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In the life of every beginning farmer, sooner or later there comes a time when a grown animal must be killed for the purpose of further processing for meat. Slaughtering pigs requires beginners to have certain skills and strict adherence to the sequence of the process. Responsible slaughter of pigs ensures tasty meat.
When can you kill pigs?
The best calendar period to kill an animal for meat is winter. Frost helps reduce the likelihood of additional infection of the pig from the surrounding air. In addition, in winter there are completely no insects that can have time to lay larvae in the carcass.Cold is also an excellent help, as it allows an inexperienced person not to worry about the speed of slaughtering a pig, ensuring that the meat is maintained fresh.
In autumn and spring, it is worth approaching the process of slaughtering a pig more responsibly. So, a complete absence of precipitation is desirable. In addition, it is important to carry out the procedure for slaughtering an animal in a colder time of day to reduce the risk of meat spoilage. If the time of pig slaughter falls in the summer, you should choose early morning. At this time, insects, in particular flies, have not yet become active. It is worth stabbing a pig quickly - the whole process, including cutting the carcass into meat, should take no more than 2-3 hours.
Preparing pigs for slaughter
12 hours before slaughtering the selected pig, you must stop feeding it - this will avoid a large amount of feces in the animal’s intestines. Abstaining from food also improves the quality of meat. The only exception is water - pigs need drinking for the proper functioning of the genitourinary system. It is much easier to lure a hungry animal out of the barn before slaughter - the pig will go out on its own in search of food.
Washing a pig before slaughter is mandatory, especially if the animal was kept in a cramped barn. The pig's skin should be as clean as possible. It is worth using warm water and a brush. It is believed that the less dirt there is on the body, the fewer microbes will enter the meat during cutting, thereby extending its future shelf life. Additional heat treatment of the pork carcass after slaughter will also help get rid of excess microbes.
If an animal is slaughtered for further sale of meat, you should take care to obtain a certificate from a veterinarian. This document contains confirmation that the pig is healthy and has no restrictions for slaughter.If the meat is intended to be used only for personal purposes, a veterinary report is not necessary.
In what cases is it necessary to refuse slaughter?
There are cases when the slaughter of pigs for various reasons is undesirable, or even prohibited. It is worth paying attention to the physiological state of the animal in order to choose the optimal moment for slaughter. Under no circumstances is it recommended to slaughter a pig that is in heat. It is recommended to slaughter only 12-14 days after the last hunt.
Sick animals must not be slaughtered. Microbes contained in the pig's body saturate the meat with substances harmful to humans. Sick pigs are treated with special medications. But even after recovery, the deadline for slaughtering the animal must be significantly delayed. The fact is that the substances contained in vaccines remain in the blood and meat for some time. The complete withdrawal period for medications after vaccination is about a month.
Preparing tools and equipment
Slaughtering pigs requires certain tools that must be prepared in advance. The list of required equipment assumes the following items:
- Pig splitter is a knife with a long, rigid blade. The point must be perfectly sharp so that it can easily pass through the skin and meat of the pig.
- Burner for roasting pork carcass. It is possible to use a blowtorch.
- Ropes for tying the limbs of an animal.
- Iron basin for draining blood.
It is also necessary to take care of a large amount of clean cloth or paper napkins. During the process of slaughtering a pig, a large amount of blood leaks from its body, so constant wiping of surfaces is required. It is undesirable to use water to wash off blood - it spoils the surface structure of the meat.
Another important preparation factor is having the right place for slaughter and future cutting of the pig carcass. The best option is a flat concrete surface. If such a platform is not available, you can use wooden pallets. As a last resort, in order not to slaughter the animal on clean ground, you can use a large fabric blanket or a pile of dry, clean straw.
How to properly slaughter a pig or piglet at home
There are many ways to slaughter pigs. Some of them are universal, others are used specifically for slaughtering piglets or adult boars. Some methods, such as using a gun or hitting the pig directly in the heart, are considered more humane because they avoid prolonged suffering for the animal. A new farmer should choose the most convenient method of slaughtering pigs based on his confidence and humanity.
How to cut a pig in the heart
The animal initially prepared for slaughter must be immobilized. The front and hind legs are tied with a rope. The pig is then placed on its left side. The knife is inserted into the cartilaginous fusion between the 3rd and 4th ribs. To verify the exact location of the pig's heart, you should place your hand on the animal's chest and feel for a strong pulsation. The knife is driven in with a quick and confident movement and removed only after complete immobilization. Cover the wound tightly with a clean rag and lightly burn it.
The killed pig must be lifted or suspended to drain the blood. The blood is poured into pre-prepared basins and pans. On average, complete bleeding takes up to 5 minutes. The disadvantage of this method is the possibility of blood entering the chest cavity and, as a result, spoilage of meat in this area.
How to stab pigs in the neck
To properly slaughter pigs by the neck, you need to have a wooden crossbar and several ropes. This method requires 3 people. Two ropes are thrown over the crossbar and the ends are tied to the hind legs of the animal. The two tighten the ropes and push the pig against the bar until it calms down. Then the third person, with a sharp movement, cuts her throat at the neck. The carotid artery in pigs is located in the middle on the right side of the neck. The blow must be strong so that the knife goes as deep into the animal’s neck as possible.
Next, the back of the pig carcass is lifted to drain the blood. Cutting the neck allows for maximum bleeding of the carcass due to the still beating heart. With this method of slaughter, the blood is completely drained from the animal's body in about 2-3 minutes.
How to shoot a pig with a gun
To many people, the method of slaughtering an animal with a shot from a gun seems to be the most humane, as it allows you to save it from unnecessary death throes. Of course, a firearms permit is required. There are 2 ways to kill a pig with a gun - a shot in the head and a shot in the heart.
First you need to tie the animal to a pole. A well-fixed target will allow you to limit yourself to one accurate shot to the head. The shot can be fired directly into the pig's forehead, or into other places - the ears and eyes. It is believed that the faster the bullet reaches the brain, the faster the animal will die and stop suffering. A shot to the brain causes cardiac paralysis in a pig. As a result, all the blood remains in the animal's body, which can make the meat unsuitable for use.
A shot through the heart eliminates the problem of bleeding the carcass. The only thing you need to worry about is the accuracy of the shot and the penetrating power of the weapon. Blood will flow out through the bullet hole. In addition, you can additionally cut the cervical artery of an already deceased animal.
How to electrocute a pig
There are special devices that make it easier to slaughter pigs. On private farms and large meat processing plants, specialized stun guns are used - devices that allow you to completely immobilize an animal. The current strength of such devices ranges from 65 V to 100 V, the power is about 1.5 A. Before use, it is advisable to wash the pig to create better conductivity of the electric current. The procedure for this method is as follows:
- A thick rope is tied to the animal's hind leg. The man pulls it while holding the pig.
- The device is applied to the temples or chest of the animal as tightly as possible, after which the current supply is turned on. The current must be applied within 5 seconds.
- If the pig is still conscious, it is necessary to repeat the previous operation, slightly increasing the current intensity.
The immobilized pig is killed with a knife to the heart or carotid artery, after which the blood is bled out.Depending on the location of the impact, the carcass is either laid on its side or suspended by its hind legs.
Do I need to skin it?
Each farmer raises pigs for a specific purpose, so he selects certain breeds for himself. There are tallow, meat and meat-greasy breeds. When raising sebaceous individuals, a person plans to obtain lard for further processing. In such cases, the skin is not removed from the carcass, but only slightly singed. When cutting a pig, the skin is cut off along with the greasy layer on it.
Things will be handled differently with meat breeds of pigs. When slaughtering an animal, it is recommended to remove the skin for further convenience of cutting the carcass. The slaughtered pig is placed on its back and cuts are made behind the ears and around the head. Next, the knife is passed along the stomach to the anus. It is from this that they begin to remove the skin, carefully separating it from the meat. When removing, you should constantly stretch the skin to avoid accidental cuts.
Which way is better
The most common method used in private farms is a blow to the heart. This method of slaughtering pigs is the simplest and easiest to use at home. It does not require special equipment - you just need to strike the right blow to save the animal from suffering.
In this case, the best meat is obtained by cutting the cervical artery. Most people choose this method as the most effective in terms of ridding the carcass of excess blood. The main disadvantage of this method can be considered the lack of humanity - the animal suffers quite a lot.
The question of humanity in the process of killing an animal is interesting in itself. On the one hand, slaughter is not automatically humane, on the other hand, the inevitability of slaughter requires reducing the pain experienced.From this point of view, the best choice would be to use a gun. A shot through the heart kills the pig instantly.
Rules for the slaughter of piglets, pigs and boars
Depending on the size of the individual, the approach to its slaughter can change dramatically. So, to properly slaughter a small 6-month-old piglet weighing 80-100 kg, the efforts of one strong-built person are enough. The piglet's legs are tied, after which it is securely fixed with one hand. With the other hand they strike the heart area, after which the blood is drained.
For larger pigs weighing 120-140 kg, the efforts of one person will not be enough. An adult will easily throw a person off. In such cases, one person should hold the animal itself, the other should strike. In addition, two people can already begin to use the method of cutting the cervical artery, since one person is unlikely to be able to lift the carcass on their own.
The greatest difficulties arise with the slaughter of boars and rejected animals weighing 150 kg or more. Pigs of such gigantic size are heavy, and the thickness of their skin and fat layer can sometimes become a serious problem for slaughter. In such cases, it is recommended to immobilize the boar using a stun gun, and then finish it off with a long knife.
Technology of pig slaughter at a meat processing plant
In meat processing plants, pigs are slaughtered in two ways. The first technology is the use of high-tech shockers followed by slaughter. Special stun guns can stun up to 100 heads per hour. Subsequent processing involves hanging the carcass and cutting the neck. The bloodless carcass is transferred for further cutting. This method is not humane, but it allows you to achieve ideal quality meat for the end consumer.
Another technology is the use of special killing chambers. Animals are driven into them, after which a special poisonous gas is supplied. Instant death allows one to avoid severe suffering. Subsequently, the blood of the pigs is drained and sent for processing. This method does not completely get rid of blood, but it can provide huge volumes of processing.
Some tips for beginners
The main problem for beginners when slaughtering an animal is pity. Under no circumstances should you get used to a domestic pig. It is necessary to clearly understand that it is growing for further slaughter. Excessive feelings during the killing will not allow you to deliver a confident decisive blow, thereby bringing unnecessary suffering. Also, an incorrect blow will inflame the pig; it will run wild, biting its offenders.
To make it easier to slaughter a pig, it must be immobilized. Sometimes regular bonding is not enough. This is where stunning comes to the rescue by hitting the forehead with a sledgehammer or using an electric current. Correctly stunning a pig before slaughter is a guarantee of ease in further actions. The immobilized animal is still alive, so there will be no problems with removing blood during slaughter.
Don't underestimate the importance of quickly bleeding the carcass. The faster this procedure is carried out, the higher the quality of the final product. The ideal time is considered to be 3 minutes from the moment of death, but in some cases 5 minutes are allowed. Delay in blood removal leads to irreversible consequences - the processes of coagulation and putrefaction begin very quickly.
Conclusion
Pig slaughter is the final stage of raising an animal. By learning to slaughter an animal yourself, you can save a lot of money. Choosing the optimal killing method and carrying out the procedure correctly will result in excellent quality meat.
