Oh dear...

[spandit]

Well, I picked them up on Sunday. People had told me they'd squeal but the noise they made being picked up! Once home they were so calm that we couldn't get them out of the crate! Fortunately, we just lifted it into the enclosure and they soon trotted out.

They've been shoulder to shoulder since and after discovering our electric fence around the bottom of the enclosure, they learnt pretty quickly to root elsewhere. Wasted no time in getting ploughing:

The dog is extremely keen to get in there and even a shock from the fence didn't put her off for long. Going to have to watch that one. Not sure what she'd do if we did let her in but don't want to stress them out as she is a chaser.

Currently training them to come to the bucket so we can look at putting them in a temporary electric enclosure in the paddock to start grubbing out some rushes and scrub willow. Looking forward to spring so we can try them on tree fodder!

 

[Stew]

Excellent! I'm very jealous.

 

[bilmo-p5]

They look good enough to eat!

 

[milius2]

Ahh, so nice to see them do what they do best, earh plowing Good luck with them beasts!

 

[FGYT]

Quite probably but I'd rather they make the mistakes than me. My wife doesn't even want to think about making sausages ourselves just yet either

Sausages are easy to make

Rowan to his last pig at the drop off (abattoir takes in sunday night and beds them down ) " I do love you Stinging Nettle" (his name for his piggy) ........ Chucks apple in ......." But i love sausages more" goes back to the car..

 

[spandit]

Lovely to see them burrowing into a big pile of straw at night - like being under a duvet! They've made short work of ploughing up their enclosure which is almost entirely mud now, although the amount of old rubble & rubbish being brought to the surface is incredible. The dog still doesn't like the electric fence and will hopefully be learning a bit now, silly bitch

Hoping to move them into an electric enclosure in the paddock next week for a day or so

 

[spandit]

I did move them into an enclosure in the paddock a couple of days ago and they've had a fine time eating fresh grass. Reckon they are ready to go now so have booked them in for the 9th. After the stress today when they got out (although recapture was surprisingly straightforward with a rattling bucket of food) we're looking forward to all the sausages!

 

[Robson Valley]

I have become very fond of knowing what's in the food I eat. Seems a habit that I've fallen into over the years.
Just the other day, somebody said to me: "You don't buy much prepared food at all, you make most everything from scratch."
True.
Closer, I'd like to negotiate apple pies for sausages.

 

[spandit]

Bit far to post them...!

Tried the sausages from the butcher we'll be using - pork and hop... You wouldn't like them...

 

[Robson Valley]

Don't be too sure about that. I'm quite willing to try all sorts of food and seasonings.
What do you suppose they do? Grind the dried hop flowers and use that like any other seasoning?
I can get some at the home-brew shop in the city.

 

[spandit]

Sorry, completely misunderstood, thought you wanted to trade with me!

I'm guessing hops from your homebrew shop will be ideal

 

[Robson Valley]

Somehow, I think an apple pie, in the hands of Canada Post and Crushing, will arrive in more than simply "bruised" condition.

 

[spandit]

One of them escaped... again. At least they're tattooed now and he didn't go far. Fortunately, they are always keen to return to the food bucket

 

[Robson Valley]

Rattle can of spray paint (pink?) and a stencil of your phone number.
I hope you never face a ransom note for the pig vs sausages!

 

[Klenchblaize]

It seems a great pity you will not benefit from one of the key advantages of home slaughter that is realising the finest casing for whatever mix of sausage you ‎go for. Some of the most delightful sausages I've tasted have been let down by biting into what feels like plastic!

That said it must be worth asking your local slaughtering operation if they are prepared to prep the intestines for such use. 

K‎

 

[spandit]

Well, it's gone remarkably quickly. Electric fence enclosure removed from field (you can hardly tell where they've been!):

Trailer was backed up to their enclosure yesterday evening and this morning I blocked off access to their old den. When I take the dog out I'm hoping they'll be bedded down so I can shut them in:

Going first thing in the morning. Bit of an emotional goodbye from our daughter tonight but it was always going to be and despite her initial statement that she wouldn't eat pork any more, I suspect she'll change her mind soon.

What else is concerning me is that a friend of ours (who will be supplying our replacement pigs next month - they've only just been born) had an old sow that she couldn't get into pig again and nobody bought her at the market. She doesn't really want to eat her as she's seen her through several litters of piglets but didn't want an expensive pet. Having just ordered a massive freezer, I offered to take her (post abattoir) in sausage form. I asked her how much she weighed and was told "Oh, about 100kg". This equates to about 110lb of sausages (roughly 50%). At 6 sausages a lb, that's 660 sausages...

...however, we chatted to her husband on Friday and he said "Oh no, she's more like 180kg" - that's about 200lb

 

[Robson Valley]

1. Are you positive that you've found a butcher with a really good sausage seasoning mix?
2a. If so, it will just take longer for the boredom to set in = " oh, more of those *^&%&^ snags again."
2b. Accumulate sausage meat recipes. Wontons, lettuce wraps, egg rolls. . . .. .
3. Do it anyway. Puts you in a nice position to do some bartering. eg: I would trade you a 4lb bison roast (if I had any left) for 2 doz sausages.

 

[Tengu]

I love sausages but Im not sure I like them that much...

 

[spandit]

1. Are you positive that you've found a butcher with a really good sausage seasoning mix?
2a. If so, it will just take longer for the boredom to set in = " oh, more of those *^&%&^ snags again."
2b. Accumulate sausage meat recipes. Wontons, lettuce wraps, egg rolls. . . .. .
3. Do it anyway. Puts you in a nice position to do some bartering. eg: I would trade you a 4lb bison roast (if I had any left) for 2 doz sausages.

We are having 2 butchers making the sausages and we'll get a mix. We'll also get a load of sausage meat & mince for sausage rolls & meatballs etc.

 

[spandit]

Well... they've gone. Took them in first thing this morning (and still wasn't the first one there!). Don't know when they would have actually been slaughtered but must be by now. Feels very odd seeing their empty pen... hasn't put me off eating meat, though.