The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Old_chapel_apple_juice on May 21, 2016, 01:48:17 am
-
Hi all
I could do with some help please
Someone local to us has a pair of kune kune sows that have completed their job of clearing an area
My question is
Are the now too old to be sent to the abbatoir , would the meat be tainted or should it be used for anything else
And with regulations could I simply pick the pigs up and take them direct to the abbatoir or would I need to take them back home for the standstill period ?
Any help would be brilliant
-
I haven't kept KKs but I wouldn't use my own sows for meat - they go to cull at the local livestock market. Are these females that have farrowed (sows) or not (gilts)? Age and condition will be determining factors as to whether or not they're worth slaughtering for meat. KKs have a reputation for putting on a lot of fat as they mature. The taint you refer to may be boar taint, which is something much more spoken about than actually encountered. It wouldn't be a problem with females of any age. The place they're at now must have a holding number and they can, as I understand it, go straight from there to the abattoir or market. If you were to take them you would be the transporter if it wasn't your own holding number.
-
That's for the info
I don't believe they have farrowed yet
I'm not even that bothered if they have to go for sausages entirely
At the end of the day they have 2 full size pigs that I can pick up for free
Do you think it's worth a punt to fill the freezers?
-
Ask how old they are.
-
Yes. We have sent adult kune kunes for meat, including females that have had litters. You haven't said how old these are?
We usually send ones we've raised just destined for meat at 10-24 months. If they're not too fat, they should be great.
We put a lot of our kunes as sausages because we like sausages, they're easy to eat and share with friends and family, but we also have some amazing chops, joints, hams etc, so what you ask the butcher to do depends on your preferences.
They will need tags or slap marks to go to the abattoir, ask the abattoir what they prefer and check with animal health for anything else that you need paperwork wise.
If you need to take them home before going to the abattoir (no reason they can't move directly from the holding they are on with the correct herd mark applied by slap mark or tag) then they can travel from your holding, even inside the standstill time, because they are going to slaughter.
-
Ditto fsmnutter, we've sent kk (and other breeds of sow) to slaughter, up to the age of 8 years of age.
The if they're older and you're having some joints for cooking, low slow cooking is the best way to ensure the meat is still tender (preferably with the addition of liquid - cider works well ;)) but sausages and cured pork should be fabulous :yum: