[langdon]

cant wait for next month one of our pigs is ready for pork MMMMMMMMMmmm
we are new to pig keeping, our freind who sold us the weiners is coming down to show
us how to cut up meat, he is a farmer plus butcher.
that is one skill i am looking forward to learning, rearing your own meat and then to be able to
cut it up yourself.

[Roxy]

Are you not getting attached to your pigs?  What about your wife and the children - will they be able to cope with eating the pork after seeing the pigs?

I do admire your enthusiasm, and eagerness to try new skills etc.  A lot of people would want the pig killed and butchered and all nicely back ready for the freezer, but here are you, with your first pig wanting to cut it up!!

[HappyHippy]

My hubby wanted to do our own slaughter and butchery (he's done it before and was more than confident) but I had to put my foot down  I didn't want to see it all happening. I was attached to my girls, they were here purely for meat and despite telling myself NOT to get attached, it happened (but I think that's all part of caring for them) Maybe in the furture I will let him do it - but it's easier for me to put them in the hands of the experts and just pick up my boxes of nicely cut up and labelled meat (and my butcher knows that I never want to see their heads - what am I like eh ?). I do admire you for wanting to do it yourself though - let us know how you get on.
Karen

[oink]

yeah, good on you!!! 

It's a skill I'd love to have.  I'll have to try harder to make friends with a butcher.  I must say the idea of doing it all myself ( breeding to slaughtering to butchering ) really appeals to me but I don't think I'm quite ready for the commitment of keeping pigs all year round quite yet.  If anyone on here grows most of their pigs food I'd love to know how much land it takes up for say a couple of sows?

hope you enjoy the pork (you will!!), pretty soon you'll be able to tell the supermarkets where to shove their food, apart from the beer and sweets of course 

[Hilarysmum]

If you home slaughter where do you dispose of the nasty bits? 

[langdon]

i wont be doing the slaughter, slaughter house for that, i want to do the cutting up
of the meat.

[Hilarysmum]

Sorry Langdon, didnt particularly mean you personally, was just curious what happens to the smelly bits.  Who cleans the skins for the sausages and how.  Just wondering really

[langdon]

dont get me wrong i love them, but they are ere for one reason only,
a source of food that we ourselves reared on our little smallholding and proud of it too
george is alittle bit disheartened, but like his da he loves his food!! 

[Hilarysmum]

If you dont eat them they would not be bred in the first place !!!!

[Sylvia]

You're in for a real treat, meal-wise. My son and I cut up our pigs, hard work and took us two back-aching days but worth it!

[Gary]

Langdon
Hugh fernley-whittingstall has a dvd on pigs and on there he and his butcher take you through the butchery stage cut by cut its very informative and easy to follow I think its called "pig in a day"

Gary

[dixie]

Hi we have ours slaughtered and butchered but would consider butchery at home if I knew how. Maybe one day! I wouldnt choose home kill though. Good luck good to hear you're looking forward to it, it will be the best pork you have ever eaten, you'll never look back
A friend has 2 weaners form me each year, has them slaughtered then he and his mate butcher them at home, he loves the whole experience.

[langdon]

nice one pal hugh is my hero i would love to spend a day on his farm

[Hilarysmum]

Me too.   

[langdon]

why dont we all meet up at a central point for all of us and drive up ?