Independent slaughter of pigs

Pork has always been and will be a popular product, and it is not at all difficult for a farmer to sell such a product. But first you need to be able to properly slaughter pigs, and this is not the easiest task, it causes a lot of problems not only for beginners, but also for experienced breeders. The thing is that an adult healthy animal will resist if he understands the intentions of the farmer. A wild boar weighing no less than a centner can deliver many troubles.Therefore, it is worth knowing how to slaughter pigs at home.

Slaughtering pigs at home

Preparing for slaughtering a pig

Before proceeding with the actual slaughter, one must carefully prepare. Moreover, it is necessary to prepare not only for slaughtering pigs, but also for cutting its carcasses. It is not recommended to focus on the experience of large slaughterhouses, everything happens there using the conveyor method, and therefore additional equipment is required. Well, for slaughtering a pig at home, you will need a minimum of tools, the cost of which will be very low. However, even in this case it is necessary to prepare according to all the rules.

The first thing to understand is the time of slaughter of the animal. It is strictly not recommended to do this thing in the heat.In such conditions, the meat deteriorates faster, and insects can cause a lot of inconvenience. It is desirable that the air temperature be no higher than 13-15 ° C. Usually the slaughter is carried out in the fall, when the pig has already gained weight. After that, a suitable place is selected and the necessary tool is prepared. Here are recommendations on how to prepare for slaughtering pigs:

• First of all, you need to choose the right place in order to hammer the pig. It should be secluded and closed, but in it the farmer with the tool should be able to turn around. It is also worth remembering that the smell of blood scares animals. If several pigs are clogged, it is advisable not to forget about such things.
• Then, a tool for slaughtering is prepared. The farmer will definitely need a sharp knife for slaughter and a sledgehammer, as well as a rope and pegs to tie a pig. The knife is taken 25-30 cm long, with a well sharpened blade and tip. Some even use pointed fittings, but such a fixture is strictly not recommended for beginners. In some cases, the gunner can use a stun gun or even use a gun.
• After choosing a place and an instrument, the pig comes in turn. It is recommended not to feed her for 12 hours or even a day before the slaughter. In such circumstances, it will be easier to slaughter cattle, as the pig will simply be lured from the pigsty with food. Yes, and it will be easier to work if the intestines and stomach are empty.Still pigs are not watered for 3-5 hours before clogging. To slaughter a domestic pig easily, you should not scare or beat: then she will not have time to figure out what is happening.
• If we talk about the time of sending to the slaughter, then it is worth paying attention to how much weight the pig got . The higher the mass, the better the lethal yield, so the procedure is carried out when the sow weighs at least 110 kg. If its weight exceeds 180 kg, the slaughter yield will be maximum.
• The slaughter of an adult pig is carried out when at least 2 weeks have passed from the moment of sexual hunting, or 18-20 days is better, otherwise the meat will have very unpleasant smell and taste, which will affect its price.

After the slaughter, you immediately need to properly cut the pig, because if the blood stagnates in the carcass, the cost of meat will drop sharply. Few people will agree to purchase it, except as dog food, so immediately you need to prepare a large container for draining blood (for example, a copper basin) and knives for butchering the carcass. And you also need a blowtorch or clean and dry straw to flush the skin on the carcass with fire. But first you need to understand the methods of slaughtering adult pigs at home.

Classic methods for slaughtering a pig at home

So, the knives are prepared, the owner also got a sledgehammer – it’s time to start slaughter of a pig. And here you need to immediately prepare for the fact that this procedure will be difficult, some difficulties may arise.

First, let’s look at the classic method of slaughter, which is easily used by the average farmer. The technology is simple at first glance, but for those who do not have the necessary experience, it is better to watch instructional videos. In them, professionals describe the whole process, demonstrating and explaining everything that the slaughterer needs to know.

It is important to be prepared for the fact that this process may seem very unpleasant. There are 2 relatively simple methods that slaughterers resort to. Moreover, it is worth considering that the industrial method looks different, and it does not make sense to describe it here. The described methods differ among themselves only in the method of killing pigs. In one case, a blow is struck between the ribs, and in another it is necessary to cut an artery. But the goal will always be the heart of the animal.

Stun the pig before slaughter

Do not rush and get knives. First, the animal must be stunned, it is for this purpose that you will need a sledgehammer. Before the slaughter, the pig must be reassured so that it does not rush, and does not interfere with the process. It is recommended to bind a pig, because it is necessary to limit its mobility. Only after that a heavy sledgehammer with a medium-length handle is taken. It should lie comfortably in your hand and be suitable for delivering precise and powerful punches. Here you need to select a tool for growth. With an improper handle length, there will be either a weak or inaccurate hit.

To stun a guinea pig, it is necessary to strike, standing directly in front of it, and it is desirable to knock it out the first time. You have to beat fast and hard so that the animal does not manage to dodge. If the assistants are holding him, then you must be able to not hurt anyone, so it is advisable to calm the pig in advance. A blow is applied to the forehead, a couple of centimeters above the line of the eyebrows. A blow to the back of the head is still allowed, but here you have to beat even harder. The scheme is simple, and it’s not worth saving energy, as you don’t have to worry about concussion of the animal that will go for meat.

Pig stabbing through the cervical artery

Some killers skip the procedure Stuns, but an inexperienced farmer who clogs pigs at home should not do so. He is hardly able to do everything so quickly and cleanly so that the pig does not break loose and does not cause him additional trouble. After stunning and before stabbing, the pig is often hung upside down on the ropes. Then, if you cut the neck, blood will immediately flow out of the body. Obviously, one person will not be able to cope with the carcass, which weighs 150-200 kg. Helpers are needed here.

After the pig is stunned and fixed, you can’t hesitate. With a sharpened knife, it is necessary to pierce the cervical artery, it is where the neck passes into the body. The blow should reach the heart – you can see in the video how exactly this is done.It should be understood that a beat in the heart does not kill immediately, and if the pig is not stunned, then in a state of agony it will break out and resist. If the sow was not hung, then the knife is not pulled out until it dies, otherwise blood sprinkles everything and everyone around it.

A blow to the neck should always be applied so that the knife pierces the heart of the animal. Another option is to cut the cervical artery, but the knife in this case must be pulled out. The wound must be wide so that the blood has time to leak, otherwise the pig will wake up, feel pain, begin to break out and cause the farmer many problems. In cases where the pig is not suspended, after its death it is worth plugging the wound with a wooden peg. Do this before the carcass is suspended, otherwise blood will start to spill and stain everything around.

Picking a pig with a blow between the ribs

This method is slightly different from the one described above method of stabbing through the cervical artery. Here, the knife reaches the heart when it hits the sternum. The difference between this method is that a certain amount of blood fills the insides, and it will need to be scooped up. Since it is necessary to quickly kill an adult pig, then the blow should be applied sharply and accurately. Before slaughtering, the animal should be stunned so that there are no problems with turning on its side. By the way, this method is also suitable for slaughtering a Vietnamese leavened pig.

It should be understood that all the recommendations described are applicable to meat, for example, a Vietnamese pig. The body structure of pigs of different breeds is approximately the same. Returning to the method itself: for stabbing it is better to use a knife, which has sharpened not only the point, but also both sides of the blade.The prepared animal, which is held tight by the assistants, must be beaten between the 3rd and 4th rib, under the left armpit. It is advisable to look at the video where and how the blow is struck.

The scheme is simple at first glance, but there are certain tricks here that are useful to know about. The most important thing is to choose the right direction of impact. No matter how much talk that the heart wound is fatal, an animal aged 8-12 months will not die immediately. But this is the case if the blade fell precisely in the heart. It is necessary to beat so as to get into the aorta: it is this part that is most vulnerable. If you expand the wound with a knife, the aorta will be cut, and death will be instant. After that, you just need to quickly slaughter the carcass.

Less common methods for slaughtering pigs

Some farmers ask how to, for example, slaughter a pig with an electric current. And here you need to understand that the stun gun is used not to kill an animal, but for stunning. In this case, you must use only the purchased shocker. A homemade device of this type is more dangerous for the owner than for the animal. And trying to stop the heart of even the same piglet with the help of electric current is a bad idea. This method is used only in some slaughterhouses, using special equipment.

Even when the animal is still growing, its heart is not so easy to stop when it is shocked.No matter how much experience a person has in working with electrical appliances, trying to make a homemade electric chair is always fraught with great risk. Slaughter of both an adult animal and a piglet is best done by the classical method. A blow to the neck or heart with a sharpened knife will be more effective; moreover, it does not carry such a danger as flirting with electricity. The shocker can only be used as an alternative to a sledgehammer.

Another technique that some slaughterers use is the use of a pistol. But no matter how strange it may be, a knife in this case will be more effective than a gun. When using a pistol, you need to shoot exactly in the ear, pointing the barrel inside the auricle. You only need to prick a young pig, here a firearm will be very uncomfortable. Some experienced breeders recommend using a gas gun: it produces a powerful air wave that effectively kills the animal.

Recommendations for the initial processing of the carcass

The carcass cannot be left to lie down, otherwise it will deteriorate and will be suitable only for pet food. First of all, it is hung upside down, allowing blood to flow into a prepared vessel. The pig must be washed before or after slaughter. Blood is usually left, because if the necessary treatment has been carried out, it can be used for cooking. After that, it is necessary to clean the carcass from the bristles. Processing is carried out using a gas burner or dry straw.Here is how the experts describe this process:

“The carcass of a freshly slaughtered pig must be scorched to clean it from the bristles. A gas burner is usually used for this purpose. It is better to do everything together: one acts as a burner, and the second immediately scrapes the upper burnt skin layer. Similar processing is required for the skin to also be suitable for food. But after the burner it will have to be thoroughly washed. You can wet the carcass, overlay bunches of straw and set fire. In this case, it will have a very pleasant smell, although it is still recommended to wash the skin. ”

Conclusion

Slaughtering a pig is not the easiest, like not the most pleasant process. But everyone who breeds these animals needs to know the basic principles of slaughter, if only because it is for slaughter that pigs are raised. And lard and meat will be a pleasant addition to the table and good goods for sale.