Author Topic: Feeding the day before the abattoir... can I / can't I (Read 3618 times)

Fishyhaddock · « **on:** September 23, 2010, 12:44:44 pm »

Hi - have googled this but just can't find a reply so I am sure you will be able to point me in the right direction.
What is the protocol on feeding before the final day?
My understanding is to abstain from feeding the last afternoon feed so that I can tempt the pigs into the trailer the following morning - that is the day of the kill. If this is the case when I get them into the trailer can I feed them then / not?

I am sure that my pigs will go into the trailer even with the afternoon feed as they are always so hungry but would really welcome your views / experience...

OhLaLa · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2010, 01:36:02 pm »

We don't give the evening feed the day before, and have been told not to by several pig keepers. One explained that if making sausages it would also mean more poop to clean out when whoever prepared the skins. I do however give them a bit of grub to get them into the trailer, and a few apples from the orchard as their last treat. But that's just me.

Hope all goes well.

Eve · « **Reply #2 on:** September 23, 2010, 02:59:19 pm »

We do feed them the day before. Apparently they're not supposed to be fed the day before because the meat would be lighter in colour if the animals haven't eaten for 24 hours before killing (we don't care about this the tiniest bit), and because the abattoir prefers them empty (hmmm... do we care about that?).

So we feed them but not pellets as they come right out again the other end. We give them just muesli, bread, fruit & veg etc so that their trailer and the pigs themselves are still clean when they arrive. They are supposed to be clean, but nobody has asked us to have them empty.
The pigs are supposed to be relaxed, which they won't be if they're hungry.

We leave at 5am so load them the evening before - food in the trailer and closing the door whilst they're eating.

OhLaLa, you wouldn't normally get intestines from an abattoir. Did you?

Eve

Frieslandfilly · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2010, 03:31:07 pm »

We also deliberated about 'to feed or not to feed' the night before, we decided to feed as they would have made a heck of a rumpus if we didnt, we used a few apples in a bucket to get them onto the trailer the next morning, they were our first pigs so I wouldnt know if made a difference to the meat, which is fantastic. The abbatior never asked for them to be unfed and never mentioned anything when we went to pay and pick up. I guess its up to you.

OhLaLa · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2010, 07:40:58 pm »

On the day, we do give them a bit of grub to get them into the trailer, and apples (I omitted to say I give them their morning feed the day before, it's the evening feed I miss out). Good idea about the bread, I think they deserve that last treat.

On another note, abattoirs are getting more strict every year, and it is becoming prohibitively expensive here for the smallholder to keep a couple of pigs for their own consumption.

Pork is so much cheaper (and a lot less work) from the supermarket, but I find it pale and not as flavoursome as home-reared pork (plus I just like keeping pigs). I make my own sausages, black pudding, pates etc, and I take a leg from each pig to a specialist curing facility to be air-dried for three months. The resulting 'parma' type ham is THE best (fry it off a little and the result is the most fab bacon baguette ever).

Our pigs are happy pigs, reared with the sun on their back, dirt to push their noses into, and tasty treats to eat. For that I will pay the extra.

Best wishes.

Eve · « **Reply #5 on:** September 23, 2010, 10:14:30 pm »

That's right, happy pigs taste better!

Plus they're absolutely adorable!

Eve

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2010, 09:39:12 am »

Bit confused about the intestines thing. Don't the abattoir clean them and return them to you? Its part of the 30 euro service here. I feed night before just using a small amount to tempt them in to the trailer in the morning.

Where do you get your skins from if not the abattoir. Bit cheeky if they then charge you for your own skins!!!!!!!

Eve · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2010, 11:38:34 am »

We get skins either from the butcher (free but from Denmark...) or buy packs online.
We get liver and hearts from the abattoir, and sometimes they offer lungs ("for the dogs" - hubby said no to them)

30 euros... that's good value, we paid just over £200 last time for 5 big-ish pigs inc VAT, and that's without butchering!

Eve

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #8 on:** September 25, 2010, 10:21:04 am »

Its the commercial rate here, I think smaller abattoirs cost more. They do a grand job. Butchering costs us another 30 euros per pig, but he is a fantastic butcher. Tried butchering one of our own once. Made me really appreciate our butcher.