[Rupert the bear]

Well the Pigs are back from the butcher this morning. 145.5 kg of meat all told, graded R
Mrs RTB has started to cure for bacon , back and streaky, the joints , sausages ( Mmm nice taste                    (quality control y'know ) )  and odds and sods into the freezer sitting at -39.
Here are the costs for this pair of pigs
2 Berkshire weaners           £ 80.00
Weaner pellets                    £ 34.80
Growers / finishers             £173.60
Abattoir                              £ 95.00
Butcher, joint + vacpack    £205.00
Bacon curing supplies        £ 40.00

Total                                    £628.4


I haven’t included transport or the free fruit and veg extras, mud wrestling and bedding
The Butcher had priced and labeled some of the meat  in the anticipation of selling some  on , but no all of it came home . I was lucky that I was the last of the private butchery prior to Christmas. A couple of pics of the priced packs.

[harmony]

Wow - how much for abattoir and butcher?


Our abattoir will kill and cut for about £45. Kill only is about £20.


Our local butcher just made sausages with our last pig from the shoulders and jointed what was left. £70.

[Rupert the bear]

Wow - how much for abattoir and butcher?


Our abattoir will kill and cut for about £45. Kill only is about £20.


Our local butcher just made sausages with our last pig from the shoulders and jointed what was left. £70.

I wish , is that each ? up here few and far between for some one to do private pig kills , this was granton on spey the next nearest Dingwall ,even furthur away.
Whereabouts are you ?

[harmony]

Yes, that is per pig. We are in Cumbria. Usually we only get the local butcher to make the sausage but he offered to do the cutting as well and we thought as it kept all of the pig in one place we would. He didn't charge much more than the abattoir would of and he bagged individual joints and kept the chops separate. Our abattoir just puts it all in a bag and we have to sort it.


It is maybe an hour round trip to the abattoir. I know - we are lucky! The butcher collects weekly from there so he collects for us when he does our sausage.



We bought a vac packer from Amazon for about £60 with bags. Great for all sorts of stuff.


Your pork looks good stuff. There were a good size as Berkshires often go off at the smaller pork weight size.

[Rupert the bear]

Yes, that is per pig. We are in Cumbria. Usually we only get the local butcher to make the sausage but he offered to do the cutting as well and we thought as it kept all of the pig in one place we would. He didn't charge much more than the abattoir would of and he bagged individual joints and kept the chops separate. Our abattoir just puts it all in a bag and we have to sort it.


It is maybe an hour round trip to the abattoir. I know - we are lucky! The butcher collects weekly from there so he collects for us when he does our sausage.



We bought a vac packer from Amazon for about £60 with bags. Great for all sorts of stuff.


Your pork looks good stuff. There were a good size as Berkshires often go off at the smaller pork weight size.

Thanks,Yes you're deffo lucky there , I agree best to try and keep every thing in one place , our trip was 2 and a bit hours each way , and a slow road as well , we have a Andrew James vac pack machine and a commercial slicer for the bacon.  The pigs should have gone a month earlier but circumstances dictated otherwise .....

[harmony]

Yes, our is Andrew James, very pleased with it. I saw a commercial bacon slicer at the scrap man's today but I was firmly told that we were taking not bringing home!!!!

[Rupert the bear]

Yes, our is Andrew James, very pleased with it. I saw a commercial bacon slicer at the scrap man's today but I was firmly told that we were taking not bringing home!!!!

Hmm, if it was NON Chinese  and the price was right... many spares are still available for the quality ones

[Sudanpan]

145kg in meat from 2 berkshires? Wow! How old were they (sorry but I haven't seen any earlier info on your pig rearing)
I sent 4 berkshires (6 mths old) all entire males off and got about 120kg meat back - the abattoir does the cut into joints etc, and weight does not include head, trotters etc, just the packed, jointed meat etc.

[Rupert the bear]

The two girls went at 7 and a bit months, should have gone at 6 but unexpected circumstances led to the delay