[susiev]

Hi

We're new to keeping pigs and have started with 3 Berkshires.  They're doing well and I'd guess they each weigh about 30kgs, but it's my birthday next weekend so my boyfriend was going to invite one of them to the dinner party.  From what I've read it seems they're a bit below the ideal weight, so would it be better to give them a bit longer and just order pizzas instead? 

Susie

[bekka@dh]

Way too young! Pork weight is around 65-70kg, bacon weight is 70+.....
I would order pizza if I were you!

[kja]

don't forget the berkshire is a early finisher usually going off between 35 -45 kg if my memory serves me well.

[bekka@dh]

I didnt know that kja - still lots to learn!

[Ideation]

You can kill them as small as you like!

But one thing to bear in mind, is that if they are still with you now, it'd be a very quick turn around to get it slaughtered and butchered properly by this coming weekend.

[susiev]

Thank you.  It would be nice to eat one this weekend and I did find myself comparing them earlier    Would the meat taste any different?

I don't want to rush it though.  Sorry if this is a silly question, but do they have to go to an abattoir?  If not, what are the regulations on home slaughter?

[Berkshire Boy]

Berkshires do not go off at 45 kg. 30kg is not much more than a weaner they need to be 60 - 70 kg at least.

[susiev]

Thanks - looks like it's pizza then 

[Clansman]

Thank you.  It would be nice to eat one this weekend and I did find myself comparing them earlier    Would the meat taste any different?

I don't want to rush it though.  Sorry if this is a silly question, but do they have to go to an abattoir?  If not, what are the regulations on home slaughter?

You can eat them as small and as young as you like Susie, ever heard of suckling pig?

I think some of the answers you have had are based on the pigs optimum weight for the food that it has consumed.

So yes, getting the most pork for your money may well mean taking them to 70Kg but you can just as easily eat them at 30Kg, they'll just have cost you a bit more per pound of pork.

We've gone the home kill road, have a look at this thread.

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=40304.msg438865#msg438865

The main point concerning your dinner party (if you are in the UK) would be that it wouldn't be legal for anyone outwith your household to eat any of the pork. 

p.s. we are eating 11 week old piglets this week 

[kja]

lots of info on the berkshire breeds club about weights etc …worth a look

[shygirl]

we have sent off pigs at 30kg dead weight. and they were perfect for hog roasts as long as they have fat and meat on them. many hog roast machine have a weight limit and not all are designed parties of 100 people. are they skinny or well grown? try and see, there is no wrong or right answer, as mentioned above suckling pigs are killled under 3mths.
the optimum weight is often due to meat/feed conversion and that is really ecomonics aswell as taste.

[Clansman]

We spit roasted one of our Kune piglets last weekend and it was lovely, all that was left were the bones!

It was 11 weeks old, weighed 10Kg live weight, 8Kg on the spit and fed 4 adults and 3 children easily!

[shygirl]

thanks for sharing - i havent kept kunes before so id be interested to know how much meat/fat they had at that age, (compared to gos / tamworth type pigs.of the same age)
did you use an abattoir to kill them? if so how did you contain them there without them escaping under the gates?

 

[Clansman]

we never actually weighted the meat on it, there was a little fat on it but not too much.

it was eaten probably over a couple of hours and to be honest, everyone pretty much kept going back for more and we were all stuffed!

it was crispy pork! it tasted so good you had to keep eating it even though you were stuffed 

We killed some larger piglets a few months ago and they were only around 4 times heavier than these at 40Kg live weight and nearly a year old so when you think about it, 10Kg for a 3 month old piglet is about the same as 40Kg for a year old piglet.

I'll need to work out how the food cost per Kg works out, might be better eating them younger! 

Last years piglets were bought in and were fat when we got them so maybe the growth rate wasn't good because of that, when we killed them we had pretty much 3/4 to an inch of back fat on all of them.

We'll get a better idea with this lot 

[Clansman]

did you use an abattoir to kill them? if so how did you contain them there without them escaping under the gates?

 

Home killed with a captive bolt stunner