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Author Topic: Good Abattoir Guide  (Read 195844 times)

Rhodie

  • Joined May 2010
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2012, 04:14:09 pm »
The abattoir at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hants is Freedom Foods and Soil Association approved, the animals are all handles in a quiet manner, the lairage is monitored by CCTV and music is played to assist in calming the stock in the lairage. In three years of weekly deliveries, I have had no unpleasant incidents.
Rhodie

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #16 on: January 23, 2012, 08:05:16 am »
Thanks Arl & Rhodie - will add your comments in the next few days.

www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
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Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #17 on: February 01, 2012, 09:57:21 pm »
Re Shotts - can recommend, used them for the first time, also used Chapmans butchers for cutting up - nicely done, only issue is that they still skinned the pigs, even though we had asked to have them just shaved/taken hairs off but skin left on...

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2012, 10:43:01 pm »
ankle depends on the breed if they are hairy the vet will condemn them unless they were to heavy :farmer:

P6te

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • South Derbyshire
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2012, 12:24:55 pm »
Here is a new one to add onto the list ...

P. Coates & Son, 100 Main Street, Alrewas, Burton on Trent, Derbyshire, DE13 7AE. Tel 01283 790205

https://www.coatestraditionalbutchers.co.uk/

We used P. Coates & Son for the slaughter and butchering of 3 pigs and were very happy with the service we received and the way in which they treated our animals.

Coates is a small family business with 3 butchers shops selling quality produce with an excellent reputation locally. All the meat they sell is locally sourced, slaughterer and butchered in Alrewas.  In addition to their own requirements they also cater for smallholders, pigs are only slaughtered on Monday's.

We took our 3 gilts to them on the Sunday afternoon and settled them into one of their 2 pens that leads directly into the location where the deed is done.  Fresh water is available in the pens, we bedded them down with plenty of straw and fed them there - stress free.  Later that evening Antony (Coates) checked on them and gave them more food. First thing Monday morning (around 6am) they were slaughtered and I am sure they were treated with the utmost respect.  I understand that ‘private’ work is always done first because their own (free range) pigs arrive at 7am and other work must be out of the way prior to them arriving. Unlike some slaughter houses, Coates do not have a weight limit on the size of pig they can handle.

When it came to butchering, on this occasion we agreed that they would butcher them the same as they do their own. 2 of the loins went for bacon which was returned 3 weeks later having been dry cured, 50/50 smoked / un-smoked. It is the most amazing bacon we have ever tasted!  As we expected from master butchers, the joints were all expertly cut / rolled / tied and we had a good quantity of sausage which taste amazing.  The joints and sausages were sealed in bags and the bacon vacuum packed in lot sizes we requested. 

All the staff are very friendly and helpful, there prices are reasonable and I have no hesitation in giving them a full 10/10 in all respects.

And finally for those interested, they also run a Butchery class for £60, see http://www.coatestraditionalbutchers.co.uk/butchery-school.html

« Last Edit: January 16, 2018, 12:55:43 pm by Dan »
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oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #20 on: February 07, 2012, 08:22:10 am »
P6te,

Thanks for posting this, very helpful, and |I will add this to the list in the next few days.

www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

lill

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2012, 12:40:15 pm »
Oaklands,
Can you please put a comment on the web.

D Stevenson of Dunblane- We have been working with them for many years and we have found them to be very helpful, caring, gentle, calm with all the animals that we have put into them, a credit to all who work there definitely 10/10. They will also do cutting if ask for. The maximum weight for pigs is 120/125 kilos live and kill on tuesdays tel 01786 822554 :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2012, 12:43:30 pm »
Lill,

Thanks and yes will add this shortly

www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

MAK

  • Joined Nov 2011
  • Middle ish of France
    • Cadeaux de La forge
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2012, 07:55:35 am »
Good to read the concern for animal welfare and quality of butchering here.
We kept 2 Culn Noir here in France. (first time for me).
Just to say that we did not send the to an abattoir.
Our neighbour and his hunting friend who is renowned locally for his ability to dispath animals did the deed with me.
I kept the animals inside that morning - no distress of rounding them up to tarnsport to an abattoir.
Christoph - changed clothes and laid out all his equipment in a professional fashion. There after everything was done very quickly and humanely as possible on site. Both pigs were hoisted aloft to drain the animals, hair burnt off on the ground and hoisted again to scrape and wash with a jet spray. We emptied the animals and halved them when hung from a tractor washing them continuously. I hung them overnight in the barn and butchered one yesterday and will start the second soon.

Having cared for my 2 pigs every day i was concerned how I would deal with the day but I am now satisfied that they ended their happy lives quickly and I think with less stress that what could have been experienced at a large abattoir some distance from us. Christoph would not take payment and explained he provided a fre professional service for the commune. My neighbour collected the blood and returned a link of black puddings within 24 hours !!   
www.cadeauxdelaforge.fr
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oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2012, 07:57:39 am »
Great to hear this tale Mak, thanks for posting
www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #25 on: March 25, 2012, 11:57:48 am »
Our 2 Kune-Kune pigs are booked into Millers of Speyside who do private kill and a butchery service. A bit away from us but I have heard they are very good.  :pig:

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #26 on: April 03, 2012, 07:30:02 am »
Let us know how it goes
www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

Tiva Diva

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Scottish Borders
    • Thornielee Cottage
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #27 on: April 03, 2012, 10:58:34 am »
We had to start using Shotts when Galashiels shut down. The staff are very helpful,and the lairage areas seemed very good. Two big "buts" though: first, while we were unloading the last lot of pigs we took up there, a stream of blood or heavily bloodstained water was running down the gutter alongside where we were leading the pigs. The pigs didn't seem to mind, but it wasn't very nice.
Second, and this is what will restrict our use of them in future, they couldn't manage to de-hair our last 2 batches of pigs so the had to be skinned. Now, I can excuse that with the mangalitzas, but the last lot were OSBs and not particularly hairy. I don't mind skinning pigs that are going for sausages/chop/bacon etc., but if we're doing roasting joints we want crackling! So I'm going to try Wishaw for our next lot (unless I win the lottery in which case I'll buy Gala & re-open it)

MAK

  • Joined Nov 2011
  • Middle ish of France
    • Cadeaux de La forge
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #28 on: April 03, 2012, 12:35:12 pm »
As a very smallholder we keep just 2 pigs for our own meat. I guess that others keep more - sell or exchange their pork produce - hence using the abattoir or a butcher.
A couple of points:
1. Has anyone been present when the deed is done, rather than assume a stress free and acceptable standard.
2. hair on pigs- Why can't they just burn it off with a flame thrower? It's very quick !
3. Butchering - It's not too difficult if you have the kit and a ball of string. Given the trimmings around a well tied joint and other meat that goes for sausage I would be concerned that a butcher cutting many a pig may make a mistake on how many sausages you are owed. Then their is the cutting of liver and of course getting the kidneys and head back. Reading up on butchering reminds us just how many cuts there are.

Silly - but I felt obliged to be present at all stages and was happy that they were not carted off to a strange place with other the day before. The hardest thing was not feeding them for 24 hours ( I ended up giving them apples rather than listen to their moans).
www.cadeauxdelaforge.fr
Gifts and crafts made by us.

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Good Abattoir Guide
« Reply #29 on: April 03, 2012, 02:04:27 pm »
1 yes when i was a child you used to could watch when taking slink calves in
2 i understand in France they have gas jets that burn the hair of rather than scald them
3 a lot of people have this impression of butchers  if you do it yourself you know it is your pig and what you are left with :farmer:

 

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