wildfowler.250 Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) The worst bit was even as we led them into the room to be stunned, the one was trying to rub against my leg, i did give it one last chin rub But they were always heading to slaughter and roll on Friday when we go up to help butcher them. You're hardy! I could do the whole rearing pigs thing but would want minimum attachment to them, Well done though I'm having wigeon on toast for brekkie and feeling better about it than the shifty bacon from holland that I normally get ps costs of rearing a pig? Friend has a farm and says the food is expensive! Edited October 9, 2012 by wildfowler.250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 You're hardy! I could do the whole rearing pigs thing but would want minimum attachment to them, Well done though I'm having wigeon on toast for brekkie and feeling better about it than the shifty bacon from holland that I normally get ps costs of rearing a pig? Friend has a farm and says the food is expensive! I ask everyone to not buy their pork from abroad. They have some very very low wellfair standards, if you listen to the pig keepers on here you should see how friendly and clever pigs are they are and don't deserve a life like this. How can any pig that can't turn around in its pen or ever go outside taste good. You will find pork tastes unbelieveably good from a small british supplier where the pigs grow slowly roll in the mud and can live the life a pig should be able too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Cheers for all the comments gents Rimfire, Saddlebacks are one of the pig breeds i would like to keep, i am struggling to find any around my neck of the woods though. Are they a "fatty" pig like the old spot? Thunderbird, we are just deciding whether to do any more this year as the land probably could do with a rest. We still have 6 up there at the minute and the lambs. The eating chickens are also due to go in the next week or so. You are welcome whenever mate. I have found that the Saddlebacks are a very nice pig with great pork and not as fatty as the GOS. I am luckly down here as there is a Saddleback breader a few miles away. I have tried many pigs when i need some more i see what is about and get what takes my fancy so have done many of the old breeds, but my favorite is still the Cornish Black (large black). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Cheers for all the comments gents Rimfire, Saddlebacks are one of the pig breeds i would like to keep, i am struggling to find any around my neck of the woods though. Are they a "fatty" pig like the old spot? Thunderbird, we are just deciding whether to do any more this year as the land probably could do with a rest. We still have 6 up there at the minute and the lambs. The eating chickens are also due to go in the next week or so. You are welcome whenever mate. My father used to keep Saddlebacks on his farm in Wales. I'll ask him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 ps costs of rearing a pig? Friend has a farm and says the food is expensive! It isn't cheap, but i treat it as any other hobby and the cost becomes a lot less of an issue. It is great for the kids to be involved in too. My eldest said at school about his pigs going to slaughter and the teacher was horrified, and requested he didn't talk about it to much incase it upsets the other children!! We live in a rural community where farming and hunting are common place, so why are people so offended about it? People don't want to make the connection with the meat on there plate actually once being an animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 I have 2 Kune Kune pigs as pets. My 6 year old wants to send the ginger one to slaughter as he want to make him into sausages. They will be coming into their winter accommodation today as their pen is very very muddy. They do get let out into a 6 acre fields with lots of old apple and pear trees and you struggle to get them this time of year when there are lots of windfalls. I might get some pigs for eating next year. Just need to convince the wife. Silver pig 3...... I would have complained to the school if they told my kids to keep quiet about the slaughter. We have taken orphan lambs into school for the kids to see in the past and its made clear what they are reared for. Sounds to me like the teacher is a townie and needs to get a grip. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 I don't need to speak too the school, as my lad is very strong willed and had a full on discussion with the teacher about food production and how animal welfare in a smallholding like ours is always going to be better than commercial production. He also asked her if she was a veggie as she was so concerned by the slaughtering of the pigs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 I don't need to speak too the school, as my lad is very strong willed and had a full on discussion with the teacher about food production and how animal welfare in a smallholding like ours is always going to be better than commercial production. He also asked her if she was a veggie as she was so concerned by the slaughtering of the pigs I'm just picturing that now. He doesn't still have his Mohican does he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 :lol: No mate, it went before he went back. Soon they have to go dressed as what they want to do when they grow up, he came out of school and asked "how do i dress like a tattoo artist" !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 It's a inspiring thing to see, and educational, I'll put out an invite if anyone wants to see the process they can contact me via pm and come and see how it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northamptonclay Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) Would love to see the process first hand , we kept a couple of saddle backs a few years ago but the slaughter house would not let us see the process . Defiantly agree that on a small scale the quality of life to the pig is immense compared to commercial pig keeping. And some of the practices of our continental counterparts are very poor. Edited October 9, 2012 by Northamptonclay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 It's a inspiring thing to see, and educational, I'll put out an invite if anyone wants to see the process they can contact me via pm and come and see how it is. Thats a good offer, even if you don't keep pigs or livestock it is well worth doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 It isn't cheap, but i treat it as any other hobby and the cost becomes a lot less of an issue. It is great for the kids to be involved in too. My eldest said at school about his pigs going to slaughter and the teacher was horrified, and requested he didn't talk about it to much incase it upsets the other children!! We live in a rural community where farming and hunting are common place, so why are people so offended about it? People don't want to make the connection with the meat on there plate actually once being an animal. I'd like to say that's hard to believe but I'm not surprised. Spoke to my farmer friend and he says it's very hard to break even rearing pigs unless you cut out the middle man and sell it on yourself. I'd like to give it a go some day though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) It isn't cheap, but i treat it as any other hobby and the cost becomes a lot less of an issue. It is great for the kids to be involved in too. My eldest said at school about his pigs going to slaughter and the teacher was horrified, and requested he didn't talk about it to much incase it upsets the other children!! We live in a rural community where farming and hunting are common place, so why are people so offended about it? People don't want to make the connection with the meat on there plate actually once being an animal. SP ISTR from an earlier thread you live in Frampton? My missus works in lakefield school, name and shame and I'll get her to have a word! Although she is a veggie she has a very sensible attitude to my carnivorous habits. We buy high welfare locally sourced meat, or I shoot it. She's far happier with either than me buying cheap meat, and so am I. If you ever have a surplus of pork, I'll buy some! Edited October 9, 2012 by Blunderbuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 I ask everyone to not buy their pork from abroad. They have some very very low wellfair standards, if you listen to the pig keepers on here you should see how friendly and clever pigs are they are and don't deserve a life like this. How can any pig that can't turn around in its pen or ever go outside taste good. You will find pork tastes unbelieveably good from a small british supplier where the pigs grow slowly roll in the mud and can live the life a pig should be able too. I know meat from abroad can have lower welfare standards, but Holland? I wouldn't think Holland was that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 SP ISTR from an earlier thread you live in Frampton? My missus works in lakefield school, name and shame and I'll get her to have a word! Although she is a veggie she has a very sensible attitude to my carnivorous habits. We buy high welfare locally sourced meat, or I shoot it. She's far happier with either than me buying cheap meat, and so am I. If you ever have a surplus of pork, I'll buy some! Can't name and shame as he would kill me . None going at the minute mate, but we do have another 6 pigs to go to slaughter later in the year as well as lambs. I am trying to sell all the meat as either 1/4, 1/2, or whole pig as it makes life easier this end, 1/2 or whole with the lambs. If you are interested pm me and i will let you know when i have some. Some other people i know have got together and ordered a whole pig and will divide it up between them. Spoke to the butchers today and both our pigs were 70kg when all dressed out, a little heavier than we thought and hoped for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Can't name and shame as he would kill me . None going at the minute mate, but we do have another 6 pigs to go to slaughter later in the year as well as lambs. I am trying to sell all the meat as either 1/4, 1/2, or whole pig as it makes life easier this end, 1/2 or whole with the lambs. If you are interested pm me and i will let you know when i have some. Some other people i know have got together and ordered a whole pig and will divide it up between them. Spoke to the butchers today and both our pigs were 70kg when all dressed out, a little heavier than we thought and hoped for Away from home on a phone with an iffy connection. I'll pm at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g fletch Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 good on ya mate its real, its life, as an apprentice butcher i went through what you went through, i really didn't enjoy it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 I ask everyone to not buy their pork from abroad. They have some very very low wellfair standards, if you listen to the pig keepers on here you should see how friendly and clever pigs are they are and don't deserve a life like this. How can any pig that can't turn around in its pen or ever go outside taste good. You will find pork tastes unbelieveably good from a small british supplier where the pigs grow slowly roll in the mud and can live the life a pig should be able too. It's very easy to pick the worst scenarios in any subject. To be honest I have seen enough videos to know what goes on. If it is already dead and cheap then sometimes I buy it. I realise this is 'supporting' intensive farming but that is never going to disappear anyway. I prefer the 'proper' dry cured stuff form the butcher but in Tescos I just get what's there in the offers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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