A novice farmer sooner or later faces the need to cut a pig, because the animals gain weight quite quickly. If before he had not happened to be present at the slaughter of animals or to do it himself, then he would still have to learn this procedure. It has its own subtleties – it is important to choose the right time for slaughter, arm yourself with the necessary tools, and you need to know exactly how to slaughter.
Pig before slaughter
Time for slaughter
Choosing the right time to slaughter an animal is important. In most cases, pigs are sent for slaughter, whose weight has exceeded 100-110 kg. Experienced farmers recommend practicing this summer in the morning, when there is still no heat and flies. It should be borne in mind that the entire procedure, including butchering the carcass, will last at least 3 hours, and if it is performed by a person for the first time, it will take even longer.
In winter, you can prick a pig at any time of the day. If the weather is rainy, it is better to postpone the event, although if a convenient covered area is available, slaughtering can be carried out. The physical condition of the animal must also be taken into account. Some time must pass after taking antibiotics or other veterinary drugs, anthelmintic and antiparasitic treatment. If the pig has recently been treated, it is important to follow the slaughter time recommended in the medication instructions.
Is it possible to cut a pig when it is walking?
At the age of 4-5 months, female pigs reach puberty. At a certain time, once every 18-24 days, they have a hunt – a state when the hormonal background of the animal changes, and it is ready for mating. Farmers with experience recommend refraining from slaughtering a pig when it is walking. Under the influence of hormones, the quality indicators of meat deteriorate.
Hunting in pigs lasts about 2 days, but it is advisable to cut the animal at least 10 days after the end of estrus and no later than a week before the start of the next hunt. The state of arousal in a pig can be determined by signs:
- She is worried, rubbing her back against the walls, flipping inventory.
- Appetite decreases.
- The genitals swell a little, turn red.
- The udder and teats also increase in size.
- The pig jumps on his relatives, regardless of their gender.
- The animal reacts especially sharply to the presence of a boar.
- When the loin is touched, the pig freezes in the covering position.
At the time of hunting, slaughter is contraindicated
Preparatory stage before slaughter
Having planned the date of slaughter, it is necessary to invite a veterinarian to the farm to inspect the animal. This measure will allow the legal sale of meat in the future. The veterinarian will issue a document giving the right to sell products from a killed pig.
Preparation for slaughter includes a number of other measures. In order for the animal’s intestines to clear, about 12-18 hours before the procedure, they stop feeding it. It is allowed to give only water, however, 4 hours before slaughter, the pig should not receive any drink. All these measures are aimed at improving the quality of meat. In addition, a hungry pig is much easier to lure out of the pen by offering her food. It is most convenient to take the pig out of the pigsty backwards, throwing a bucket over his head, thereby limiting the view.
Reference. An animal kept in a cramped room must first be washed using warm water and a brush.
Slaughter process
The goal of the farmer is to try to quickly and painlessly kill the animal. A strong fright should not be allowed, as the released hormone adrenaline will give the meat an unpleasant taste. There are several ways to slaughter a pig:
- The first involves fixing the body and applying an accurate and strong blow to the neck or heart.
- In the second method, the animal is first stunned by inflicting a strong blow with a blunt object to the frontal part of the head, and then either the carotid artery and jugular vein are cut, or the heart is pierced.
It is important to slaughter a pig correctly by choosing a more convenient option for yourself. Using the first method of slaughter, it is necessary to enlist the help of another person, since it is not easy to fix the animal, whose mass sometimes exceeds 200 kilograms. There are cases when a pig, distraught with fear, having received a mortal blow to the neck or heart, breaks out, runs in agony around the farmstead and squeals loudly. In a fit of rage, she is able to injure a person.
Pig slaughter
The second option is much simpler than the first, and if necessary, a woman can also cope with it, since after a blow to the head, the pig turns off, but does not die. Further, she does not feel fear and pain, which greatly facilitates the slaughter procedure. This method is safer, since a stunned pig cannot harm a person.
Consider the process of slaughter at home in more detail.
- Place a bowl of food in front of the pig to help distract it.
- A string is thrown over the hind limbs and pulled together, after which the animal falls. You can throw the rope over a strong crossbar and pull it towards you, so that the pig will rise up in a suspended state.
- When the mumps calms down, the jugular vein and carotid artery are quickly cut with an accurate blow (the knife is inserted into the junction of the neck and chest on one side).
- If a farmer needs blood for further processing, it is necessary to take care of the container for its collection in advance.
Important! The knife should not be removed from the wound until the animal has calmed down. Then it is carefully removed so that the blood comes out.
exsanguination
The carcass should be bled by carefully removing the knife or knitting needle from the wound. Some pig owners do not do this unless they are going to cook black pudding, and after slaughter they immediately put the carcass into processing. However, if the meat is intended for sale, then the blood must be drained.
The best way for blood to flow out of the body is through the opening in the neck when the carotid artery and jugular vein are cut. In this case, the pig can lie on its side or be in limbo. Substitute clean dishes (ladle or bowl) under the jet.Β After a puncture of the heart, part of the blood remains in the sternum, so this method is less preferable.
The process of bleeding a pig carcass
Cutting and processing carcasses
After the end of the slaughter process, when the animal has stopped moving, and the blood has completely come out, you can proceed to the primary processing of the carcass. If there is no need to remove the skin, then roasting is performed. For this use:
- burner;
- blowtorch;
- straw.
The skin is completely burned with fire, after which the soot is scraped off with a scraper, and the skin is washed with warm water.
If you plan to remove the skin from the carcass, then you can do without roasting. It is necessary to make shallow (about 0,5 cm) incisions behind the ears, as well as around the head. Starting from the neck, an incision is made along the entire body along the line of the nipples. In the genital area and anus, the skin is removed.
Remove the skin, starting from the hind limbs, gradually moving higher. It is pulled a little and with a sharp knife is separated from the layer of fat. Next, the skin is left rolled up for 30 minutes to cool, after which it is laid out on a clean surface and treated with coarse rock salt according to the principle – 3 kg of salt for every 10 kg of skin. Then it is rolled up again and left for 3 weeks for salting in a cool room.
Next, proceed to cutting the carcass. This process goes like this:
- Separate the head from the body with a hatchet.
- An apron is cut out on the belly.
- With an ax, the chest is divided into two parts.
- The end of the esophagus is tied up and removed, then the heart, lungs, and diaphragm are removed from the carcass.
- Proceed to extract the intestines and stomach.
- Now you need to separate the liver, being careful not to damage the gallbladder.
- Then they cut off the kidneys with the bladder.
- At the end of the cutting, the carcass is wiped with a clean cloth and divided into two parts along the body.
Attention! Do not wash the carcass with water, otherwise the meat will deteriorate faster.
Slaughter methods
Scheme of cutting pork
In order for the meat to meet quality standards, it is important to slaughter the pig correctly. There are several ways to kill:
- to the neck;
- in the heart.
Both methods are applicable to both adults and piglets.. Each farmer chooses the most convenient option for himself. The first one is more popular among livestock breeders, since after a blow to the neck, the carcass bleeds better – the blood leaves the carcass with a beating heart. Naturally, this method involves the preliminary stunning of pigs. Consider each method of slaughter separately.
To the neck
Pigs are often slaughtered at home in the neck, where the largest arteries pass. In order to immobilize the animal, its hind limbs are tied to it or a rope is tied to its right leg. Next, they take a sledgehammer or an ax and with its blunt part deliver a powerful blow to the area above the eyes or to the back of the head.
When the pig falls, the point of the knife is inserted into the side of the neck where it joins the chest. Having cut the carotid artery and the jugular vein, a container is placed under the trickle of blood to collect it. This method is considered safer for humans and more humane for the animal.
Attention! Bleeding occurs best when the heart is working, which is why the neck slaughter method is popular among farmers.
In the heart
Slaughter in the heart can be performed both with preliminary stunning and without it. For an accurate hit, you need to knock the pig on its right side. To do this, they grab her by the hind right limb or use a rope. Then the tip of the knife is thrust into the armpit between the 3rd and 4th ribs. The knife must not be removed until the pig stops moving.
Attention! Having no experience in slaughtering pigs, it is worth inviting a knowledgeable person, because a blow to the heart must be delivered with maximum accuracy.
Piglet
If you need to slaughter a piglet, you can hang it at a convenient level above the ground, having previously tied the hind limbs. Then they act in any way – hit him in the heart or neck. A piglet is easier to handle than an adult because its body weight is less.
Necessary inventory
Consider what tools a farmer will need to slaughter a pig and then cut the carcass.
- Strong rope.
- Sledgehammer or axe.
- Sharp long knife.
- Scraper.
- You will need a torch to fire.
- Clean container for blood collection.
- Clean rags – gauze, cotton fabric.
- Warm water.
- Tabletop or large wooden cutting board.
Rope and knife for slaughtering a pig
It is important to properly prepare for the slaughter of a pig – arrange a visit with a veterinarian, enlist the support of a knowledgeable person, and prepare the necessary equipment. The slaughter procedure must be carried out as quickly and painlessly as possible, making sure that the animal is not afraid, because the quality of the meat will depend on this. The cutting of the carcass is carried out quickly, without distraction, so that the product does not deteriorate. By following these rules, the farmer will be able to make a good profit from his event.
