Home pig slaughter

[troggy]

Has anyone ever had experience of home slaughtering a pig and prepping thereafter. The reason I ask is, I have been offered a barren sow, circa 220 kilos for my home charcuterie, which the very nice breeder friend will bring over. Any thoughts on the best way to dispatching stress free ( I was thinking a 270 solid round to the back of the head as she eats a nice last meal)?? but what do we ( I ain't doing this on my own) use to lift her up via the back legs to bleed etc. And do I clean the muck off the carcuss befor gutting and cleaning ( I thought a pressure washer and unused scrubbing brush, followed by blowlamping off any stubble / fur ) obviously I am not going to slaughter untill much cooler temps, hopefully in October/November? So plenty of time to prepare and rig up some lifting gear. Any thoughts.

 

[Ben Dearg]

Tread warily here!
Moving a pig (even a pet pig) is subject to a DEFRA licencing procedure and you and/or the breeder may be committing an offence if an unlicensed movement takes place and is reported.
Info at
Pig keepers: report and record movements to or from your holding.

 

[Robs]

As BG says, but seriously, for the cost, do the animal a favour and get the very nice breeder to take to the abattoir and do it properly.

 

[User00038]

You might want to look at this from the Humane Slaughter Association
Pigs
or more realistically consider
STM Meats at Henfield or PC Turner at Farnborough (or wherever) for private kill and get the carcass back skin on, hair off, split in half.
Unless you want the blood, I think you will find that doing a sow at home as your first go will be an unenjoyable challenge. They can be very long... so lifting etcetc.

 

[VSS]

Has anyone ever had experience of home slaughtering a pig and prepping thereafter. The reason I ask is, I have been offered a barren sow, circa 220 kilos for my home charcuterie, which the very nice breeder friend will bring over. Any thoughts on the best way to dispatching stress free ( I was thinking a 270 solid round to the back of the head as she eats a nice last meal)?? but what do we ( I ain't doing this on my own) use to lift her up via the back legs to bleed etc. And do I clean the muck off the carcuss befor gutting and cleaning ( I thought a pressure washer and unused scrubbing brush, followed by blowlamping off any stubble / fur ) obviously I am not going to slaughter untill much cooler temps, hopefully in October/November? So plenty of time to prepare and rig up some lifting gear. Any thoughts.

Yes, I have plenty of experience of this.
And taught lots of other people, too.
PM me if you like.
(And don't even think about using your 270. Way too dangerous. 410 shotgun is the way to go).

 

[Norfolk Horn]

If it for sell on the pig should be tested for a bug which I can't remember the name of as its awhile since I kept pigs. @VSS will know.
I've shot a few pigs on welfare need and used a twelve bore with a game load from the front while the pig was eating, just standing back a few yards.

 

[Andyquadra]

just standing back a few yards.

Was that after the first attempt and a tad amount of splash back?

 

[Norfolk Horn]

Was that after the first attempt and a tad amount of splash back?

No.
So they settled and I didn't spook them

 

[TringSaint]

As BG says, but seriously, for the cost, do the animal a favour and get the very nice breeder to take to the abattoir and do it properly.

I agree. Let them knock it on the head and do the scald and shave but leave in two halves so you can do the butchery to suit you own needs.
Doesn’t cost much and saves you having to deal with a lot of innards!!

 

[CookM]

If it for sell on the pig should be tested for a bug which I can't remember the name of as its awhile since I kept pigs. @VSS will know.
I've shot a few pigs on welfare need and used a twelve bore with a game load from the front while the pig was eating, just standing back a few yards.

The proper way for that purpose,shot column in effect acts as a slug.
Little material at the shot site immediately.
Back of head not the correct way ,good for sheep etc.
Definitely not between the eyes.

 

[johndeere]

If it for sell on the pig should be tested for a bug which I can't remember the name of as its awhile since I kept pigs. @VSS will know.
I've shot a few pigs on welfare need and used a twelve bore with a game load from the front while the pig was eating, just standing back a few yards.

Trichinella?​

 

[CookM]

UK herd is assumed free since 1978,they may still check.
It helps greatly with pork exports to China etc.
APHA were receiving shot adult foxes for testing to monitor any cases.

 

[Norfolk Horn]

UK herd is assumed free since 1978,they may still check.
It helps greatly with pork exports to China etc.
APHA were receiving shot adult foxes for testing to monitor any cases.

The meat inspector told me years ago there wasn't any so not to worry about the test.
I used a small abattoir and they butcherd aswell so when I went to pick up some weather's I add processed the meat inspector would so me what he was doing and also discuss the carcasses as his farther had been a butcher so he new the job from both sides.
He told me he bought half pigs for himself and butcherd them for his requirements. Nice bloke.

 

[labrador77]

You might want to look at this from the Humane Slaughter Association
Pigs
or more realistically consider
STM Meats at Henfield or PC Turner at Farnborough (or wherever) for private kill and get the carcass back skin on, hair off, split in half.
Unless you want the blood, I think you will find that doing a sow at home as your first go will be an unenjoyable challenge. They can be very long... so lifting etcetc.

This, let the professionals slaughter, and prepare the carcass to deliver (or you collect). Then you can enjoy the butchering/curing processes.

 

[Olaf]

Has anyone ever had experience of home slaughtering a pig and prepping thereafter. The reason I ask is, I have been offered a barren sow, circa 220 kilos for my home charcuterie, which the very nice breeder friend will bring over. Any thoughts on the best way to dispatching stress free ( I was thinking a 270 solid round to the back of the head as she eats a nice last meal)?? but what do we ( I ain't doing this on my own) use to lift her up via the back legs to bleed etc. And do I clean the muck off the carcuss befor gutting and cleaning ( I thought a pressure washer and unused scrubbing brush, followed by blowlamping off any stubble / fur ) obviously I am not going to slaughter untill much cooler temps, hopefully in October/November? So plenty of time to prepare and rig up some lifting gear. Any thoughts.

I and a friend shared a young bull of his earlier this year In Germany . To make life simpler we just got a local butcher who has a home slaughter license to deal with the initial part, as i didn’t have time to deal with the whole massive beast. I then I collected my half side of the bull from his chiller once it had been hung for a few weeks as i didn’t want to leave it in my chiller as I was going back to the uk for work purposes.
I’ve killed a fair few cattle before and done a few sheep too, lots of pigs as well but the pigs were wild boar in the forrest so not quite the same. …
A key element to the slaughter of the young bull was that neither my friend nor I nor the butcher wanted the animal to experience any stress as it’s obviously not nice, and it also spoils the quality of the meat, hence the home slaughter and not moving it.
The butcher did a superb job, the beast never knew a thing. Shortly before it was slaughtered my friend popped some grain out in the meadow ( where it had lived it’s entire free range grass eating life) and it then got a .22 lr in its brain from a few meters away. it was then stuck in the chest ( just above the rib cage at the junction of the neck and the body) and bled immediately .
The reason for the .22lr and nothing more damaging is because the heart will continue to beat and the bleeding out is what kills it and not the shot. It was bled out without needing to be lifted up as the heart pumps the blood out and not gravity, hence the reason why captive bolt guns are also used for slaughter as they stun rather vaporise the brain .
Once the bull had stopped kicking and the blood had stopped being pumped out I then lifted it up by its back legs using my front loader and popped it into the butchers carcass trailer. it then went straight off to his premises to be opened up and skinned and I went straight off to my truck to head back to the uk.
When I got back to Germany a few weeks later I picked up my side of the beast from the butchers chiller and then butchered it all up myself , vac packed it and filled up a chest freezer with it .I subsequently saved a small fortune and have the satisfaction of knowing where the meat came from.
Once things cool down a bit in the autumn and the flies are all dead I will start to make cured and smoked sausages . Currently I’m sat in my kitchen and i have a nice piece of its neck and some nice fat from it defrosting a few metres from where I am sat. Tomorrow’s entertainment will be making some fresh sausages and hamburgers from it.
I hope your porky project goes well and that you get some good advice on the slaughter, so that you do it well, and correctly. Please post pictures as I’d love to see what you make from it. Charcuterie is a satisfying and highly rewarding pass time of mine too, but I normally only have time in the late winter months After the main hunting has run its course and the flying pests are not threatening to get into my charcuterie fridge!

Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[Morkai]

Whichever route you take, please keep the blood and treat yourself to some black pudding.

 

[Foxyboy43]

I and a friend shared a young bull of his earlier this year In Germany . To make life simpler we just got a local butcher who has a home slaughter license to deal with the initial part, as i didn’t have time to deal with the whole massive beast. I then I collected my half side of the bull from his chiller once it had been hung for a few weeks as i didn’t want to leave it in my chiller as I was going back to the uk for work purposes.
I’ve killed a fair few cattle before and done a few sheep too, lots of pigs as well but the pigs were wild boar in the forrest so not quite the same. …
A key element to the slaughter of the young bull was that neither my friend nor I nor the butcher wanted the animal to experience any stress as it’s obviously not nice, and it also spoils the quality of the meat, hence the home slaughter and not moving it.
The butcher did a superb job, the beast never knew a thing. Shortly before it was slaughtered my friend popped some grain out in the meadow ( where it had lived it’s entire free range grass eating life) and it then got a .22 lr in its brain from a few meters away. it was then stuck in the chest ( just above the rib cage at the junction of the neck and the body) and bled immediately .
The reason for the .22lr and nothing more damaging is because the heart will continue to beat and the bleeding out is what kills it and not the shot. It was bled out without needing to be lifted up as the heart pumps the blood out and not gravity, hence the reason why captive bolt guns are also used for slaughter as they stun rather vaporise the brain .
Once the bull had stopped kicking and the blood had stopped being pumped out I then lifted it up by its back legs using my front loader and popped it into the butchers carcass trailer. it then went straight off to his premises to be opened up and skinned and I went straight off to my truck to head back to the uk.
When I got back to Germany a few weeks later I picked up my side of the beast from the butchers chiller and then butchered it all up myself , vac packed it and filled up a chest freezer with it .I subsequently saved a small fortune and have the satisfaction of knowing where the meat came from.
Once things cool down a bit in the autumn and the flies are all dead I will start to make cured and smoked sausages . Currently I’m sat in my kitchen and i have a nice piece of its neck and some nice fat from it defrosting a few metres from where I am sat. Tomorrow’s entertainment will be making some fresh sausages and hamburgers from it.
I hope your porky project goes well and that you get some good advice on the slaughter, so that you do it well, and correctly. Please post pictures as I’d love to see what you make from it. Charcuterie is a satisfying and highly rewarding pass time of mine too, but I normally only have time in the late winter months After the main hunting has run its course and the flying pests are not threatening to get into my charcuterie fridge!

Kindest regards, Olaf

Interesting read thanks for posting.
I wouldn’t want to be a few metres away if the .22 didn’t drop the bull and it became slightly miffed in very short order!
Used to know an old chap who was a slaughterman before captive bolts. Killing bulls was done with a ring set in the concrete floor and a rope. One end tied to the bull’s nose ring and the other pulled by 4 men so that the bull’s head was held still to the ground. His job was to do the deed with a pointed sledgehammer aka a poleaxe. Occasionally he missed the brain with the first swipe then as you can imagine all hell broke out! Hard men.

 

[Camdig]

Having home killed and run animals to the abattoir I much prefer home kill.
It's obviously alot more work but much more respectful to the animal being culled on its place of life.
About 5 years ago I looked into a mobile slaughter business but the amount of hoops to jump through I lost interest. Definitely think it would be a viable business in Scotland now they have closed the majority of abattoirs.

 

[TheCornishman]

As many have said, take the old girl to the Abbotoir

I am a butcher by trade and started out as a teen (many moons ago) with a mobile slaughter outfit. I agree that it offers a huge benefit in terms of welfare but when conducted with experience.

1st off the idea of 270 close quarter combat has me wincing already for a multitude of reasons. It really wouldn’t be the 1st tool of choice. Pigs are notoriously hard to shoot in the brain which is only made worse by the fact that they are particularly intelligent animals. Mark my words the pig will know that something is up!… add to that the potential for thst 270 round passing through and going who knows where. If you really must a close quarter shotgun with a stout load would be far more suitable & research the aim point. The back of the head isn’t suitable on pigs, the brain actually lays rather low in the head.

The cost verses the sheer amount of hassle, potential for injury to pig or yourselves simply doesn’t stack up. As a mobile outfit we used to stun with electric (specialised kit), carry hoists, a huge gas boiler for scalding, tables & kit for scraping the outer layer of skin & hair & or course suitable refrigeration and vessels for dealing with viscera. You don’t find many mobile slaughter outfits that will deal with pigs these days as they simply are a huge amount of hassle for relatively low returns. Add to that the point about health testing and it all starts to be compelling.

Legally your on a hotbed too. If the animal is owned by YOU, you may slaughter it and process it for yourself and immediate family. The GOVT definition of immediate family is those whom you cohabit with. If aunty Dora or Dave down the pub get hold of some the produce then you are in breach of the law. On the flip side if the animal killed in an Abbotoir most of the red tape has been covered though you should still be mindful of having your butchery facility registered with local authority if you plan to sell any produce. This is especially a hot topic when it comes to the black art of charcuterie where live cultures, biology & voodoo meet

Whatever you decide, tread carefully

 

[Bo Diddley]

As BG says, but seriously, for the cost, do the animal a favour and get the very nice breeder to take to the abattoir and do it properly.

I think if I was a pig I'd rather be dispatched at home while I'm munching on my favorite tuck and know nothing about it... the thought of being loaded up on a trailer and driven to my demise, while smelling the death in the air as I neared the slaughterhouse would not be nice... I'm thinking of atrocities the Nazis did in WW2 here... we have a slaughterhouse in the market town a few miles away it's certainly an industrial way of processing living animals into meat, but is it the best way, I don't think so.
A good friend with a smallholding always dreamed of being able to have his cattle slaughtered on the holding, but it was not possible for him. When one was finished and ready for slaughter, he would then buy in another calf, so he always had three head of cattle on the holding. His cattle would follow him around like dogs, he only wanted the best for them, better for him to lead one to the other end of the holding to be quietly dispatched rather than the stress of being carted to the abattoir.