Author Topic: Yum yum! (Read 5426 times)

myrtle · « **on:** September 05, 2008, 07:37:15 pm »

Well, after all the form filling, fencing, sleepless nights and general mayhem the pigs arrived back home today - in boxes!!
Two pigs produce a lot of pork! The butcher suggested we had over cooked them and they could have gone a few weeks ago as they were quite fatty - all the better for crackling says I!! Just had truely wonderful pork chops for tea, and a freezer full as well as lots to share with family. Hurrah!

Never again, but I am enjoying the blighters now they are edible!!

Myrt xx

Wildman · « **Reply #1 on:** September 06, 2008, 08:34:10 am »

Hi, we sent 2 off and when I got them back they had lots of fat on them. Good life for them. How thick would you say the fat was on the chops

The Chicken Lady · « **Reply #2 on:** September 06, 2008, 10:46:55 am »

I am just getting ready to send my first 2. This is a process that I can't seem to rush - I keep saying just alittle longer as I am worried that they are not big enough although with all this rain I feel they would be better off gone as even the driest part of their pen is just a mud bath. I am planning now for a week on Tuesday - definite!!!

myrtle · « **Reply #3 on:** September 06, 2008, 12:52:07 pm »

Fat on the chops is probably a good inch thick! However I chopped the fat and rind off and left it in the oven for fab crackling!! Perhaps the butcher is not used to dealing with free range pigs. They killed at 67 and 69 kgs which I thought would have been about right, could have saved myself a months worth of pig nuts though if theyd gone earlier...

Sympathise with the mud situation, its horrendous here, fields are waterlogged. Glad Im not dealing with the pigs now they would have been well and truely washed away!

Wildman · « **Reply #4 on:** September 06, 2008, 06:48:11 pm »

My 2 went about 530lb and the fat was about 1 & 1/2 inc, much to much. They got lots to eat and had a great time so its fine with me.

Jayhawk · « **Reply #5 on:** September 06, 2008, 06:58:59 pm »

Sound pretty fatty to me, but that's where I find a problem. I sent 2 Berkshires away several months ago and I'd say I got the fatness about right (half inch max), but this was purely down to good luck not good management

Last week I sent 2 Pietrain x Saddlebacks away, but have not seen the results yet. The advice I was given and have followed is not to skimp on the feed to allow them to grow fully. I build them up to 4lb per head per day, which equates to about 50 pence. They may be fat, thin or about right. They "looked" about right to me

HappyHippy · « **Reply #6 on:** September 07, 2008, 11:50:26 am »

Hi,
We sent our 2 away last year (tamworth x and saddleback x) I was amazed at how much meat we got from 2 pigs that were definately the smallest in the abbetoir. Ours wasn't very fatty, but I've put that down to the fact they were outside with tonnes of room to roam and we supplimented their diet with plenty of fruit & veg, but the best pork I've ever tasted !
Karen