Growing pigs in the farmsteads, many farmers today consider it a very profitable business. Such animals are unpretentious and able to quickly gain a lot of weight. The procedure for growing piglets is not particularly difficult. However, the owner of the compound, who decided to raise pigs, of course, needs to know a lot and be able to. In addition to feeding methods, treatment technologies, etc., the farmer in this case needs to have an idea about how to kill piglets. There are several ways to slaughter pigs at home.
At what age do the procedure
In most cases, pigs are raised in households until they reach a weight of 60 kg. Many owners of farmsteads consider it inappropriate to keep a pig longer. The rate of weight gain after 60 kg in piglets can be significantly reduced. At the same time, they begin to consume more feed. With increasing weight in pigs, the quality of meat also decreases. Piglets are feeding too much fat.
Sometimes pigs are still kept on farms for longer. In some cases, pigs weighing 100-110 kg or more can be slaughtered. Around this age, pigs reach puberty. Also, sometimes the owners of household plots produce slaughter of adult animals, the weight of which can be 300-350 kg. Such a body mass is usually gained by producers left once to make up the herd. Of course, pigs can perform their main function of reproduction, of course, for a limited time; it depends, inter alia, on the breed. After the animal loses the ability to give birth to healthy, strong piglets, they are slaughtered accordingly.
The exception in terms of slaughter weight are mainly only Vietnamese pigs. Slaughter at home of such piglets is usually done at an early age. The peculiarities of this breed include the fact that its representatives develop very quickly and grow fat, but never grow too large. They slaughter Vietnamese loosened-bellied piglets, usually at the age of 4 months. The weight of pigs by this time reaches 30-35 kg. That is why Vietnamese piglets are very popular among summer residents. After all, you can raise such a pig before slaughter in a short warm period of the year.
Preparatory Activities
Before proceeding with the slaughter of the pig, it, of course, must be carefully prepared. During the day or at least 12 hours before the procedure, the pig is put on a hungry diet. That is, they do not offer the piglet any food. This is necessary so that the intestines of the animal are completely cleansed. Otherwise, its contents may stain meat during cutting. In addition, the gut of a pig subsequently, in the presence of feces in them, cannot be used to prepare sausages.
Within a few hours, the pig ceases to give water. The animal’s bladder should also be empty. A few days before the slaughter in the farm, among other things, it is worth inviting a veterinarian. It is not considered mandatory to call a specialist before killing the pig. However, it is still worthwhile to pay for the inspection of the animal if its meat is supposed to be sold.
What techniques can be used in the courtyards
The following methods of slaughtering pigs at home can be applied:
Recently, some owners of household plots have been using more modern and painless technology for slaughtering pigs - using electricity and a special stylet.
Methods for slaughtering pigs at home in the neck: tools
For slaughter using this technology, the owner of the compound must prepare:
a large amount of warm water;
hook for hanging mascara;
blood collection container;
ropes;
sledgehammer;
gas burner;
gauze and napkins.
A sharp knife with a blade width of 3.5 cm and a length of 20-22 cm is used as the main device for slaughtering pigs at home.
Step-by-step technology
Apply the technique of a blow to the throat when killing piglets when they want to bleed the carcass as much as possible. In this case, the meat will have a marketable appearance. At the same time, it can be stored longer.
When using this method, the slaughter of a pig at home is as follows:
two ropes are thrown over the crossbar and tied to the legs of a pig;
raise the piglet above the ground;
stun the animal with a sledgehammer;
with a sharpened knife, a pig is injected into the neck towards the spine at a point two fingers above the sternum;
brush away the first blood clots;
substitute a container for collecting blood under the carcass.
Stun a pig before an injection in the throat with a sharp strong blow of a sledgehammer in the frontal part.
Another method of killing
This effective method of slaughtering pigs at home is considered simpler than the technology described above. In this case, the pig is not suspended, but laid on its side. But when using this technology, blood is poured into the abdominal cavity after an impact. That is, in the future it has to be scooped up. And this procedure is quite tiring and unpleasant.
A punch in the heart of slaughtering pigs at home is approximately as follows:
ropes are tied on the front and back legs of the animal;
heap up a piglet by cutting to one side;
they quickly stick a knife between the third and fourth ribs, trying to get right into the heart;
leave the knife in the wound for about 2 minutes, until the animal stops twitching;
hang the carcass on a hook for bleeding and substitute a pelvis under it.
In this case, before striking the piglet, you can also stun it with a sledgehammer or hammer. After that, the pig will not twitch on the table. Accordingly, nothing will prevent an exact strike.
Using a stylet
The method of slaughtering pigs at home using this tool is considered the most humane. This technology is usually used to kill very heavy pigs. To stun such an animal with a sledgehammer may, of course, fail. In addition, the boar can subsequently wake up on a pole or on a table. In this case, it will be almost impossible to hold him to strike.
For slaughter using this technique, special stun guns are used, which are stilettos mounted on a pole. Kill the pig in this case as follows:
connect the stylet to electricity;
stick it in the neck of the animal;
hold the tool for 15-20 seconds and take it out.
Of course, when using the technology of slaughtering pigs with electric current at home, among other things, safety precautions should be observed. When the killing of the animal by the stylet, the owner of the compound should stand on a rubber mat. Hammer a piglet using this technique in a dry place.
After the boar falls, he is struck in the neck or in the heart. Next, the carcass is hung on a hook for blood flow. This step must be done very quickly. A few minutes after the shock, the blood in the animal’s body will clot and it will be impossible to remove it. Experienced farmers are advised to add a little salt to the basin for collecting blood.
Useful Tips
In principle, none of the methods for slaughtering pigs at home is technologically anything complicated. But the farmer doing this procedure for the first time may still have some problems. For example, a pig with inept actions may not be sufficiently stunned. In this case, the animal is likely to try to escape or even attack the host that poses a threat to it. Therefore, it is recommended for beginners to make slaughter under the guidance of an experienced assistant.
For beginners, slaughtering a pig at home may seem complicated and due to the inability to in any way drive the animal out of the corral into the street. In order not to encounter such a problem, before the killing procedure itself, in no case should you talk loudly or make any noise at all near the barn. Hungry pigs come out of the pens quite willingly. But due to the noise, the pig can stubborn and refuse to go outside.
In order to guarantee the removal of the piglet from the corral, next to the pigsty should be put some of his favorite food. A hungry animal is likely to react to such a bait. In this case, the ropes are carefully tied to the legs of the piglet while it is distracted by food.
Restless, too shy and shy pigs need to be removed from the pen in a slightly different way. Such animals are previously put on a bag over their heads. Next, the pig, cautiously pushing, lead out onto the street backwards.
Processing features: what to do with the skin
So, how to kill a pig using the technology of striking the throat, neck or using a stun gun, we found out. But what to do after the piglet has been euthanized? After bleeding the carcass of a pig, you can begin to process it. This procedure, of course, also needs to be done correctly. When slaughtering pigs at home, the skin from the carcass is usually not removed, but simply carefully processed. Perform this procedure as follows:
scald the skin with water at a temperature of +63 ° C for 3-5 minutes;
after softening the top layer, the carcass is placed on the table and the bristles are carefully removed from it with a special scraper;
singe the skin with a gas burner to remove bristle residues.
Scalp the pork carcass must be strictly water temperature +63 ° C. When using colder water, the top layer of pork skin will not soften. The use of hotter water will lead to folding of the collagen of the dermis proteins. As a result, the hair follicles curl, and the removal of the bristles will become a very problematic procedure. Since cleaning the skin effectively in this case does not work, the meat will lose its presentation.
Carcass cutting
After processing the skin of the pig, you can proceed to the preliminary cutting of the carcass. First of all, the owner of a private household will need to produce an interior. This procedure is performed as follows:
the head is separated from the carcass at the junction of the occipital bone with the first cervical vertebra, exposing the back of the masticatory muscles;
cut the pig’s stomach along the white line along the sternum;
intestines and stomach are removed from the carcass;
cut the edges of the diaphragm and take out the liver.
Next, the carcass is usually cut into two half-carcasses. It is in this form that private traders usually sell pork to food industry enterprises or sell it to retail outlets. If the meat is intended simply for eating, half carcasses are subsequently finally cut, cutting off the brisket, ham, shoulder blades, etc.
The yield of meat and offal
According to the technologies described above, slaughter of Vietnamese pigs at home or piglets of any other breeds is produced. The yield of meat and fat will ultimately be almost the same in any case. Most often, this indicator in piglets is 70-75%. That is, the main product from an animal, for example, weighing 100 kg, you can get about 70-75 kg.
The output of offal after slaughter of a pig is usually 10-18% of live weight. That is, in our case, the liver can be obtained 10-18 kg.
What techniques are used in production
In slaughterhouses, pigs are also slaughtered using several technologies. This can be a blow to the throat, or to the heart, or the use of a stun gun.
Produced by the same technology as at home, in this case, the preparation of animals for slaughter. Previously, they are left for some time in a special workshop so that they recover from transportation from farms. The holding rooms are usually located on the top floor of the slaughterhouse. After the intestines of the animals have been cleansed, they begin the actual procedure of killing them.
Step-by-step technology
Pigs are slaughtered at enterprises using this technology:
animals are washed and distilled to the place of slaughter one at a time;
stunning pigs with special electric forceps, by grasping behind the ears;
hang carcasses on a chain and pierce a heart or throat;
collect blood in separate containers for sausage production;
clean skins from hair and bristles;
remove internal organs;
cut the carcass into half carcasses and rinse them.
Further, laboratory tests are carried out in the slaughterhouses to check the meat and lard for suitability for the sale or production of any semi-finished products. At the next stage, the carcasses are placed in refrigerators.