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Outpost:  Processing your own meat  |
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quiltin mama
True Blue Farmgirl
436 Posts
Heather
Crescent City
CA
USA
436 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 19 2009 : 11:27:40 AM
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I'm not sure if I should have posted this here or in "Farm Kitchen" but I figured that the ladies that stop into "Outpost" may have some good info on this! :)
We process most of our own meats. We hunt every year and do all our own deer. We've raised a dairy bull for meat and did him on our own too. Our pigs though have always gone elsewhere for processing. I'm wondering how easy it is to procees your own hog? Someone once told me that they'd heard that it is so worth the price you pay for the kill and slaughter rather than doing it yourself because it's so difficult. But is it really? Has anyone ever done their own pig- and how much work was it?
You can visit my blog at www.mountainhomequilts.blogspot.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2009 : 5:33:57 PM
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I have done it with my grandpa about 20 years ago. It was a big job..but still worth it. We did mostly chops and roasts and sausage. Still paid to have the bacon cured and smoked.
It isn't any harder than processing beef or elk ..just different. A good meat grinder for the sausage is a must. I love to process meat...I grew up doing it and usually end up helping someone process game meat each year..last year a friend's 12 year old son's elk. Saves them a bundle and they always pay me in meat. CAn't beat that!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2009 : 5:37:44 PM
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My step father was a butcher and I remember killin hogs. I hated it. It is a big job but like Aunt Jenny said, not harder than an elk or otherwise. Scald him, scrape him, scald again to get that hair off good. And go from there. A good slice up the middle and the innards will just about fall out. Have a bucket handy to catch 'em. Then the poop shoot and it's all plain as day from there. Good Luck!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
http://maknfaces.blogspot.com
~Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. --Will Rogers~ |
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4HMom
True Blue Farmgirl
720 Posts
Kelly
Montana
720 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2009 : 07:38:43 AM
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We've always processed our own game and I make sausage (fresh, links, summer, etc) and jerky and we custom cut into the pieces we like. We've been raising 4-H hogs for the last 5 years and I've wondered about processing them ourselves too. We still take them to a local butcher, but I get the trim and fat back so I can use it myself for sausage and stuff. I'm not sure we'll get the "energy" to butcher our hogs. So for now, they go to the meat processor.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi |
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Laila
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Laila
Kutztown
PA
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2009 : 07:45:05 AM
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We have been processing our own meat my whole life. We no longer scald the hogs because it is so much work. We skin them and go from there. We also buy the casings for the sausage from a local store. As the other ladies said, it is no harder than an elk or bull.
Laila |
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quiltin mama
True Blue Farmgirl
436 Posts
Heather
Crescent City
CA
USA
436 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2009 : 2:55:23 PM
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Yes..harder but do-able..and easier than scalding for sure!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2009 : 4:44:44 PM
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Ya'll are so smart to do your own. I ahve done rabbits and chickens and turkeys. I had 4 hogs that went to the butcher in January. I wish we could have done at least one ourselves. I have 5 goats we will be butchering here probably in Nov. or Dec. I have a friend who knows how and I will give him one for doing it. Plus a few others who bought some of the goats will be helping. I will help, too. But after they are killed. I cannot watch that. I have raised these guys myself.
There is a great tutorial over on the Keeping a Family Cow with pictures and everything on butchering a hog. Very interesting with tons of info. It's in the home butchering section, I think. It may be back a few pages. But well worth looking at if you want to actually see it being done.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2009 : 5:20:36 PM
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The killing is the part I don't like either. Even with chickens..I will do the rest..but the killing I prefer someone else do. I only do it if there is no other choice. With a bigger animal I would want help with that too. Especially , like you said, it you raised the subject yourself.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 07:22:13 AM
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I went over to the KFC forum last night and there are lots of posts about home butchering with lots of pictures. One lady even did a pig by herself. But some really good info over there.
Jenny, I can imagine myself doing what the old lady in the movie Cold Mountain did with her goats. She's sit holding one of them and talk to it and pet it then break it's neck. But I just don't think I could ever do that myself. It seems such a simple thing to do and the anilal is not stressed out and the meat is way tender. But still...that's my baby.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 10:55:43 AM
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Yep..that would be my problem for sure. Now the "floggin' rooster" on the porch...that I could do!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
Edited by - Aunt Jenny on Jul 22 2009 10:56:37 AM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 5:31:47 PM
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Oh yeah! Me, too. Chickens I have no problem with. Or turkeys. It's the 4 legged guys.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 6:05:34 PM
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The trick is, DO NOT name them, DO NOT treat them as pets, do what you have to to make them safe to be around, and healthy. No cuddles, no mindless petting, no holding them on your lap, no bottle feeding, use buckets with nipples on the bottom of the side edge. i learned this many years ago the hard way, and have had to teach it to my kids, and grandkids, along with 4-H ers that I have worked with over the years, its a very hard thing to do, i think harder for a women, maternal instinct and all, but if you are going to be a rancher/farmer, you have no choice.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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4HMom
True Blue Farmgirl
720 Posts
Kelly
Montana
720 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2009 : 10:26:54 PM
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We definately differentiate between "pets" and "food". We have laying hens (and yes, I admit, a couple of those old gals are now pets), and we've raised meat chickens. We've had pet/show rabbits and meat rabbits. We also hunt and process that meat ourselves. I have to admit, the killing, even the un-named ones and wild game, is still hard for me. I thank each animal for their life so we can eat meat. One of the things that makes it easier to take is that I KNOW these animals lead good, stress-free lives and are happy while they're alive!
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi |
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KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2009 : 11:03:13 PM
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I read alot this morning about tanning hides.Anybody out there ever done that? Thought raw hide might be relatively easy to come up w/ and I want to start working w/ it.
Katie |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2009 : 08:34:42 AM
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Katie, I would love to know also. We will be butchering bucks in a few months and I would love to tan their hides for the leather. In the 3rd Foxfire book there is a section on tanning hides. I need to read up on it before we do it. It looks like a long drawn out process. But still want to try it.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2009 : 08:56:33 AM
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We have always taken our hogs and beef bulls to the processor. We do our chickens and deer at home. We started seeing the amount of meat coming home decreasing each year. We knew they always keep some, it is a unspoken thing and they sell it in the front of the office area. We decided we were going to do our own from now on and just bought video taps of the whole process on both animals. We did our own hogs and bulls growing up just wish I'd learned how, it was just a man's thing back then. All we did was clean up. LOL Well, and do all the wrapping and freezing. I just don't care how much work it is at this point the economy has hit our family hard and we need all we raise.
Let us know what you decide to do and how it turns out.
I don't have a problem with naming any of them. The best hog we every tasted was "Tractor". He was a runt and I got him not to eat at first but only because he was so small and was getting pushed away from the food. We no more than put in the pig pen and he was off to rooting around and around the whole pen. The green grass had grown in since the last batch of hogs and he just could not get enough to eat. We laughed so hard at him and said we should hire him out as a tractor, hence the name. All our animals have names including "Dumplings" the hateful hen that lived only long enough to make it to supper, literally. We enjoy all our animals and care for them the best we can knowing they will take care of us, feeding our family.
Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
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Outpost: Processing your own meat |
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Processing your own meat
