[Steel]

One of our three pigs went to the abattoir this morning at 7.5 months.

We've been preparing for a while for this now, making sure the animals were happy to clamber into and out of the trailer without being prodded or shoved. We did two practice morning runs in advance, and the appointed porker was quite happy to climb in and out, quite unconcerned. Come this morning at 6:30am, he went in for the third time no problem at all and had a very small breakfast in the back. Separating the pigs and getting him in took less than five minutes and was completely stress free.

We got to the other end about 40 minutes, he was fast asleep and snoring in the back. We had to wait a few minutes for another trailer unloading, so were parked on the street and wandered in for a look. The first thing that worried me was the slaughterman chasing some small pigs around the lairage and shoving them around with boards into the open door of the abattoir whistling and yelping at them. As each pig was shoved through you could hear the pigs up ahead scream as they were stunned, so naturally the pigs behind were so frightened at what was up ahead they tried to get away. I didn't expect that and almost turned around there and then, but then realised the noise and machinery couldn't be helped. It was a small abattoir. Then the ones in the trailer in front were unloaded. Cue more screams and yelps and whistles, both from the slaughterman and the owners.

Finally it was our turn, and 'Mr Whistly' had gone inside and another much quieter calmer slaughterman came out. There was no-one behind us so no time pressure. All was going well - it took him a few moments to get his bearings and he was a bit disoriented, being lop-eared he couldn't see that well. We expected this and had his feed bucket in the car with some apples in, however, we didn't get a chance to get it out and lead him quietly out because the stupid cow from the previous unloading decided to get involved. Before we could stop her, she'd clambered in through the side door of the trailer and started yelling and slapping him to get out because he was so slow, spooking him and making him squeal. She left the side door open behind her so the pig made a dash for freedom, with her kneeing him and slapping him back and the slaughterman getting agitated about closing the door because he didn't want to have to chase the pig around. On the abattoir walls are a sign that animals are not to be unloaded unless the main gates were shut. Clearly no-one paid any attention to that and they were wide open and led onto the main road and residential area.

I was so angry and upset. We've NEVER treated our animals like that. We don't whistle or yell, slap them, or poke them, we don't slam boards against them to get them to move.  In the end he almost tumbled down the ramp frightened and screaming, and the slaughterman guided him quietly into the lairage, which was filthy and stinking from all the previous animals and had no water. He was so stressed. Then to make matter worse, you could still hear the pigs screaming inside as they were stunned and the metallic clanking of the machinery.

It was horrible and I was so upset when I left. We've raised these animals free from stress on good ground and with kindness. I read everything I could about how to give them best stress-free ending possible and we were so pleased at how calm everything was. Then all that work is undone in the last 20 minutes.

Hideous.

I have two more pigs due to go in October/November. Might try a different slaughterhouse next time with a better lairage arrangement and this time go the week before to watch how they handle the animals.

Oh, and to the women who got involved? If you are on this forum, mind your own fecking business next time. I don't care how many animals you have or how often you take them to slaughter, it's not your concern. Killing animals is never pleasant and will never be stress free, but you made a bad situation worse. I'll never forget the look on my pigs face in the lairage thanks to the stress you inflicted on him.

[harmony]

What a nightmare and nobody wants that for their animals especially when you had put in the time to get prepared  I assume you didn't take the pig on the trailer on your previous dummy runs though?


There is always going to be noise at these places and pigs can squeal for England without you doing much to them. However, the process should be made as calm as possible for the animals.


It would be quite hard I think to keep on top of the lairage mucking out through the day but I assume the pigs are not in there long. It isn't uncommon to keep feed and water from killing pigs for several hours before slaughter as their guts should be as empty as possible at kill to minimise contamination of the meat during the process.


All that said clearly the woman who got involved with your unloading despite thinking she was helping made the whole thing far worse for you and your pig. I would have politely asked her to get out of my trailer. Some people might not have been so polite!


I always take a board to help unload. It is far more effective than apples. You don't have to be rough with it but it is by far the easiest way to stop a pig turning back.


If you aren't happy then look for another place but I guess you have to decide whether it was the whole experience or the unhelpful woman who made it what it was? You said the lairage man was very calm once your pig was off.


I hope you enjoy your pork 

[Jukes Mum]

Sorry to hear this. Hopefully it will work out better next time 
This is the main reason that we home kill. I couldn't bare for our lambs' last day to be stressful for them.

[Steel]

No, we didn't do dummy runs with the trailer, just practiced getting the pigs on and off with feed and had it down to pat. We did drive the route by car once, to see where the awkward corners and bumps were, and thankfully 90% of it was through quiet country lanes all the way.

I'm aware of the reasons for not feeding pigs before slaughter and did try to stick to that - this pig was fed at 5pm the previous day and had only had a small palmful of pellets scattered that morning to get him up the ramp and into trailer. All lairage facilities should have clean water for the animals.

Part of me was so surprised and outraged by her actions I couldn't speak and the other part of me realised I would have to shout above her noise, the pig screaming and the noise of the machinery to get her to hear me, which would have stressed the pig out further. He's never heard me raise my voice. Then I realised I was the only one nearest the trailer side door so would have to be the one to rush and shut it.

We had no reason to have a board with us to prevent turning back, as a interfering sod leaving a trailer side door wide open was not even a contingency we remotely planned for! We were aiming to have a calm and quiet unloading of a hungry pig occupied by a feed bucket. The abattoir told us it had a board if we needed it. We were not under time pressure. There was no need for rough quick handling.

The large man was calm and quiet, he seemed to know how to maneuver the pig, however, getting him was more luck than anything else. He came out as we pulled up. All I can hope for is that it was him taking my pig on the final walk and not Mr Whistly Yelpy man.

I'm going to try another abattoir anyway just for experience, as there is another the same distance from us in the opposite direction.

[Steel]

Sorry to hear this. Hopefully it will work out better next time 
This is the main reason that we home kill. I couldn't bare for our lambs' last day to be stressful for them.

Do you have someone come in with a mobile unit or just do it yourself?

[Victorian Farmer]

DO THEM AT HOME a lot better we always did it that way

[Steel]

To add to the emotions of the day, when we got back we found the remaining two boars lying in separate pens refusing to get up. This is very unusual, as they usually rush around when we go into the paddock. Thinking they were probably stressed at seeing their friend taken away, I spent some time stroking them and talking to them.

That's when I discovered they'd had a fight. They were covered in bloody wounds and teeth scrapes. All three are litter mates and did not fight, there was always lots of playing, so I can only think the stress of today made them turn on each other. So I've cleaned them up, fed them some apples and plums, and now they are lying about three feet from one another, instead of cuddled up and snoring.

[Jukes Mum]

Sorry to hear this. Hopefully it will work out better next time 
This is the main reason that we home kill. I couldn't bare for our lambs' last day to be stressful for them.

Do you have someone come in with a mobile unit or just do it yourself?

We just do them ourselves. It does mean that you can't sell the meat though so obvioulsy its not for everyone!

[Marches Farmer]

That's when I discovered they'd had a fight. They were covered in bloody wounds and teeth scrapes. All three are litter mates and did not fight, there was always lots of playing, so I can only think the stress of today made them turn on each other.

With one of the pecking order out of the way they may have been scrapping to decide which was going to be the underdog of the new order. 

It might be helpful to practice being assertive for next time.  If you've heard yourself say "Please let me get them out of the trailer quietly," or "Please stand aside, I'd like to unload them myself," it will trip off your tongue much more easily in any stressful situation in the future.  Do consider getting a board - you don't have to use it to shove, just to direct, as they do when showing a pig.

[Steel]

With one of the pecking order out of the way they may have been scrapping to decide which was going to be the underdog of the new order. 

Good point - I hadn't considered that. I was going to take the larger of the three originally, but changed my mind last week and ended up taking what I thought was the middle of the order. Over the last few weeks he had become very bolshy and loud, and had also started nicking the food of the smaller one. He was the first to everything and was becoming a bit of a nuisance to be honest. Getting anything done was a problem if he was around. So I thought I had left the top and bottom of the order, but that order may have changed without me realising, and I left the second and third, which was too close in the order for comfort.

It might be helpful to practice being assertive for next time.  If you've heard yourself say "Please let me get them out of the trailer quietly," or "Please stand aside, I'd like to unload them myself," it will trip off your tongue much more easily in any stressful situation in the future.  Do consider getting a board - you don't have to use it to shove, just to direct, as they do when showing a pig.

Good points again, thank you. I'll make my feeling known in advance. I'm generally an assertive person and have no problem saying 'no', but the situation escalated and just floored me.

[Steel]

One thing I did hear I wasn't sure about.

I overheard someone say that we had picked a good day as trading standards wasn't there, and they are often around making a nuisance of themselves.

What was that about? Did they mean making a nuisance with the smallholders or with the abattoir?

[greenbeast]

I really feel for you, we have a good place and, taking 3 a week that have been raised well, i'm glad for it.

There aren't many around these days so hopefully you have better luck at the other place.
Also it would be extremely unlucky to meet the same interfering woman (at the same stage of unloading) again.

I don't take a board because the lairage guy alwasy has one to hand if i occasionally need to direct pigs the right way....

[Marches Farmer]

Trading Standards can look at pretty well anything they want, including the condition of the trailer (correct lights, etc.), paperwork, handling, abattoir process and so on.

[harmony]

There is an abattoir guide on here so could be worth looking at that for your location.


One of the reasons I take my board and don't use someone else's is that it doesn't smell of everyone else's pigs which with a boar can make a problem. Rarely do I need it but it is there if I do. Food isn't always enough to distract a pig from the situation. If they feel unsure the last thing they are going to do is relax and eat when they think there is a monster out there.


It can be very useful to get your pigs used to moving around with you close to them with your hand tapping on them and getting used to your voice telling them to walk on. I can get most of mine where I want doing this.


If a pig is stressed prior to slaughter then the meat wont set. Hitting a pig will potentially bruise the meat.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

OUch! That sounds really bad and I am so very sorry that, that happened... What slaughter house was it? Couldn't you file a complaint at all?