 12:41:01 pm
Our very first Tammy slaughterd was a 9 month old and uncastrated and infact he fathered a litter two days before slaughter with his sister - a total accident, but his meat was just fantastic, out of this world.

Get him slaughtered asap if that is the route you decided for him. I personally don't think you will have a problem at all with tainted flavour.

HM never castrates her males - we have just put one of her boys in the freezer at nine months old - the meat is just wonderful - Tammy/GOS cross. There really isn't any need to worry!

Kate
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: The Chicken Lady on March 27, 2008, 12:45:09 pm
I too have read the post about tainted meat and am worried as I will be collecting our two weaners tomorrow - both boars.
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: Rosemary on March 27, 2008, 06:33:32 pm
We've had uncastrated boars three times, I think, and no boar taint.
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: nellie on March 27, 2008, 10:11:16 pm
we too have eaten an uncastrated boar & the meat was fine

however I know people who have h
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: nellie on March 27, 2008, 10:15:52 pm
oops sorry pressed the wrong button ???

Although our boar was fine other people I know werent as fortunate

they had boar taint from a 7 month boar so please dont assume it will never happen

we castrate all our boars before 6 weeks old as a precaution unless we intend to breed from them - and we have found that they gain weight quicker than the uncastrated males

worse case scenario for your entire boar - bacon & sausages! ???

will our entire boar we tested a small piece of meat first - it was fine - if it hadnt been we would have converted him to hams salamis & bangers ;D
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: The Chicken Lady on March 28, 2008, 08:07:43 am
If I test the meat first what sought of taste would I get and then would it be OK for bacon and sausage? :-\
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: nellie on March 28, 2008, 08:35:19 am
I understand that  during cooking the meat can give of an unpleasant almost fishy odour :P
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: The Chicken Lady on March 28, 2008, 08:43:42 am
So if this happens can I then make bacon and sausage from the tainted meat :pig:
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 28, 2008, 06:48:20 pm
Chickens its very unlikely to taste of anything fishy or nasty.  My friends killed, butchered and ate an 18 month old boar who had fathered many piglets, he was delicious.  The chops were a tad large on the plate.  Never had boar taint, and if you do just turn him into sausages, bacon and gammons.  There is a lot of urban myth about boar taint, its not getting the pigs too fat that is the problem.

Bon appetite.  HM
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: Rosemary on March 28, 2008, 07:35:22 pm
I can remember this being discussed 20+ years ago when I was a student. The view then was that taint was detected by some folk and not others. The suggestion was that women were more likely to identify boar taint than men and it depended where they were in their menstrual cycle.
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: danndans on March 28, 2008, 07:59:19 pm
hi, yea i have heard that before, femails were`nt allowed to handle uncooked pork because it tainted the meat. lol
Danndans/oh
Title: Re: Tainted meat
Post by: nellie on March 28, 2008, 10:15:45 pm
HI again I agree with Hilarys mum thet boar taint is unlikley BUT  you can never say never

If there was any doubt I would process the meat into bacon & sausage for our own consumption
lookng at other forums ie  accidental small holder  the activity of the boar appears to be more  relevent

a friend of ours has a boar that serves 10 plus sows - and  he stinks >:(- notisable to men as well as women :)


we ate a 2 year old boar & he was fine - BUT he had no female company at the time :D