Our first pig is booked in with the slaughter man a week on monday and this might seem like a really really stupid question but how sure can we be that its our pig that comes back?
Because it's the first one we've ever raised I've told my hubby I don't want the head but this is where the id tags are. Does the slaughter house mark the carcass with our herd number? When all said and done after he's been slaughtered, scraped and cut in half - wouldn't he look like any other carcass?? How will we know he's ours???
I think I'm worrying about it due to the fact I'm dreading the day he has to go - I've bought a box of tissues just in case!
Really stupid question???
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Stonehead
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Unless you slap mark, you can't be absolutely sure especially if you're having a pig from a modern commercial breed slaughtered. Most abattoirs are fine, though, and the few that are a bit careless (or dodgy) usually don't muck smallholders' pigs about as they're often too fat for commercial sale.
Also, if you take something like a saddleback, GOS or a large black (with dark skin), and you get back a white pig, then you'll know it's not your pig! A saddleback will have bands of dark and pale skin, a GOS pale skin with dark patches and a large black should be dark skinned.
The main thing I've noticed is that I don't always get the right innards back - sometimes they're too big to have come out of one of my pigs. While they are fit for human consumption, I'd rather have my pigs' innards back as I know what went into them.
I also got one pig back last time less a trotter. The bloke who brought it out had no idea whether an inspector had condemned the trotter (quite possible) or one of his workmates fancied a trotter for dinner (less likely at this abattoir but still possible).
And personally, I always know my pigs alive or dead. Our next two (Saddlebacks) go on Tuesday. We were keeping half a pig for ourselves but with a waiting list of customers we decided to sell all four and ration our meat for the next couple of months so we'd have a little cash for Christmas.
Also, if you take something like a saddleback, GOS or a large black (with dark skin), and you get back a white pig, then you'll know it's not your pig! A saddleback will have bands of dark and pale skin, a GOS pale skin with dark patches and a large black should be dark skinned.
The main thing I've noticed is that I don't always get the right innards back - sometimes they're too big to have come out of one of my pigs. While they are fit for human consumption, I'd rather have my pigs' innards back as I know what went into them.
I also got one pig back last time less a trotter. The bloke who brought it out had no idea whether an inspector had condemned the trotter (quite possible) or one of his workmates fancied a trotter for dinner (less likely at this abattoir but still possible).
And personally, I always know my pigs alive or dead. Our next two (Saddlebacks) go on Tuesday. We were keeping half a pig for ourselves but with a waiting list of customers we decided to sell all four and ration our meat for the next couple of months so we'd have a little cash for Christmas.
My hubby decided on ear tags as he thought they would be kinder than a slap mark - still it's all a learning process and I really am truly thankful for the advice you have given me. Ours are GOS so what would you do if you thought you had been given the wrong pig?
We were keeping one of the gilts for breeding but in light of how Defra perceive it's 'morally cruel' to keep only one pig, the other one has a reprieve - it didn't take my hubby much persuading!
We were keeping one of the gilts for breeding but in light of how Defra perceive it's 'morally cruel' to keep only one pig, the other one has a reprieve - it didn't take my hubby much persuading!