[Hilarysmum]

Can I just add to Mr Pig's posting that using the slaughter house you should be able to have the meat hung for 2 or 3 days which makes (in my butcher's opinion) much better meat.  Also hanging at home in the warm weather we are having here would encourage bacteria and flies. 

You would need to burn the intestines etc. and personally would not eat the liver if the carcass had not been vet. checked first. 

In most cases the abattoir experience is awful only for the poor human who takes them, the pigs dont know or care.

[carl]

I,m with you on that HM. How could you dispose of all that waste in hot weather, without causing a stink. I sometimes think it is a step too far for most folk, who don't have all the facillity to cope with blood, offal, hot rinse, scraping and not least experienced inspection for healthy pigs. It is difficult for small scale pigkeepers to get their charges to the final destination. but I always say" plan your exit strategy before you even consider taking on pigs". In an Ideal world, it would be nice to have someone turn up and do it all at home and just pass you the carcass , ready to cut. Older properties had cellars, designed to aid in such activity, but alas, our house is a converted farm building, with no cellar.

[otto]

Thanks Mr Pig,

I am very familiar with Clarkie (my wife's account will verify!!!)and always expected that he would kill and butcher any animals I bred. He is the finest. Unfortunately, he has stopped killing.
We went to Ruse's in Long Melford who did a very good job.
I did learn a lot though and should have asked more questions on the forum about loading and delivering. My boys were a nightmare to get into the horsebox the night before, but I had managed after a couple of hours (10.45pm!). The boys were perfectly happy on the journey as they hadn't raised from their slumber from the moment I checked before departure to the arrival (only 20 minutes later).

Once ready to unload however, my guys were having none of it! Oliver [Ruse] and I didn't manage together, then he taught me the trick........hoisting by the tail then pushing with your legs....a la wheelbarrow race. Would have looked comical as it did look rather like you were humping the pigs!!!! However, very affective. Once they were in the pen, with a few others, the squeeling stopped totally and they semed relaxed....unlike me who was pretty traumatised!!

Anyway, it made me really appreciate the whole process beiong carried out in a non industrial way. The most important thing is that, they were happy until the last 5 minutes and the meat is OUTSTANDING!! and I can't wait to get the new lot. (will leave it a few months later next time so that they can be finished on apples and all the veggies we don't manage to eat or freeze....

Happy pigging!

[Mr Pig]

Otto

Well done! Glad it went ok for the pigs if not for you. Didn't realise Clarkes had stopped killing - a great shame as he offered a wonderful service.

Hope you're enjoying top quality meat now.

[Nisbet]

We brought our first 2 tam weaners home at the weekend and are now waiting on a call from the Animal Health Inspector to come and hopefully satisfy themselves with the situation here. I agree strongly with Pigtails comments and "rant" in similar vein myself. We too are north of the border and so are forbidden to despatch here at home. As long as the job's "a good un" and if necessary a vet attended to pass the meat for human consumption - where is the argument? As previously said - the main point in keeping pigs and having a wee bit of control about what we eat is somewhat blown away at the last hurdle by having to subject them to abbattoir conditions. I would much prefer a licenced slaughterman to come to my home - kill my beasts humanely - dispose of all the waste properly and legally and have my pigs butchered by somebody who I know is going to return all of MY meat to ME. I hope to give my piggies the opportunity to live as nature intended - in a field full of interesting smells, noises, sounds and pickings with the sun and rain on their backs and their noses rooting about the ground where they have no fear of humans because they have never had any cause to fear humans. And then after their "Last Supper" - a very professional job is done to bring about the situation that in return for our providing a good free lifestyle to them - they will provide for us. Whilst I accept that rules is rules - I struggle with some of the red tape and the restrictions. The same rules apply to a couple of pigs kept in your own field for your own consumption as hundreds of them kept in places where they don't live freely and naturally. I guess Animal Health and Animal Welfare are poles apart and never the twain shall meet?  I dunno. Same with the feeding business - I am very aware of the horrors of F&M having been involved with dairy farming during the last outbreak and of course I understand the need for sensible feeding practices. I just get a bit twitchy that we are not granted the intelligence, commonsense and ability to make the right decisions for the care, welfare and demise of our stock. Maybe like-minded folk should get together to form a louder voice to present these issues to the powers that be in an effort to have some kind of review. T'is all got a bit big bruv me thinks. Do you really think a lot of it is all to do with the damn supermarkets and the fear that baddies like us will make any difference to their profits. I for one am raising my own sotck and bringing them on as it is the only pork that I will eat because I disapprove of the way commercial pigs and chickens are fed, kept and handled- so the supermarkets are losing nothing to somebody like myself. It has long been a desire to raise my own animals for meat and I am thrilled that now that opportunity is available thanks to a very supportive, loving and long-suffering partner and a house with ideal ground. Following ill health a few years ago I convinced myself that commercially produced meat and veg with all their growth promoters,  antibiotics, herbicides and pesticides may have in some way had something to do with my illness. That experience made me realise just how little control we really have and having got through it - I now want to kid myself once again that I am in charge of my own destiny ...... a bit!!Choices for all and responsibility for self - . Apologies for my ranting now - see Pigtails - look what you've started!!! Where are you anyway Pigtails? We are down in the Borders. Out to the field to see the lassies.. N