[stevemarshall128]

I have just helped someone kill and clean two pigs - Gloucester Old Spot/Lop crosses.

Removing bristles proved very difficult.  Scalding and scraping did little.  Burning and scraping removed the hair but not the root.

He eemed surprised having had little difficulty in the past with commercial pig breeds.

My two pigs - Saddleback/Lop cross are due for dispatch in a coupl of weeks and their hair is similar.

Any advice to someone about to do this to his own pigs for the first time?

[Hilarysmum]

Hi my first answer would be use the abattoir.  Much easier.  However if you do want it done at home, the home kill butcher uses a blow torch and scrapes.  It works although is very hard work. 

Out of curiousity how do you dispose of all the pluck? 

[Malc]

A bath of very hot (but not boiling) water. Put the carcass in as soon as it is bled, soak it for up to a minute and the top skin and bristles will scrape away very much easier. You can finish with careful use of the blowtorch. It's still a tricky job and you have to be quick, but it works. Don't expect to get every trace of black off the saddleback crosses. There's always a few bristle roots left.

[Pigtails]

Yes, the blow torch works best on home kill
also, there are few abbatoirs in Scotland who can deal with pigs,
most of them, skin the pig which is not very good as you lose the fat
required for the crackling.

[Hilarysmum]

Thats bizarre, considering that here in France where no one except us English eat the crackling, pigs come complete with skin from the abattoir, and its the butcher who skins them.  Would have thought in Scotland crackling would have been valued not removed.  HM

[Pigtails]

Hi, yes it should be.
It's just that there are a definate shortage of abattoirs and licensed individuals capable of pig slaughter,
The situation in Scotland is dire, to say the least.
I despair for our future.

[Hilarysmum]

Shouldnt worry the BPA have it all sorted they are exporting pedigree pigs to Thailand etc. etc. the offspring will be imported to UK as prime quality british pork.  Yeh!!!

[DavidnChris]

So how many food miles is that then.
And the BPA does stand for the BRITISH PIG ASSOCIATION they should be ashamed of themselves.
No offence to those in Ireland I include you with us and us with you.

[HappyHippy]

Shouldnt worry the BPA have it all sorted they are exporting pedigree pigs to Thailand etc. etc. the offspring will be imported to UK as prime quality british pork.  Yeh!!!

Is this really true ? 
Given the way things are it wouldn't surprise me, but come on, really ? 

[Pigtails]

Our pigs are crosses, of the Gloucester Old Spot and the British Saddleback, they are outdoor pigs and completely free range.

[Hilarysmum]

Happy Hippy  yes its true. 

[rustyme]

that sounds similar to the butter that was made in Ireland , sent to Denmark (I think ?) ,wrapped and then sent back to Ireland and then sent to England for sale. I can't remember all the details , but I think that was about it How crazy is that ?


cheers

Russ

[sausagesandcash]

Ah yes, for a small nation we have politicians who delight in making rather ill informed decisions. It would appear, however, that it is contagious...your lads seem to have caught a dose of it too!

On the piggie front, it is great that we have so many regs coverning the welfare of our animals....but to let home grown produce be undercut by foreign imports (that don't have the same exacting welfare standards) is an absolute disgrace. When we joined Europe there was so much talk about harmonisation of legislation...one big country...yada yada yada. I can by a jeep for a significantly lower price in Northern Ireland, but when I bring it across the 'border', I have 24 hrs to pay vehicle registration tax, which suddenly makes the vehicle slightly more expensive. The first car I ever insured in France cost me approx £250...when I returned to ireland, my first insurance was £1500....I could go on and on and on. As they say, if it looks like bullsh*t, and it smells like bullsh*t...then it is bullsh*t, and quite frankly 'Europe' is starting to smell......
A lot of our pork comes from Denmark and Germany, a lot of our lamb from New Zealand, and a lot of our beef from Argentina...now figure that one out!

This topic was started about removing bristles, but in sheepie terms, we're being fleeced.

Morgan 

[Rosemary]

I'd love to know the net cost of Europe to us. I'm all for being friends with the neighbours but my gut feeling is that we're being sold a pup.

[Hilarysmum]

I suppose the early Americans must have felt the same when they all got United after the civil war (or whenever)