Author Topic: What breed is best for bacon? (Read 2318 times)

rudolph76 · « **on:** March 31, 2014, 02:30:13 pm »

Hi everyone

Could do with some advice please. We have kept pigs for the last 4 years now and always had them slaughtered at 6 months for joints and sausages, but this year we are getting adventurous and want to try bacon!!! We have had GOS, pietrains and saddlebacks and have been really pleased with the taste and fat content.

When I spoke to the abbatoir today, to check they will slaughter and process the meat for bacon and ham, they said that GOS would be too fatty for bacon and advised to get a breed better suited, but had no ideas which breed is best.

Just hoping that someone can spread their wealth of knowledge and help me choose the best breed.

Thanks

Sbom · « **Reply #1 on:** March 31, 2014, 03:15:33 pm »

I would think that crossing most things with Pietrain will reduce the amount of fat. We have just sent off some 7/8 Pietrain 1/8 Duroc and found them a little to lean!
Last year we had Pietrain cross and made bacon which was perfect, so for us this is the way to go.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 31, 2014, 04:00:27 pm »

It's not the breed it's how you feed them - I've just collected two pigs' worth of GOS bacon from Griffiths and it's (well, I know I'm sort of blowing my own trumpet here) perfect. Other stuff happened when we'd originally planned to take them in and the uncastrated boars went off at 28 weeks - but we ratcheted down the protein and upped the vegetables to keep the fat level correct for the final month, and kept them away from the gilts - no boar taint either.

rudolph76 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2014, 04:13:32 pm »

Thanks for the help. When you say you went to Griffiths is that Leintwardine, Herefordshire? We are not far from them.
Looks like pietrain pietrain/cross could be the way forward. We had ours back end of last year and they taste gorgeous

hughesy · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2014, 06:29:00 pm »

Marches farmer is right about the feeding. Remember though that fat=flavour!

raindogs · « **Reply #5 on:** March 31, 2014, 06:44:31 pm »

We've had GOS, Saddlebacks and last year OSB. Feeding them lots of windfall apples and plums for a fortnight before their one-way trip to the abattoir is a wonderful idea, the meat and bacon is great. I think the OSBs were the tastiest. On feeding, I used to observe the pound a day up to six months, but that produced incredible (and expensive) amounts of back fat. Last year I stopped at 5 a day. Better, but still 20cm. This year going for Saddleback/Large white cross, hoping the LW will temper the fattiness.

hughesy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2014, 07:43:13 am »

You have to assess the pig's body condition as it grows and adjust the feeding accordingly. Have a feel of the backbone and the ribs. If you can't feel the bones fairly easily they're carrying too much fat so decrease the feed a bit. The 1lb a day per month of age thing is just a rule of thumb really and needs to be adjusted for your pigs.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2014, 08:22:27 pm »

Correct feeding is an art, and one worth striving for. By the time a pig is within a month of slaughter I usually reckon it should clear its feed within ten minutes. I use a kitchen timer each week and ratchet up or down accordingly, with a little more if the weather is bitterly cold, and a little less if hot.

If its main feed is a 16% protein sow & weaner nut it will use the protein to grow its frame for the first few months then that process will slow down and it'll start to pad out the frame. It's at this point you need to be most careful as any excess will be laid down as fat and, since it'll be going to slaughter quite soon after, it won't have the opportunity to lose some of the fat because of adverse weather conditions or pregnancy.