Cutting and wrapping: Pork Life

 Today we cut and wrapped our pigs. It was an educational process to say the least. Let's talk money first. 

Slaughter day: $75 per pig - this includes kill, skin/scald, gut and cut into halves

(Wait 5 days)

Cut and wrap day:

Pigs are weighed. This is hanging weight. 

 $0.57 per pound of hanging weight to have butcher cut and wrap for you. 

$0.43 per pound to have butcher cut and you wrap.

(Meat goes in giant freezer to be transported and to prevent getting too warm. A day later, non-cured meats are frozen solid and ready.)

Smoke fee: $50 per pig - ham, bacon

To smoke additional meat is extra. Smoked meat takes 5-10 days additional time. 

We were taxed on smoke fees but not on any services. 

You are asked how you want the pig cut up now. This is by far the hardest part. You can research this all you want but when you get in there you will suddenly have no clue what you are talking about.

I am going to draw a chart so I can simplify where these cuts come from, what they are used for and what kind of cut variety you can get from one hog.

Today was pretty Farmy

My goats got loose twice today. They ran across the street and into the neighbor's yard. This of course, was the neighbor we have yet to meet. I met him today. We haven't yet met the neighbors because they don't look at anyone, stare at the asphalt while walking the dog and don't wave back when driving by. My goat wanted to meet the anti-social neighbor today. I met the Brother-in-law and wife while chasing down Kuzco and our blind/deaf/old dog in my socks.

I retrieved the goats and they came back into our yard so I went back to attempting to cook a heart. I feel as though I need to honor the pigs by using all of their bodies. The heart was an essential organ for me to try. I needed to try it for spiritual reasons that I can't really explain. Keep in mind, I have never cooked nor eaten any organ meat and the idea creeps me out.

Then the goats decided to visit our other neighbor. I had to go retrieve them again. Our goats hear the next door neighbor's grandchildren playing and run over to visit. They like to eat a bunch of ivy so when they come home they are vomiting. Ivy is not healthy for goats. After learning the eldest grandson "does not touch himself," I went home with my goats.

I finished cooking a stew of sorts with the heart. The gravy was tasty, vegetables were cooked properly and the meat was cooked to an ideal consistency. This leaves us with the hardest part of the day: Eating a pig's heart. The first bite for me was just vegetables and gravy. I wanted to ensure I had done a good job with that. It passed the test. I continued to my second bite: a small chunk of meat with vegetables, gravy and rice. It again, passed the test. I swear this was like a science experiment.

The third bite went to Meri. She responded with "not bad" and continued working and drinking wine. That of course meant "I will not be eating that, Brynn. Good job on your science experiment, but cook something that isn't an organ."

Meri ate pasta.

I ate I small plate of heart and veggies. It took about ten bites in and a half bottle of wine to stop thinking with every bite "this is Ham's heart." More drinking. Pig heart meat honestly tastes like a combination of venison and beef. It is tougher than most meats I am used to, but not an offensive flavor.

Instructions for barrel waterers

I have two designs for making rain barrel waterers. It makes things much easier to water 50 gallons at a time. I will attach links to amazon for the specific items that I used to make it easier for you to get the project done without the hangups that I had. It is extremely important to get the proper size hole, PVC and bulkhead fitting or you will have leaks.

1. Hog waterer

2. Chicken waterer


You will need (Chicken waterer):
Any large barrel (Rain barrels are costly. I used old soap containers that I got on craigslist for $10)
Drill with 1 1/4" Hole Saw bit
file with curved side or sand paper
PVC joint cement (I used wet/dry)
Plumbers Tape
1/2" bulkhead fitting
Chicken Fountain (The fountain I used in this instruction page has been discontinued. I will provide alternate instructions to adapt to the other variety of fountain on another page.)
PVC Fittings and an elbow - I used the ones listed below because I wanted to use a flexible line so my goats could bump it without leaks. You can go to the hardware store and find a 1/2" female and use that to fit things together.

• Reducing male adapter 1/2" x 3/4
• flexible coupling 1/2"
• Reducing female adapter elbow 3/4"  x 1/2
• male/male adapter

You will need (Pig waterer):
Any large barrel (Rain barrels are costly. I used old soap containers that I got on craigslist for $10)
Drill with 1 1/4" Hole Saw bit
file with curved side or sand paper
PVC joint cement (I used wet/dry)
Plumbers Tape
1/2" bulkhead fitting
Hog Nipple 1/2"

1.  Clean the barrel thoroughly. Chickens in particular are sensitive to changes in water quality. If you bought an old soap barrel to save $50 like I did, wash it very well.
2. Use the 1 1/4" hole saw to bore a perfect hole. Do not press into the barrel with your bodyweight as it is drilling. It can torque the bit onto the drill and you will have a hard time removing it. Press just hard enough to get the job done without moving drill to the sides. This will make an even cut and closer to a perfect hole. 
3. Sand or file the raspy edges off the hole
4. Unscrew bulkhead fitting. The large part of the bulkhead goes inside the barrel and the threaded end comes out of the hole you just made as shown below. If your barrel has a removable lid, this should be easy. If you have bungs only, like I did, reduce your cursing fit by using a tent stake to guide the fitting through the hole. Once you have the threaded side in your fingers, screw the end on a few times so you don't lose it. 

5. For a better seal: I used PVC cement but you can also use exterior rated caulking. Put a thin layer of caulk or cement on the barrel side and then screw the fitting together by hand. When it is too hard to turn by and, use a wrench. That worked for me. The whole fitting will turn and break the seal if you can't keep the threaded part still.

6. Hog Waterer: place plumbers tape on threaded end of hog nipple and screw into barrel. Fill barrel to above bulkhead and check for leaks. Adjust connections if you get a leak. Listening to the pigs drink out of this thing is the perfect hobby. 

6. Chicken Waterer: insert male threaded adapter into barrel (use plumbers tape if needed)

7. insert pvc pipe (In my case, goat-proof flexible coupling) using the PVC cement to bond if the connection is smooth to smooth PVC. If the connection is threads, use tape.

8. insert pvc elbow using the PVC cement to bond if the connection is smooth to smooth PVC. If the connection is threads, use tape.

9. If the final end is female, add the male/male  adapter or smooth/male adapter to make sure the final tip that points down is a 1/2" male threaded end

10. screw on the water fountain. fill barrel to above the bulkhead fitting with water and check for leaks. make sure fountain is level or it will drip over the side making a muddy mess. barrel needs to be elevated enough so fountain isn't on the ground but not so high chickens can't reach it.

Pig Slaughter Day

I realize on days like today that my blog is serious too. It is to teach people like me (with no experience in these things) what to expect, how to prepare and if you ever want to get started! I hope to answer all the questions you may have. Things I have learned and I feel are important points will be bulleted.
What is it like to hire a mobile butcher?
What should I do to prepare?
When should I schedule?
How much does it cost?
What does it cost to raise a pig?


(1 month before) Preparation:

• Pigs should be ideally be 6-7 months old to butcher
• They will weigh 250-320lbs - "Live Weight"
• If they get too old, there will be a second layer of fat over the ribs. There is a distinct line where the second layer starts.
• Call the butcher between 2-4 weeks BEFORE you want them to come out to schedule. If you are lucky enough to have more than 1 mobile butcher, call several and get pricing, practices.... interview them. We had 3 mobile butchers to choose from and I only liked one. Lucky!
• If you want to flavor the meat naturally, start 2-4 weeks prior to butcher. We fed walnuts and apples every day for a few weeks in hopes the meat will have a slightly nutty/apple flavor.

(1 day before) Preparation:

The mobile butcher truck is huge and heavy. Be aware of where your septic tank is, well head, power lines, tree trunks, tree limbs or any other items that might get in the way. The truck needs to pull up to the pigs so the guys don't have to drag 300lbs of pig far.  You will need to find an area to put the pigs (if their current pen does not meet these requirements) prior to the butcher coming out that is:

1. accessible by the truck - truck is able to drive very close to pen
2. small in size - you don't want the pigs running around an acre pen

I will be building fencing that meets these parameters a little better. It will be used for cattle and pigs. You don't want such a small or scary pen that the animals are stressed.

The day of the slaughter:

[This is what happened today. I am going to tell the story in detail with a few pictures so you know what to expect. I had no idea what to expect and I wish I did so I could prepare my property and myself.]

A winch pulls animal to truck

1. The guys pull the truck up to the pen
2. Shoot the pig in the brain with a .22 rifle
3. The animal will twitch or thrash around from nerves still firing
4. While the animal is twitching, the butcher will cut the throat leaving a giant puddle of blood on your lawn
5. A hook is inserted in the mouth and attached to a winch on the truck. the animal is mechanically dragged closer to the truck
6. Two 3 ft sections of wood are placed on either side to prop the pig on it's back
7. Animals are hosed off
8. feet are cut off
9. Butcher begins to skin
10. removes head
11. cuts through ribcage with a hacksaw
12. back legs are hooked individually on a different winch device and hog is lifted up by the truck
13. Butcher guts pig
14. Skins pig
15. Saws pig in two halves with a air compressor powered short chainsaw
16. Pigs are tagged and put into refrigerator inside truck
17. You are able to choose to keep feet, organs (heart, kidney, lungs, tongue, ears, snout, liver etc.)
18. Halves are brought into a controlled environment in the butcher's business to hang. Hanging takes 5 days. At this point, meat that is not smoked can be cut and wrapped. Based on the hanging weight cutting and wrapping costs .57/lb. If you help wrap it costs .47/lb.
19. Items that are going to be smoked go through that process. Depending on your butcher and the process they do, this may take as little as 5 days (to use nitrates and chemicals to quicken the process) or 10 days to cure with salt naturally. 

Being hosed off

feet cut

start of skinning -it looks like filleting a fish

getting through ribs

winch hoists animal up by back legs

gutted

cut in half

Silly Homestead Pictures

Chewy laughing or yawning

Seriously, Kuzco?

This is one of my favorite pictures in a long time. Whistler fell asleep while I was sitting next to her snuggling. I snapped this picture from the ground beside her. I love her baby filly teeth!

The goat family hanging out with the chickens.

Porter likes the trampoline. I think it is her favorite addition to her room. Yes, the bunny has her own room. What? She is the most well behaved creature on the property!

My chicken waterer is not just for chickens....

Kuzco, what do you smell?

Is it me??

Maybe it is me.

Hammy Pants getting her special apples, apple butter and walnut meal. Happy Hammy!

Bacon busy guarding the apples

Kuzco keeping watch

Elk in our backyard - I was able to spot three, but there could have been more behind the barn.

Pigs pigs and bacon

So far the most stressful part of owning the pigs has been the idea that I need to come up with a pricing guide for them. I have no experience on what they produce but I guess they are about 250lbs each. 

Slaughter date is rapidly approaching and I know how much I have invested, I know how much time and effort I have invested, but I have no idea how many pounds of what cuts they will produce. 

I found a guide online for a 250lb pig live weight and generally what that produces. For instance, a 250# pig produces 6# ribs. So that is 3# per full rack? What about long bodied pigs? Ours are long with short legs. I'll post on the actual weights and cuts of the pigs when I know them and what the process is like. 

It is all very confusing for us converts from city folk.