[kelly58]

Whats the age limit for sending pigs to slaughter ? Say if you kept them till they were 2, would that be OK ?
Does it make any difference to the meat ?

[hughesy]

Once a pig passes a certain size it will start to lay down fat. Older, larger pigs tend to carry a lot of fat. We sent a 2 year old gilt to slaughter a while ago that we hadn't been able to get in pig and the carcass was enormous. There was as much fat as meat and the meat was very dark almost like beef. It made decent sausages but wasn't much use for anything else. You might want to talk to the abattoir too as some will only take pigs up to a certain size. Out of interest our 2 year old killed out at about 170kg so was nearly 250kg live weight.

[kelly58]

Many thanks Hughsey 

[MKay]

We killed a 2yr old large black gilt that became aggressive to our ponies.
It came back with a lot of fat, a really lot of fat! But the meat is just fine, we are sending off the legs to be cured for Gannon, the chump for Parma ham and a shoulder for salami.
But the chops are fine just disappointingly fatty.

[danconfessed]

Hi MKay

Out of interest where do you send your meat off to be processed into Charcuterie products?

[Tamsaddle]

If you have the choice, definitely don't leave them to 2 years old before slaughter.   All of the older pigs (Tamworth and Saddleback) we had to have slaughtered were very very fatty, the meat was dark and tough and had no resemblance to pork at all, in fact it was disgusting as anything other than a sausage.   The fat is very unpleasant, loose and wobbly too, not like the nice firm fat on a young overfattened pig.    I would say up to 9-10 months old is the maximum I would leave them before slaughter if I wanted to get a decent pork product out at the end.

[Kitchen Cottage]

Poor Charlotte was despatched at 6 last year.... Despite her looking a lean lady, the sausages and mince I turned her into were very very fatty.  The sausages are great for toads though and I have worked out a way to lean the mince (although it's a bit of a faff!)

[Bodger]

Toads ?

[Berkshire Boy]

Well I'm going to disagree with the majority. I killed a 3 1/2 year sow last year and it was the best sausage and ham we have ever had from a pig. She was not fat 20 -25 m/m and I will be doing it again. The large joints just need to be cooked longer and slower like you would with mutton.
The meat is darker but then any older animal has darker meat.
Don't be put off give it a go.
If the sows have as much fat as meat you are over feeding them.

[shygirl]

we killed a 14mth tamworth and she was 178kg deadweight.
she had a good 2 inches of backfat on her but she was delicious. i butchered her myself with no trouble.

the abattoir was miffed though as she was overweight.

[hughesy]

I think it's a case of if you've got to send an older pig you send her but surely nobody intentionally keeps a meat pig that long?

[kelly58]

Mine are Mangalitza x large black, everyone seems to say they take longer to ' mature' so thats why l thought 2yrs and asked for input from you guys  Just a novice ! 

[Berkshire Boy]

Kelly58 yes mangas are slower but a normal rare breed would go at 6 months  so 2 years would be over the top. I would have thought 9 months at the most especially as its a cross.

[verdifish]

We sent our kunes at +2 and although they were a bit fatty 26mm and 24mm back fat the meat seemed a bit tough if we have to do this again they will go as sausages as they were awsome !!!

[kelly58]

Will ring abattoir and see what weight they would be happy with as was mentioned earlier and take it from there many thanks for the input guys