[Piggingtons]

My first 2 porkers are going off on Weds morning and I realise I am not clear about the requirements. I am going to use the paper movement form given to me by the abbatoir (I know this can only be used until the end of March after which it will need to be done electronically) and take with me.  The pigs came with ear tags put in by the breeder. Is this sufficient marking or do I need to slapmark them?  I am in Wales.

[JulieS]

Hope everything goes well for you on Wednesday.  You will soon be treating yourself to wonderful pork.

You will need to identify the pigs with your herd mark.  Usually this is with a metal eartag, or slapmark....Whichever your abattoir prefers/needs.

As well as the paper movement form you will need to complete a Food Chain Information form.

Let us know how you get on.

[FiB]

I filled the foodchain form in at the abatoir (I had overlooked that one).  I put in plastic twin slaughter tags with herd number and pig ID  - our 2 local abatoirs Corwen and are fine with plastic, but some will onlly accept metal or slap mark.  Have your abatoir also said whether they need their stomachs to be empty, and also they need to be cleanish (I'm guessing this is more a prob in summer when they are activly wallowing).  Good luck and dont forget your luring bucket!

[manian]

allow plenty of time to load and set off.
our abbatoir has times for different animals and will let you know the quieter times to allow you to take your time.
they said 'clean'...... my version and theirs were different . we spent 2 hours cleaning them in the dark last february!!!!! and they commented how clean they were considering outdoor pigs when i told them about their early morning wash ....... they giggled and  (i got my own back by telling them their names )

Tags/slapmark with your ID- we can tag which we do the night before while feeding
no breakfast the morning the go (although we feed them veg to get them in the trailer) although this varies from place to place

movement forms and Food chain form they usually have spare ones but i like to treble check i have everything

above all try and enjoy it thinking of all the love and care they have had all the way through their life

[Piggingtons]

Thanks so much for all the advice, it's such a great help.  I have spoken to the breeder who sold us the weaners and she is going to the abbatoir early tomorrow so said she would speak to them and it wouldn't be a problem that they only have original eartags (her pigs are also metal tagged and slapmarked so shouldn't get mixed up). Now I understand what is required, will get it right next time. I have all the forms filled out ready.

I asked the abbatoir about  whether the pigs needed to be clean and they said don't worry about it (good news as this is Wales in winter and it's mega muddy). They didn't say anything about empty stomachs but I won't feed in the morning - just lure them in the trailer with a few titbits. Only problem now is the trailer I have borrowed from the farmer next door is much smaller than I thought - just hope we can get them in.  Will let you know how it goes.

[Eve]

Piggingtons, when it comes to loading pigs into a trailer, patience is important. Don't start with pushing the pigs, as they'll only get grumpy straight away and run off into the opposite direction, being suspicious of that thing you tried pushing them into. If you thought donkeys are stubborn...
If you want to make loading easy, put something in the trailer they can't resist eating. We pick up half-price doughnuts the day before and they always do the trick (who cares if sugar rots their teeth, they won't be using them anymore in a few hours ). 

[Sylvia]

It also helps if the pigs are fed in the trailer for a week or so before going off. 

[Piggingtons]

I'm delighted to report everything went perfectly this morning.  The piggies were so good - following us across 2 fields to get to the trailer and then going in following the feed bucket. The timid one dived off around the side of the trailer but my friend who had come to help managed to head him off and guide him back and into the trailer up the steep ramp before the first one polished off the pig nuts. I was so relieved!   They went to sleep in the trailer and were very relaxed when we arrived. Everything was very calm and quiet at the abbatoir - no screeching pigs or sense of fear.  It couldn't have been better and I am feeling quite pleased with myself for managing the whole project as a busy working mum of two.

My husband said at the beginning 'I want nothing to do with the pigs' and has stayed true to his word apart from offering to feed them one day when I was ill and promptly getting stuck in the mud and falling over and experiencing 2 six month old boars hurtling towards him salivating and with jaws open!!!  He was very impressed when they didn't do anything!  We have been strict with them when they started to nip and push as youngsters so they soon learnt to be respectful and I think that has really helped.

My children have learnt a huge amount and have helped a lot. I'm impressed they haven't got upset about departure and my very emotional animal loving 11 year old daughter went and hugged them yesterday to say goodbye very calmly. I think they like the idea of getting some more weaners in a couple of months and having little ones around again. She used to go in the ark with them and cuddle up to them in the straw when they first arrived. 

Anyway they have had a very good life with lots of care and attention, a lovely cosy ark with lots of straw and lots of fun escaping from the pen and saying hello to the shetland pones plus a calm and stress free departure. It will be interesting now to see what the weights are and whether they had the right amount of fat and of course tasting the delicious sausages.

I'll remember the doughnut suggestion for next time (couldn't practice with the trailer as it belonged to the farm next door and only collected it yesterday but may think of investing in a secondhand one now if I can find one for next time). Thanks everyone.

[FiB]

Perfect Congratulations!  Be interesting to compare notes (like you we are awaiting the butchered meat and the learning (and tastieness) that that will bring).

[SallyintNorth]

I've just sent my first home-bred and -reared one off today, a Saddleback x OSB, five months old; a little light but as he was an uncastrated boar running with his sisters, I didn't want to risk him getting hormonal on me.

They've been super to have around, friendly and inquisitive and mostly very biddable.  We weighed him last night and then walked him into the trailer using feed as bait - I do think a 'treat' food would have worked better than his usual pig nuts, so will probably use bananas or something they really go mad for next time.

He allowed me to push him off the trailer at the abattoir this morning - it would never occur to him to distrust anything I might want of him.  We saw him into his pen and left him happily snuffling in the straw.  He would have been through the line almost before we got home.

He weighed 72kgs on our scales last night, having had his last feed a few hours earlier.

I've just called the abattoir and the dead weight was 54.6kgs with a fat depth of 17mm.

My butcher tells me to aim for 60-80kgs dead weight, and whilst he would accept that a free range pig would be more than the 12mm fat depth of the commercial pigs he buys, he has previously rejected (for sale in the shop) one from a neighbour of ours at 19mm.

I'll be learning to cut up one half of this boy myself on Sunday ( Smiffy) and then, suitably educated, I will be able to give more explicit instructions to the butcher about cutting up the other half.

He had a brilliant life, never knew stress, harsh words, any pain or hunger, and the enjoyment he clearly felt in his interactions with us was mutual.

We were in sombre mood this morning but now that it is done, the anticipation is beginning to mount ...   

[Fowgill Farm]

Well done to all of you, stories like these can only help encourage others to keep their animals in the way you all describe. You are safe in the knowledge that your animals had good lives and right thro to the end were treated with the utmost respect. I'm sure you will all enjoy the end product and continue with your piggy adventures.
All the best Mandy