Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the middle of the neck. This cut should sever the jugular vein and the blood should begin to
flow. You should have tubs placed below the pig to catch the blood to prevent the area from
becoming too messy. If the area is too slippery, you will not be able to work properly. When
pressing the sticking knife into the breast, be careful not to press too deeply, or you could
cause internal bleeding that can affect the meat.
Butchers usually will use an electrical stunner to stun the pig before cutting the throat. On
some farms, the farmer will use a mechanical stunner to stun the pig first. A mechanical stun-
ner can be used anywhere, whereas an electrical stunner needs electricity to operate. Many
farmers will not have access to electricity if they are killing their pigs in a field. A butcher
slaughtering large numbers of animals more often uses an electrical stunner. Other people
prefer to use a .22 caliber rifle to shoot the pig in the forehead between and slightly above the
eyes. With any of these methods, it is essential that you are accurate and do not cause the an-
imal any distress. The kill should be swift, and you should not allow the animal to suffer. Try
to stay calm before making the kill. If you are upset or agitated, it will also upset the pig. Ob-
viously, if you are using firearms or stunners, you should take all necessary safety precau-
tions.
No matter which method you use for killing the pig, the next step in the process is to bleed the
pig. This needs to begin within about two minutes of killing the pig so the blood will flow
freely. Pigs that are hung upside down do bleed the best, but if you do not have a way to sus-
pend the pig, you can bleed the pig with it lying on the ground on its back. If the pig is
stunned, you can have someone stand over the pig on the ground and hold its front legs.
Locate the edge of the breast bone, thrust your sticking knife under the bone with the sharp
point aimed toward the tail, and then thrust upward to sever the carotid artery. The pig should
bleed, but if it does not, you can insert the knife a little more deeply, and there should be
plenty of blood. Again, have pans ready to catch the blood.
Removing hair and skin
In order to remove the hair and skin from a pig, they traditionally have been scalded in hot
water and scraped, with the skin left intact. However, today many people prefer to skin the pig
because it is easier and requires less equipment. It will be up to you to decide which method
of removing hair and skin you prefer to use. Many chefs and food aficionados today find uses
for the skin of the pig in food dishes. Whichever method you prefer, you will be able to find
uses for the skin if you are interested in keeping and reusing it.
