[littlelugs]

Hey all I'm a newbie pig keeper i bought two GOS last year one was supposed to be a sow in pig and the other a little gilt to keep mum to be company... anyway the due date for the little piggies came and went much to our dissapointment we had been duped
Anyway after reading various post on various forum and getting to know my girls i decided to have a go at AI. i ordered the necessary equipment and gave it ago.. 117 days later i was the proud grandma of 7 little GOS's 5 girls and 2 boys. they are now just 4 and a half weeks old and full of trouble  .
The idea of the older sows is to keep them for breeding and the little newbies for the freezer (when old enough of course) my question is how on earth do you not get attached to them. they don't have names but i know each one just by its personality 
the other question is at what point do i need to book them into the abattoir and how do i arrange for them to be butchered i am in south wales and mattocks is about 20 Min's away do they do everything and what sort of cost will it be? sorry if this is long winded hope someone can help.
Lisa

[SallyintNorth]

Many congratulations on what sounds like a lovely litter.

I don't think it is possible not to get attached to them.  Just remember they'd not have been born if there weren't a need for meat, and that you are giving them a tremendous life, albeit it will be a shortish one.  None of us enjoys loading them for the abattoir when the day comes, but by the time the meat comes back we've grieved.  And if you need more time to grieve you can leave the meat in the freezer until you feel ready to eat it.

Some people still never feel they can eat their own little porkers, so arrange swapsies with other like-minded people.

I'll leave the abattoir detailed questions to others more local to you than me.

Congratulations again, and welcome to the forum 

[Leri]

Lovely! I must admit to hoping I'd sell all my piglets as weaners - much as I wanted meat from them I preferred to avoid taking them to slaughter. In the end though with our first two litters being one of 7, but only 3 surviving and closely followed by a litter of 13 with 11 surviving, and only 5 females in that whole lot - and nobody seeming to want to buy males really. We managed to sell the first three  (2M & 1F) to someone with experience of bringing on weaners. And then the other four females - so basically ended up bringing up 7 males ourselves to 32 weeks or just before. I did do it, but the longer you keep them the more attached you become. If you can make the trip into the trailer to slaughter as stress free for them as possible (cos bless their hearts they trust you and they don't know they have any reason to be stressed so don't let them sense yours). Whether this acceptable practice I don't know, but I lead mine with a bucket (in twos or threes however many were going at once) to the trailer, the night before and fed them in there. They were cosy there with plenty of straw and water - and perfectly happy still when setting off the next morning. No stress to them or me.
The meat has been lovely - although strugglede to keep much of it as sold really well to friends and family :-) That was Large black X Gos cross

[Beewyched]

Hiya & welcome littlelugs 

As Sally says, it's impossible not to get attached to them & I echo what she says about the fact that they will have a lovely life with you, so don't feel bad about it.  I cry every time we go to the abbatoir with ours, but it's why we keep them & they wouldn't be here if not.

In preperation for "the time" - visit your abbatoir well beforehand, ask to see round, find out if they have a specific day for pigs, some restrict what weight they will take, whether they accept ear tags & what types, or slap marks - you will have to order your equipment well in advance - you will probably have to practise reversing your trailer too    Remember there are welfare standards as to what you can use to transport pigs - the abbatoir &/or your animal health inspector can guide you on this.
Have a chat with the manager about slaughter cost & butchery while you are there, it's helpful to have a face to a name too.  The manager may have a link to or recommend a butcher.  You may want to have a chat with some of your local butchers too (unless you are going to do that yourself & only supply friends & family) - you will need to discuss what type of joints/sausages etc you require.  Some of them will pick-up from the abbatoir, which, if you are selling to the public keeps you right with the regulations.  You never know, if they see your pork, they may ask you to supply them  Oh & talking of regs make sure you have the correct movement paperwork - again check with the abbatoir, some of them will want you to use their forms rather than your local authority ones.

Congrats on your first litter, good job with the AI too 

[welshlass181]

I use Maddocks too they're fab.  You need a food chain document before you take them down (you can pick on e up from there) and the normal travel document.  Phone them on a During the week to book in for Monday morning and they'll either give you a slot there and then or phone you back with one.

We went over there to check out a few things IE where we unload and to find out what the procedure is.  Collwyn (prob not spelled right) is awesome and very helpful.  I'd recommend Maddocks to everybody.

As far as you asking how to not get attached to them ......... see them as food and not animals is what i do.  I've got 10 KK x GOS piglets now and from the moment they were born they've been a product.  They still come up for fuss and the odd banana but i'm not attached to any of them.

Good luck

[Eve]

If you're anything like us, you will get attached to them and the first year the trip at the end will be very though, with nightmares from weeks beforehand. But you'll feel much better when you get the meat back, and from the second year onwards it'll become much easier.
For us, they're our little pampered pets for 4 months... and wonderful roasts, burgers, hams and bacon for another 12  

And welcome to the forum  

[SallyintNorth]

Whether this acceptable practice I don't know, but I lead mine with a bucket (in twos or threes however many were going at once) to the trailer, the night before and fed them in there. They were cosy there with plenty of straw and water - and perfectly happy still when setting off the next morning. No stress to them or me.

We do exactly the same.  Just not too much feed, as they should be hungered for 12 hours before slaughter.

It also helps to settle them if they can hear other pigs, we've found, so try to park the trailer overnight where each can hear the grunts and nickers of another lot.

[littlelugs]

thanks to you all for your replies and sorry it has taken me so long to get back in touch, well ive been putting it off for as long as i can, but the time has come to get rid of the little ones, have bought a trailer ordered the ear tags and all i need to do now is contact the abbatoir... i can tell you it is the hardest thing i think i have to do this year. i keep reading that it gets easier but im already having nightmares and have been for the last couple of weeks.. i am really doubting my abilities to be a smallholder at the moment which is heartbreaking because it was all i ever dreamt of  and i love it all the cold wet dark mornings, the mud, the sweat, the blisters on the hands, the OH says we can only keep the animals if they are of use ie. meat, dairy etc  which makes sense when you all sent your first batch to slaughter did you have the same doubts or should i just sell up and get out of the game?

[OhLaLa]

when you all sent your first batch to slaughter did you have the same doubts or should i just sell up and get out of the game?

I think most of us feel it when one has to go to slaughter. But only you can answer if you are cut out for keeping animals for food.

[SallyintNorth]

It's a very very personal thing.  None of us can tell you how you will feel or whether it will get easier for you.  We can, however, share our own experiences.

For me, it does get easier.  I focus on wanting to eat meat where the animal has had a good life, and knowing that I have been able to achieve that fortifies me for the final journey.  There is a sadness in the loss of a being that had been a part of my life and is now gone, but it is not unbearable and does not, for me, outweigh the joys of producing my own pork.

There are no wrongs and rights here, and how we feel is, by definition, not always logical.  If you hate it and don't want to do it again, then don't do it again.  Buy your meat from another smallholder who has the same values as you and spend your time and energy doing the things you can do and do feel right about.  (Could you breed and sell all your weaners, for instance?)

Best of luck with it all this time around, littlelugs - I hope you cope, and enjoy the pork and bacon when you are ready to eat it, and reach a decision about whether to do it again that feels right for you.

[Brijjy]

I agree with Sally. Only you will know if this is something you can do. I have raised two pigs for eating. The first was given to us a two week old runt that would have died without intervention. As it was a boar there was no way I was going to keep him. He was a very civil, well mannered boy and I did feel really sad when he went to abbattoir. The second I had as a weaner. He was arrogant and pushy and quite a sod. I didn't feel sad at all when he went. However I know that both of them had good lives, especially when the second one broke into the veg garden and ate everything and the meat that came from them was superb.

[Sylvia]

I've kept pigs for meat for years now and am still sick and unhappy from the moment I book them in until I leave the abbatoir. But, I eat meat and enjoy it and so an animal has to die to provide it. As long as I am satisfied that it has had a happy life, which includes scratches, cuddles and treats and I am satisfied that the end is as stress free as I can make it (which includes getting them there really early, sometimes before they have opened, so they are first through) I can eat the meat with a free concience. It is hard but the first time IS the hardest so, go for it and enjoy the produce
Ask at the abbatoir what is the earliest you can bring them. Getting there early also helps if you are crap at reversing your trailer

[littlelugs]

ok so for the update, as you will all know i have been putting myself through hell about do the abbatoir desicion and i thank everyone for their advice i booked them in and the woman at the abbatoir put me completley at ease so the day before their final journey i brought the pigs in and tagged their ears (suprisingly easy and straight forward( i will pretend the first one didnt go in upside down)) the morning of the journey i loaded them into the trailer (no stress, no tears just complete calm) dropped them off at the other end into their holding pen and gave them a handful of nuts each, only a slight quiver of the lip once on the road home.
collected the meat on friday and sorted out into various portions for family and self and i have to say the sausages are fantastic.. so although it wasnt the easiest thing in the world to do i did it knowing the pigs had had a great life with me and no regrets... guess that means i can be a (proper smallholder) now lol
The hardest part about the whole thing was my own mind... so thank you all for your advice you all helped sooo much and i can hoestly say that i will never again buy meat from mr tescos again. 

[HappyHippy]

Congratulations 
It's not easy, but, as you've found out yourself - incredibly rewarding 
It'll be easier next time too, but mostly everyone feels a little tug at the heart strings when they trot out the trailer and into the pen at the abattoir. It's human nature to become attached to something you've cared for and seen grow - but an essential part of making sure the breeds continue to exsist and there's demand for good, free range pedigree pork.
Karen 

[Mammyshaz]

Congratulations, well done going through with it despite your doubts,