Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Thermometers
• A meat grinder
• Meat needles so you can sew rolled cuts of meat
• Hair scrapers to scrape the hair off the pig
• Hand washtubs
• Clean dry towels
• Soap
• Vats for hot and cold water
A manual meat grinder can cost from $50 to $90, while electric meat grinders range from
$100 to $2,800. All of your tools should be thoroughly cleaned before use with dish soap. You
will need a sturdy table to hold all of your tools. You also can purchase preblended seasonings
and cures at a place such as HomeButcher.com (
www.homebutcher.com
) if you do not want
to use your own recipes.
If you have the proper tools for slaughter, it will make your job easier, and your work will be
more efficient. You should plan on your first pig slaughter taking about two to three hours,
which is much longer than it will take you after you become more proficient.
Before slaughtering day, study pig anatomy. Make sure you are familiar with where the pig's
organs are and where the bones are, as well as the pig's digestive system. You will be seeing
them all up close soon. Also, make sure you know where the jugular veins are, so you can
make a good cut in the neck.
Before the day for slaughter, try to round up some people who can assist you. Having people
on hand to help you move the carcass can be a great help. If you have people to help you who
have experience with butchering, so much the better.
Killing your pig
There are several acceptable ways to kill a pig for butchering. The fastest, and perhaps the
most humane way, to kill your pig is by using a sticking knife to quickly and efficiently stick
your pig in the jugular vein in its throat. This is easiest to do if you have the pig raised above
you with its head hanging down. You can do this if you have placed chains or straps between
the pig's hocks and hooves and lifted it by raising the chains over a tree limb or over a beam
in a building. The pig will be unhappy about this position, but you should be able to press
your sticking knife against the point of the breast bone and make a 4-inch vertical incision in
