Butchering a hog

[Yourmomnova]

We have a mobile butcher come out to do our cattle. Pulls up in a 40' enclosed. Swings two cranes out of the back. I put the steer down. She drags him up to skin and remove the offal. She quarters him while hanging on the big crane. Then swings each quarter to the second crane that puts them on the rail that runs down the center of the trailer. Once that's done, she closes the trailer, kicks the AC's on, and gets to cutting/packaging. We wet age the meat for 3 weeks and then freeze it. Pretty slick little setup and never have to haul a cow anywhere.

 

[retrieverman]

If just going to skin it, it's easier to lay them on their back and skin them down on each side before hanging it up

I’ve cleaned quite a few deer and wild pigs on the ground, and I disagree that skinning is easier before hanging.

 

[retrieverman]

We have a mobile butcher come out to do our cattle. Pulls up in a 40' enclosed. Swings two cranes out of the back. I put the steer down. She drags him up to skin and remove the offal. She quarters him while hanging on the big crane. Then swings each quarter to the second crane that puts them on the rail that runs down the center of the trailer. Once that's done, she closes the trailer, kicks the AC's on, and gets to cutting/packaging. We wet age the meat for 3 weeks and then freeze it. Pretty slick little setup and never have to haul a cow anywhere.

This is very intriguing, and I would love to see the process in action.

 

[KroyWen]

Brings back memories. When I was a young man I had a friend in South Jersey. Farmland area. There is a group family hog slaughter and butcher. It started pre-dawn, with the hot water boiling in a big tub. There were probably over two dozen men and young men present. It was a production line, I can’t remember how many hogs were done that day but it was a tremendous amount. The women were in the house, an old farmhouse with a huge kitchen table. It was a big wooden table, with wooden benches down the length of it. On either side. At one point they fed the men breakfast. The men had to ate in shifts in order to fit in the kitchen. The men sat down and the women served the men. It wasn’t sexist in the least, with a tremendous amount of respect that the man gave the women for their role in this family group activity. And I don’t mean one family, I mean neighbors of farmers together working in a single effort. Lunch was also served in the same way.
It was an all day production event. Communities of men and women like that are the backbone of what made America great. And don’t get me wrong, I am not leaving God out.
I am looking forward to having time to watch the videos you posted. Thanks a lot.

 

[turkeyrun]

That's how we do it

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I just processed a 250lb Durock gilt a couple weeks ago. Did it on one of the random days where it cooled down and rained. Bought 140lbs of ice from twice the ice. Had 3 big coolers. Got him skinned, gutted, and quartered ASAP. From there I cut sections off out of the cooler and brought it inside for individual processing/packaging. Worked well. Love the satisfaction of home raised and home processed meat.

I have another one who was a slow grower, he’ll be ready in a month or two. I live in a rural area and have some neighbors who also do their own processing and such. It’s not too bad when you have some equipment and a few experienced helpers.

Also, I really enjoy that just a few acres farm guy. We watch his videos at our house. Lots of good info and he has a pretty good mindset, especially for a person from NY state lol

 

[SoonerP226]

Here's Pete's follow-up on why the first video is missing parts of the process (basically, he could post the full video, but it couldn't be monetized), and also why he didn't scald the hog.

 

[Timmy59]

From Just a Few Acres Farm. YouTube's rules made them cut out the most graphic parts (killing and bleeding the hog and removing the entrails/internal organs), but it's not for the squeamish (or vegans).

I'd never seen a hog butchered before, so I found it interesting, and I thought some of y'all might, too. It's also a pretty good reminder that heat doesn't just come from the furnace and food doesn't come from the grocery store.

Part 1: It starts with them taking pigs to the butcher. He doesn't explicitly say it, but I'm pretty sure those are the pigs that will be processed for sale (he touches on the subject near the end of this video). Then he goes through the process of slaughtering the hog and cleaning the carcass, ending with hanging it in preparation for processing the meat.

I watch the channel on occasion, a good channel for those who like the lifestyle. I found it sometime back when looking for dexter cattle information.

 

[Timmy59]

I’ve only processed one personally doing it like a deer but watched a co-worker and his brother do one the old fashioned way by scalding and scraping in an old tank over a wood fire, then processing. Labor intensive process but there was little scrap.

In the time when everything was used and nothing went to waste. Scalding is quite a chore though.

 

[Timmy59]

My parents had both been involved in butchering animals, but I've never done it myself. The closest I got was watching my brother butcher chickens for the first time, which was something of a horror show (he swears that they're a lot better at it now).

My dad told me about everybody in the area getting together for a hog butchering at his folks' place, complete with scalding pots and so forth, and the fresh cracklin's and pork rinds.

Chicken butcher is right around the corner and this year we have a friend attending who has wanted to be part.