Author Topic: My first pigs have gone (Read 3414 times)

sarha · « **on:** November 29, 2010, 01:04:14 pm »

Well that went better than I thought!!

As we had fenced off part of our paddock, we put in a small gate so reversed trailer up to gate, built a race from ark to trailer (built yesterday afternoon).... we shut pigs in ark last night, they had a couple of cans of lager as a farewell drink with their nuts ( god we're sad!!), lots of straw on ramp and on ground, my hubby ready with a piece of board ready to push them up this morning...door open, bucket with nuts and brilliant(!!) in trailer no probs!! It was still fairly dark which my have helped.
Arrived at Tottingworth Abbitior at around 7 this morning...nice and quiet watched another person unload then is was us. Pigs didn't want to come out, so with a little push they were down the ramp and in the holding pen. They had no problem finding alley way and trotted off looking happy and calm...no squealing it couldn't have gone better and I didn't cry!!

Wow it is like having your first baby...cant stop going on about it at the moment! Off to get my bits and bobs ready for tommorow

Helencus · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2010, 01:15:46 pm »

Well done you. That'll be me next summer and I hope I approach things as sensitively and sensibly as you did. Good on you!

Eve · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2010, 01:58:21 pm »

Glad it all went well. What are you doing tomorrow - getting your next lot of pigs already?

oaklandspigs · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2010, 05:03:01 pm »

Sarha,

Really pleased it went well, and hope you're equally pleased with the result.

Tottingworth are a nice abattoir (they are ours also), and like you we always go early, after about 8.30m you'll be in a queue.

pointy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 29, 2010, 05:14:30 pm »

Sarah, glad to hear it went well for you and the pigs.

Took our 2 girls this morning, after we discovered that the house water was frozen, my wifes car refused to start and our daughter off school with Chicken pox. To begin with the girls refused to climb the ramp dispite the tempting apples, so we left them alone to get used to it. Returned after 1 hour and they went in

.

Journey went well.On unloading both the girls followed me through the yard to the empty pen, passing several pens of other pigs without batting an eye lid (no stress for them only for me). I just hope I never become complacent about this.

On the other hand our 4 weaners were collected on saturday and what a joy they already are.

sarha · « **Reply #5 on:** November 29, 2010, 07:32:23 pm »

Quote from: Eve on November 29, 2010, 01:58:21 pm

Glad it all went well. What are you doing tomorrow - getting your next lot of pigs already?

Ha ha!!! No not yet!!

I'm not hanging my pigs, got a local butcher I know coming tommorow ( he does cutting for the Wealden Network ) and we have a busy day ahead of us! Only 3 to do now as I have sold 1 to a neighbour..£160 so really happy with that

Its covered the cost for one pig as i did get alot of free food for mine. Early start tommorow so keeping off the vino tonight

I really do hope everyone else who is rearing pigs for the first time has an enjoyable experience as we have ( although ' enjoyable ' should be changed to 'calm' for the abbatoir visit )

pottsie · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2010, 08:36:27 pm »

Just took my two Tamworths yesterday, with help from the guy i bought them from as little ones, its great to have someone showing me what to do for a change. All went well except the snow, the butcher has hopefully worked out what we want, mainly bacon and sausages, so really looking forward to the results. Has been a great experience and although it's a bit sad to see the area empty it's really nice to see how well it all went. How much are people selling there excess for, i've got a suspicion i will have a lot.

Rob.

Eve · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2010, 08:46:10 pm »

Quote

How much are people selling there excess for, i've got a suspicion i will have a lot.

No, you won't have, you'll happily eat it all and will start dreaming of your next piggies right away!

sarha · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2010, 09:01:33 pm »

Hi pottsie. Know how you feel about the empty area

I too thought i would have lots of pork to sell....but now I have cut my pigs ( 3) and seen how lovely the meat is...I am only going to let family and close friends have some!! I've become a little obsessive over my pork...because It taste so darn nice and I know how they were reared , I know what they ate and I was there to see them go to the abbatoir and also butcher them....hence the whisky last night...to say thanks to my pigs for sacrificing their lives so they could feed me and and my family....a bit of nonsense to some people but thats how i feel:)

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2010, 09:16:40 am »

sarha thats a lovely idea celebrating your pigs!!!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2010, 10:19:18 am »

Hi Sarha - Glad it all went well. We feel the same about celebrating the lives of our food animals and thanking them for becoming our sustenance - and about not selling them to just anyone, people who may not also appreciate their lives and deaths. There is so much mindless greed in our society that it's lovely to see people who appreciate the simple aspects of living and the production of good, honest, well-reared meat. Tell us what they tatse like