Keeping pigs is troublesome, but at the same time quite profitable. One of the most difficult operations of all, performed on home mini-farms, is, of course, the slaughter of piglets. This procedure should be carried out correctly. Exact adherence to technology eliminates the torment of the animal and at the same time ensures a good taste of meat.
Slaughter time of pigs on farms and in household plots
Piglets can be fed according to two main methods. In the first case, meat-fat carcasses are obtained at the exit, in the second - bacon. It depends on what technology was used during cultivation, and the terms of slaughter depend. Meat pigs are usually slaughtered at the age of 7-8 months. The fact is that at this time in animals begins intensive fat deposition. Piglets grown for both meat and lard, in most cases, are kept a little longer until slaughter.
Actually, the feeding cycle itself in household plots and on small farms usually ends in late autumn. It is at this time that piglets are most often slaughtered. In large agricultural enterprises, this procedure can be performed periodically, as the different age groups of young animals grow up.
The main methods of slaughter at home
On farms and household plots, pigs are most often slaughtered with a sharp knife. At the same time, a rope is used as an improvised means. At the beginning of the last century, a method was also practiced in villages in which a pig was first stunned with a weapon (blank shot in the ear), and then finished off with a double-edged dagger.
Nowadays, on mini-farms, in addition to a knife, a pig can be slaughtered using a sledgehammer. Using this tool, the piglet is stunned with a blow to the occipital part. In this case, a vertebral fracture and instant paralysis of the nervous system occur. That is, the slaughtered animal does not suffer. However, this method of slaughter has one rather serious drawback. The fact is that when using a sledgehammer, it is impossible to completely drain the blood from the carcass in the future.
Homeowners usually slaughter pigs on their own. Farmers, containing a large number of animals, often delegate this unpleasant job to specialists in meat processing plants.
Preparatory Activities
Before the slaughter, the pig, of course, should not be fed and fed. The animal is not given food for 12 hours. Water is removed from the machine 4-5 hours before slaughter. For the last time, the animal should be drunk with a sugar solution. In this case, his meat will be more delicious.
It is advisable that the veterinarian also examine the piglet first. Of course, in a small household farm, in the event that meat is not planned to be sold, the slaughter of domestic pigs is usually carried out without inspection. After all, calling a veterinarian is quite expensive. But on farms and meat processing plants, animal inspection should be carried out without fail.
How to cut at home
On household plots, slaughter of a pig is usually performed as follows:
- A hungry animal is lured from the barn with some food.
- A strong rope is tied to his right hind leg.
- Fix both right legs together. As a result, the piglet falls to one side.
- The jugular vein and carotid artery are simultaneously cut into the animal with a sharp knife. A blow to the neck should be applied as sharply as possible. At the same time, making an incision too long is undesirable. Otherwise, later in the process of singing carcasses, a large amount of meat will be burned, which will have to be thrown out or fed to the dogs.
During agony, the pig usually kicks his legs heavily. If the animal is large, hitting its hooves can cause serious injury. Therefore, cutting the piglet should be careful.
Sometimes slaughter of pigs at home is done not by a blow to the neck, but to the heart. This method is also quite effective and humane. However, such a technology requires some experience. After all, getting into the heart of an animal should always be the first time. Otherwise, you may have to chase him around the yard, listening to a wild screech. And this, of course, is extremely unpleasant.
How to cut little piglets
Such pigs can also be slaughtered in various ways. Most often, milk piglets are cut on a stool alone. The most humane in this case is the method of puncture in the neck. With a sharp thin long knife, the piglet must be struck at a point located about 1-1.5 cm from the left ear.
Useful Tips
For the slaughter procedure to be successful and without incident, it is worth following the recommendations of experienced farmers:
- You should not make the pig nervous - push it, kick it, yell at it, etc. Otherwise, dealing with it in the future will be much more difficult. Moreover, frightened pigs often behave even aggressively.
- Slaughter the pig should be in a suitable place. It should be such that in the future it could be easily cleaned and washed. Of course, the place should be selected so that actually the slaughter itself was as convenient as possible.
- Cutting a pig should only be done with an assistant. If the animal weighs more than 80 kg, there should be several assistants. In any case, the legs of the piglet (sitting on them or stepping on a rope) must be held by someone.
- Before starting the procedure, it is advisable to wash the pig, among other things. In this case, it will be much easier to process the carcass in the future.
Before performing the slaughter, among other things, a basin should be prepared. It will be needed to drain the blood of the animal.
Pig slaughter technology used in meat processing plants
At home, in this way, pigs can be slaughtered in various ways. In meat processing plants, the slaughter procedure is usually also carried out using a knife. However, in this case, the animals are pre-suspended by the hind legs on the crossbars (using a special winch). To minimize the incision, specialists usually cut the piglet only the carotid artery. The jugular vein remains intact.
Often, slaughter of pigs in meat processing plants is carried out according to another technology. In this case, a special device is used - a metal stylet. Two electrodes of 1-1.5 A and 70-90 V are suspended from it. Current is generated either using a step-down transformer or using a rheostat. The stylet is strengthened on a special strong pole.
In the process of slaughter, the sharp part of the instrument is placed on the back of the head of the animal and held in this position for about 7 seconds. The method is very simple. But at home, using any similar technique, and even more so with the use of home-made devices, is not recommended. For obvious reasons, this can easily lead to an accident.
Sometimes for large boars in personal households use a stun gun. Such a technological slaughter of a pig, of course, saves a lot of effort and time. However, this method is not considered too humane. And therefore it is used quite rarely.
What to do after slaughter
First of all, the pig carcass must be treated with a blowtorch. In this way, almost all of the bristles can be relatively easily removed. Sometimes, instead of a lamp, straw is also used. They cover her whole carcass and set it on fire.
After the heat treatment, the skin should be carefully scraped off with a knife from the soot and rinsed. It is better to clean each scorched area immediately. Therefore, remove the bristles with a lamp should be with an assistant. When processing the peritoneum, care should be taken. The skin of the pig in this place is very thin and can be easily burned.
Nut the slaughtered pig as follows:
- In the middle of the abdomen, an incision is made from the chest to the back of the carcass.
- They take out the liver, stomach, intestines.
- Being careful, separate a gall bladder.
- Remove fat from the stomach and intestines and wash them, after squeezing the contents.
- Cut out the diaphragm, take out the lungs and heart.
- Thoroughly wipe the carcass from the inside with a clean rag.
- Separate the legs and head of the pig.
- Sawn the carcass along the line of the spine into two parts.
- Perform cutting according to the scheme.
What you need to know
In no case should you wash the carcass from the inside when cutting. Otherwise, the meat will not be stored for a long time. Cutting is recommended only after the carcass has cooled down. That is, about 6 hours after slaughter. At the final stage, chopped meat is sent for sale, for the manufacture of stews, etc.
What are the cutting schemes
You can cut the carcass into pieces using different technologies. Professional cutters usually cut them according to American, Moscow, German or English methods. In this case, the most simple is considered English. In this case, after cutting off the head and legs, the carcass is simply divided with an ax into three parts - the back, middle and front.
In such a way, such procedures as slaughter and processing of pigs (their carcasses) at home and at a meat processing plant are performed. Of course, both of these operations should be performed correctly, using humane methods and observing safety precautions.