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Author Topic: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...  (Read 3851 times)

Fishyhaddock

  • Joined Apr 2009
  • aberdeenshire
I have 2 GOS for private consumption - is it necessary to have a slap mark or can I just put any form of identification on the girls?
Also can you advise where I go to help me look at the choice I have on the various cuts - the slaughter house I am going to use offers this service and all the meat comes back in vacuum packs - but i don't want huge joints etc and if I'm honest I am still learning what bit of meat comes from which bit of pig. Thanks once again,

Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2010, 03:26:31 pm »
Hi,

If the pigs are going to an abbertoir, then they must be tagged or slap-marked.

You can google "cuts of pork" or speak to a butcher, or as we do, tell whoever is doing the butchering the family size it is to be for. ie. a family of 2 will need smaller joints etc than a family of 10! also tell them how you want your sausages - we prefer ours more on the lean side - they dont turn the BBQ into an inferno then!

You will find both pig slappers and tags on our site if you want to take a look.

Thanks
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JulieS

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Devon - EX39 5RF
    • Ford Mill Farm
Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2010, 03:43:17 pm »
It's worth checking with your abattoir whether they will accept just a slap mark or whether they need to have ear tags.  From previous posts on here it seems to depend on which abattoir you are using.

As SFS says it is a good idea to have a chat with the butcher to let them know the size of joints you will need.  Also think about the things you as a family will eat more of ....Sausages, bacon, mince, chops, joints, etc.

Let us know how you get on.



Pedigree GOS Pigs and Butchery for Smallholders.

Samantha

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • Bristol
    • Merry Meet
Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2010, 04:03:47 pm »
I would like to make a suggestion if I may as I found this very useful .. some people love him and some hate him but Hugh Fernlea-wittingstall released a dvd called pig in a day .. it's not very expensive but it takes you right through the process of butchering a pig and which bit is which. Even if you aren't butchering yourself it's informative and there are some recipes too :)

I think you can get it on amazon or the river cottage website.

Sam

Eve

  • Joined Jul 2010
Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2010, 07:22:52 pm »
2 GOS, was it? Never mind the cuts, have you got enough freezer space  ;D
We had 2 GOS last year and although I was going to write it all down I didn't get 'round to it, wish I had, now.
It was difficult to find out what and how much of each type of meat we'd have, many of the websites are American and they hardly ever mention how heavy the pig was. But I know we had 23kgs of nice fatty mince, makes the best burgers ever! Make sure you use the belly for bacon, it's so easy to do yourself.

Sorry, I know this wasn't really much use!  ::)


Eve  :wave:

dannidub2000

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Northants
    • Brook Farm Rare Breeds
Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2010, 12:02:25 am »
As mentioned previous, give the abattoir a call and they will tell you what they would like the pigs to be marked with. There is a good company called Shearwell who do the metal tags and they are really good at getting them out quick if needed unlike others.
How youwant your pigs butchered will depend on what point of finishing their at? I generally keep mine to aound 6mths and send them off for cuts. Personally from a pig I have 30lb sausages from the belly and some shoulder. Then have rest of shoulder and the legs boned, rolled and each cut into 4 joints. Then loins cut into chops and also boned and rolled and into joints.  Hope this helps and gives you an idea, been lucky I have a chef in the family who knows his cuts of meat, can very much remember thinking I can grow this, now what am I going to do with it, all been there!!  :) 
Danni
Brook Farm Rare Breeds
Northants

bibs

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • dorset
Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2010, 06:25:39 pm »
Hi - slap mark or tag essential - plus all paperwork completed ! As far as vacuum packs straight from abattoir - if this is a small slaughter house it may not be a problem but where I have my smallholding there is a larger abattoir which has an alleged reputation for maybe not always giving you back YOUR animals - once they are butchered and vacuum packed it is hard to tell. We always take the pigs whole from the abattoir where they should still be clearly identified. As far as cuts of meat go, I think it's something you learn as you go along - we did lots of roasting joints at first but now we have less joints and go for mince , cubed meat for casseroles and stews and lots of pork fillets which are really gorgeous.
Good luck.

Sudanpan

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • West Cornwall
    • Movement is Life
Re: Getting set for first pigs to go to slaughter but have questions...
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2010, 08:29:51 pm »
Our 4 GOS boars went to slaughter in the last 3 weeks - 2 one week, then the other 2 the week after - we have ended up with about 240kg of meat.... the freezer is groaning!
I went to the abattoir to check up on what they wanted - the pigs needed to be slapmarked (our pigs were all for home consumption) and apart from the Animal movement forms I also had to fill out a Food Chain Information form and a Consignment form - but the people at the abattoir couldn't have been more helpful so Isuggest you ask them.
Our first 2 pigs we had butchered into leg and shoulder joints (boned) 2kg sizes, chops, and belly strips - the meat from trimmings and the cheeks were made into sausages (about 2 kg)
The 2nd 2 pigs we have had 2 sides cured for bacon, 2 hams taken for curing, bone-in joints shoulder and other 2 legs, rolled belly roast, 2 loin racks (BIG mistake - there are only 2 of us and a rack consists of 12 chops...) spare rib rack, chops and belly strips again.
We have been making sausages from the belly strips, and I made pate from the livers.
Tish

 

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