Slaughtering pig for home consumption

Saw one done with a bolt a few years ago, an on looker got too close to the hoist and ended up with a right slash across the face with a very dirty trotter as the beast cycled?
 
I had a friend of mine who had the knacker man dispatch a large black boar, it took him three goes and twenty minutes with the captive bolt, he was new!!!!!!!

As I had dispatched odd sheep for her with my rimfire she asked me if I could dispatch a old GOS sow and a Managaliitsa boar. I consulted the humane dispatch information on the web ( brain location, calibre etc). I decided to use my sbs 12 bore. The sow was first and I shot her head up which was not immediate but followed with second barrel a split second latter and job done.
The boar I had them feed and with his head down the angle was better and the effect was immediate so no follow up shot required, both shots taken from just a few feet so you don't want to get it wrong as 150kg plus pig at you would not be good.
I have since shot a large black boar with my 12 bore with a good result, I feel with large powerful animals like these with the brain located deep in the skull the twelve bore is best for me
 
Just a thought .... Instead of going through thick none at front .... Shot from side through eat area , less bone / distance to brain ,
Witnessed this done on two pigs for home consumption and laid out a bit of feed, both of em oblivious step in from side and both folded on spot
Any reason why shouldn't be done that way ?
 
Just a thought .... Instead of going through thick none at front .... Shot from side through eat area , less bone / distance to brain ,
Witnessed this done on two pigs for home consumption and laid out a bit of feed, both of em oblivious step in from side and both folded on spot
Any reason why shouldn't be done that way ?

In the interest of animal welfare you should see the Humane Slaughter Association methodologies. I am sure they have thought this out reliably.
 
In the interest of animal welfare you should see the Humane Slaughter Association methodologies. I am sure they have thought this out reliably.


+ 1
They're very helpful - lots of useful info on their site.
It's important that anyone doing home slaughter of livestock makes a good clean job of it. It'll only take a few folk messing up to result in tightening of the legislation, which'll just make things harder for the rest of us.
 
I'm glad you think it's that simple.......on pigs you've got to angle the captive bolt there the worst livestock to shoot hence why most get electric stunned or gassed .....oh and if you miss first time they would probably chew the legs off you
well I have shot 100s with a captive bolt, and if its a invasive pistol they don't get up....I can assure you
 
I do not like captive bolts.
During the Foot and Mouth crisis we were using captive bolts on sheep and rifles on cows.
Without fail on every sheep job and despite pithing them too there were always a few that still showed a blink reflex.
The cows never did.
 
well I have shot 100s with a captive bolt, and if its a invasive pistol they don't get up....I can assure you

Maybe they don't "get up" as you say, but the law is quite clear in that they still require to be slaughtered after stunning with a captive bolt.

(Incidentally, pithing cannot be carried out on any sheep, cattle or goats intended for human consumption. Pigs is ok, but I'd still rather stick them, after shooting with .410).
 
I know I am late to this thread, but I have to agree with the use of a .410, muzzle held about 2-3 inches off the forehead and and the animal doesn't know anything about it.

I would also say to the op don't feed the pig the pig for say 12 hours previously (feed in the evening, don't give it any breakfast and slaughter in the morning) it makes it far easier when removing the guts if they are empty.
 
Just a thought .... Instead of going through thick none at front .... Shot from side through eat area , less bone / distance to brain ,
Witnessed this done on two pigs for home consumption and laid out a bit of feed, both of em oblivious step in from side and both folded on spot
Any reason why shouldn't be done that way ?
No reason at all...shot correctly behind the ear you will destroy the atlas joint and normaly sever tne spinal cord...
 
This is correct.
Having said that, the rules do get bent pretty regularly!
No need for conditioned FAC - just use a shotgun. I do all mine using a .410
The easiest rule bend, if he doesn't have a shotgun, is for someone else to bring one round to your friend's place and for him to shoot the pigs under the gun owners supervision ;) ;)
He also cannot offer a share of the pork to the helper - that constitutes "supply to a third person" which is illegal.
The only people who can (legally) eat any of it are the owner and his immediate family who are normally resident in his house.


Will this apply if the meat is processed (cooked)?
 
killing the pigs is the easy bit.Scraping the hairs,chilling, waste disposal,cutting up cleanly are all a pain in the backside.Its loads easier to take em to the slaughterhouse,then return a few days later and pick up the clean,bagged up,reay to cook meat.Tuck in to some crackling without worrying about trading standards or DEFRA knocking on the door.Nick.
 
Just a thought .... Instead of going through thick none at front .... Shot from side through eat area , less bone / distance to brain ,
Witnessed this done on two pigs for home consumption and laid out a bit of feed, both of em oblivious step in from side and both folded on spot
Any reason why shouldn't be done that way ?

This is fine with a free bullet(back stops should be considered) but not with a captive bolt.
 
killing the pigs is the easy bit.Scraping the hairs,chilling, waste disposal,cutting up cleanly are all a pain in the backside.Its loads easier to take em to the slaughterhouse,then return a few days later and pick up the clean,bagged up,reay to cook meat.Tuck in to some crackling without worrying about trading standards or DEFRA knocking on the door.Nick.

There's many reasons why you might want to do it yourself.
It would be easier to buy imported venison in the supermarket, but most members of this forum choose to shoot their own. Same applies to other animals, wild or farmed.
For me, personally, home slaughter is the logical, natural and most humane option. It's what I've always done (since my mid- teens). At one time I lived on a small offshore island, and had no other option. Now, back on the mainland, abattoirs that'll do private kill are few and far between. For me, it would involve a 70 mile round trip to deliver the pigs (and they're stress susceptible animals and don't travel well) and another 70 mile round trip to collect the meat a few days later. Better by far to do the job myself.
Also, in this day and age when so many kids don't know where there food comes from, it's great that my youngsters are able to help me with killing and butchering our own animals.

Interestingly, magazine articles etc that I've written on the subject, with step-by-step guides, have been put online, and have proved to be one of the most viewed items on the sites they're on.

Some rules are just made to be bent, and I'm prepared to chance my arm with the Food Standards Agency et al. The right to provide for my family off my own piece of ground is something I feel very strongly about, and I'm prepared to stand up for what I believe in.
 
like yourself,I prefer to slaughter my own lamb,beef and poultry.I shoot and prepare my own venison in sufficient quantity to keep my freezer full but in my opinion,although I sometimes keep a few pigs it is far easier to send them away for killl.We all bend the rules a little sometimes but I wouldn't want to see someone whos new to home killing getting into trouble.
 
like yourself,I prefer to slaughter my own lamb,beef and poultry.I shoot and prepare my own venison in sufficient quantity to keep my freezer full but in my opinion,although I sometimes keep a few pigs it is far easier to send them away for killl.We all bend the rules a little sometimes but I wouldn't want to see someone whos new to home killing getting into trouble.

As far as bending the rules goes, you need to bend a lot more to do lamb and beef than to do pork.
Sheep and cattle are subject to the TSE regs, which means all SRMs must be removed from the carcass, stained blue, and disposed of in line with those regs.
No such bother with pigs, so if you're worried about breaking rules then pork is a safer bet.
(Satisfying TSE regs at home is almost impossible.)
 
like yourself,I prefer to slaughter my own lamb,beef and poultry.I shoot and prepare my own venison in sufficient quantity to keep my freezer full but in my opinion,although I sometimes keep a few pigs it is far easier to send them away for killl.We all bend the rules a little sometimes but I wouldn't want to see someone whos new to home killing getting into trouble.
I agree with you on home kill on pigs...pain in the..you know where...I still do some home kill for local farmers...pigs were always my least favorite...not because they are difficult to do...but all the set up!..hot water for scalding..scraping and shaving,or if you prefer the blow torch (the stink of burnt hair is still up my nose) ...If you enjoy putting it on the table yourself..good for you.
 
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